إِذْ جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ 14
Translations
[That occurred] when the messengers had come to them before them and after them, [saying], "Worship not except Allāh." They said, "If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down the angels, so indeed we, in that with which you have been sent, are disbelievers."
Transliteration
Idh jaa'at-hum-ur-rusulu min bayna aydīhim wa min khalfihim allā ta'budū illā-llāh. Qālū law shāa rabbunā la-anzala malā'ikah. Fa-innā bi-mā ursiltum bihī kāfirūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts the rejection of the messengers by a disbelieving people who received clear divine guidance commanding them to worship none but Allah. Despite being surrounded by messengers in their midst from before and after them (from their ancestors and contemporaries), they stubbornly rejected the message and demanded miraculous proof in the form of angels, claiming that if their Lord willed, He would have sent angels instead of human messengers. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this represents the arrogance of those who reject guidance based on false expectations rather than rational consideration of the message itself.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Fussilat (41), a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of the Prophet's mission. The surah addresses the Meccan disbelievers' common objections to the message. This specific verse reflects the historical pattern of rejection faced by all prophets throughout history, emphasizing that human messengers were always the norm, not angels, and that the rejection of truth is often rooted in arrogance and unreasonable demands rather than legitimate doubts.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3440) wherein the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'The most tested people are the Prophets, then the righteous,' relates to the theme of messengers facing rejection and trials. Additionally, Surah Fussilat 41:5 and Hadith Qudsi address similar themes of people turning away from truth despite clear evidence.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that rejection of truth often stems not from lack of evidence but from human pride and unreasonable expectations. We should examine our own hearts to ensure we do not reject guidance out of arrogance, and recognize that faith requires accepting divine wisdom even when it differs from our personal preferences or cultural assumptions.