وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْءَانًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ ٱلْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۗ بَل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَا۟يْـَٔسِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَى ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُوا۟ قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ وَعْدُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ 31
Translations
And if there was any Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur’ān], but to Allāh belongs the affair entirely. Then have those who believed not accepted that had Allāh willed, He would have guided the people, all of them? And those who disbelieve do not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity - or it will descend near their home - until there comes the promise of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh does not fail in [His] promise.
Transliteration
Wa-law anna qur'anan suyyirat bihi al-jibalu aw qutți'at bihi al-ardu aw kullima bihi al-mawta. Bal lillahi al-amru jami'a. Afalam ya'isa alladhina amanu an law yasha'u Allahu lahada al-nasa jami'a. Wa la yazalu alladhina kafarū tusībuhum bima sana'ū qāri'a aw tahullu qarīban min dārihim hattā ya'tiya wa'du Allāh. Inna Allāha lā yukhlifu al-mī'ād.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the disbelievers' objections to the Quran by presenting a hypothetical: even if the Quran possessed supernatural powers to move mountains, split the earth, or resurrect the dead, guidance ultimately depends on Allah's will alone. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this refutes the argument that miracles are necessary proof, emphasizing that divine wisdom determines who receives guidance. The ayah concludes with assurance that disbelievers will inevitably face divine punishment for their deeds until Allah's promise comes to pass.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Medina during a period when the Quraysh and other disbelievers continued rejecting the Message despite its clarity. This ayah responds to their demand for miraculous signs as conditions for belief, reminding believers that rejection stems from hardened hearts and divine will, not from any deficiency in the Message itself.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, 'Guidance is not achieved by abundance of miracles, but by the will of Allah' reflects the spirit of this ayah's teaching about divine guidance.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should not despair over those who reject the Message, recognizing that ultimate guidance rests with Allah alone; our responsibility is to convey the Message clearly, not to force belief. This teaches humility and reliance on Allah while maintaining conviction that disbelief inevitably carries consequences.