فَلَوْلَآ أُلْقِىَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ 53
Translations
Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"
Transliteration
Falawlā ulqiya ʿalayhi aswiratum min dhahab aw jāʾa maʿahu al-malāʾikatu muqtarinīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the objection of the disbelievers of Mecca against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), where they demanded material signs of his prophethood—either golden bracelets adorning him or angels accompanying him visibly. The classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this reflects the arrogance and stubbornness of the Quraysh, who set impossible conditions for belief despite witnessing the miracle of the Qur'an itself. Allah responds to such demands by emphasizing that the Qur'an is the greatest miracle, and material displays are not requirements for true faith, which is fundamentally a matter of the heart's submission.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zukhruf, a Meccan surah addressing the rejection faced by the Prophet. The context deals with the mockery and unreasonable demands of the Meccan disbelievers who refused to accept the message despite clear signs. This specific ayah reflects the actual objections raised by the Quraysh leadership against the Prophet's message.
Related Hadiths
The Qur'an itself addresses this in 6:124-125, where Allah describes how the disbelievers demand signs while ignoring the clear message. Related thematically is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet stated that the greatest miracle is the Qur'an itself, as it is preserved and recited by the hearts of believers.
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith comes through recognizing the signs Allah has already provided—particularly the Qur'an—rather than demanding extraordinary material displays; believers should guard against using excuses and unreasonable conditions to justify disbelief, remembering that guidance is ultimately a matter of sincere hearts seeking truth.