Juz 18: Al-Muʾminūn to Al-Furqān 20
Section 7 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
7. Arguments Against the Quran and Response to Makkans
After establishing the characteristics of truth-seekers, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala directs His attention to the people of Makkah and their argumentative stance regarding the Quran. Despite the clear message and divine origin of the Quran, the Makkans continued to dispute and reject it. Allah highlights their failure to properly reflect on the divine revelation:
﴿أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ﴾
“Have they not pondered over the Word?”
This rhetorical question points to their negligence in contemplating the profound wisdom contained in the Quran. Had they sincerely pondered its message, they would have recognized its divine origin and accepted its guidance. Instead, they turned away, making various unfounded claims against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then addresses other arguments put forth by the disbelievers, asking them:
﴿أَمْ جَاءَهُم مَّا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ﴾
“Or has there come to them that which had not come to their forefathers?”
The Makkans' objection was not that the message was incomprehensible or that they could not recognize the truthfulness of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Indeed, they knew him as al-amin (the trustworthy) even before his prophethood. Their objection stemmed from arrogance and unwillingness to abandon their ancestral traditions.
Another accusation they leveled against the Prophet (peace be upon him) was:
﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ﴾
“Or do they say that he has a mental disorder?”
They claimed the Prophet (peace be upon him) was possessed or mentally disturbed. Allah refutes this baseless accusation by stating that Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with nothing but the truth, yet most of them detested the truth:
﴿بَلْ جَاءَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ﴾
“But he has come to them with the truth, while most of them are averse to the truth.”
The root cause of their rejection was not intellectual doubt but rather an emotional and moral aversion to the truth itself. They found the truth uncomfortable because it challenged their privileges, their immoral practices, and demanded accountability for their actions. When truth confronts a person's desires and comforts, many choose to reject the truth rather than conform to it.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala explains this reluctance with profound insight:
﴿وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ﴾
“Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth and all those therein would have fallen into ruin.”
This verse contains a universal principle: if truth were to conform to human desires rather than humans conforming to truth, the entire cosmic order would collapse. Each person's desires differ and often contradict one another. If truth were subjective and dependent on individual whims, there would be no coherent moral framework, no stable natural laws, and no order in creation.
The Makkans' disbelief was not due to lack of signs or evidence. Allah had blessed them with the Quran, a clear guidance, yet they turned away. They preferred their customs, their comfort, and their position in society over submitting to divine truth. This aversion to truth despite clear evidence is one of the greatest spiritual maladies that afflicts humanity.
The passage serves as a reminder to believers in every age that when presenting Islam to others, we must recognize that often the objection is not intellectual but moral and emotional. People reject Islam not because they find its arguments unconvincing, but because they are unwilling to conform their lives to its teachings and submit to Allah's authority.