Surah Taa-Haa Verse 133

وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا يَأْتِينَا بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَى - وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُم بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى - قُلْ كُلٌّ مُّتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى

(133. They say: "Why does he not bring us a sign (proof) from his Lord

" Has there not come to them the proof of that which is (written) in the former papers (Scriptures, i.e. the Taurat (Torah), and the Injeel (Gospel), etc. about the coming of the Prophet Muhammad SAW ).)

(134. And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this (i.e. Messenger Muhammad SAW and the Quran), they would surely have said: "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), before we were humiliated and disgraced.")

(135. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Each one (believer and disbeliever, etc.) is waiting, so wait you too, and you shall know who are they that are on the Straight and Even Path (i.e. Allahs Religion of Islamic Monotheism), and who are they that have let themselves be guided (on the Right Path). )

The Request of the Polytheists for Proofs while the Qur'an is itself a Proof

Allah, the Exalted, informs about the disbelievers in their statement,

(Why does not) This means, `Why doesn't Muhammad bring us some proof from his Lord' They meant a sign that was proof of his truthfulness in his claim that he was the Messenger of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said,

أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى

(Has there not come to them the proof of that which is in the former papers (Scriptures)) This means the Qur'an which Allah revealed to him while he was an unlettered man who could not write well and who did not study with the People of the Book. Yet, the Qur'an contains information about the people of the past that tells of their events from times long ago and it agrees with the authentic information in the previous Books concerning these matters. The Qur'an is the supervisor of these other Books. It verifies what is correct and explains the mistakes that were falsely placed in these Books and attributed to them. This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat Al-`Ankabut,

وَقَالُواْ لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءايَـتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاٌّيَـتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ - أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَـبَ يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَى لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And they say: "Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord'' Say: "The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner.'' It is not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.) 29:50-51 In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

«مَا مِنْ نَبِيَ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أُوتِيَ مِنَ الْآياتِ مَا آمَنَ عَلَىىِمثْلِهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ، فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

(There was not any Prophet except that he was given signs that caused men to believe. That which I have been given is a revelation that Allah has revealed to me, so I hope that I have the most followers among them (the Prophets) on the Day of Resurrection.) In this Hadith, the Prophet only mentioned the greatest of the signs that he was given, which is the Qur'an. However, he did have other miracles, which were innumerable and limitless. These miracles have all been recorded in the books that discuss them, and they have been affirmed in the places that mention them. Then Allah says,

وَلَوْ أَنَّآ أَهْلَكْنَـهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً

(And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this, they would surely have said: "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger...'') This means, "If We had destroyed these rejecting people before We sent this Noble Messenger to them and revealed the Mighty Book to them, they would have said,

رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً

(Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger,) meaning, `before you destroyed us, so we could have believed in him and followed him.' This is like Allah said,

فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَايَـتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَى

(we should certainly have followed Your Ayat, before we were humiliated and disgraced.) Allah, the Exalted, explains that these rejecters are stubborn and obstinate and they will not believe.

وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

(Even if every sign should come them, until they see the painful torment.) 10:97 This is as Allah says,

وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلْنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

(And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa (of Allah), that you may receive mercy.) Until His statement,

بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْدِفُونَ

(because of their turning away.) 6:155-157 Allah also says,

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ

(And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them).) 35:42

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا

(And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein.) 6:109 to the completion of those Ayat. Then, Allah says,

(Say) "Say, O Muhammad, to those who deny you, oppose you and continue in their disbelief and obstinance.''

كُلٌّ مُّتَرَبِّصٌ

(Each one is waiting,) among you and us;

(so wait you too;) This is a command to await (anticipate).

فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَـبُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ

(and you shall know who are they that are on As-Sirat As-Sawi.) This means the straight road.

وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى

(And who are they that have let themselves be guided. ) meaning guidance to the truth and the path of right guidance. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً

(And they will know, when they see the torment, who it is that is most astray from the path!) 25:42 And Allah said,

سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ

(Tomorrow they will come to know who is liar, the insolent one!) 54:26 This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ta Ha, and all praise and gratitude is due to Allah. The Tafsir of Surat Al-Anbiya' will follow this, if Allah wills. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.