Juz 27: Adh-Dhāriyāt 31 to Al-Ḥadīd
Section 8 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
8. Response to Criticisms Against the Prophet ﷺ
Following the portrayal of Paradise, Surah At-Tur addresses various criticisms and accusations leveled against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the disbelievers. Allah (swt) instructs His Messenger:
فَذَكِّرْ فَمَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ
“So remind, for you are not, by the grace of your Lord, a soothsayer, nor a madman." (At-Tur 52:29)”
This verse serves as both a command and a vindication. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is instructed to continue delivering the message regardless of opposition, while Allah simultaneously refutes the accusations that he was either a kahin (soothsayer) or a madman. These were common allegations made by the Quraysh attempting to discredit the divine message.
The disbelievers went further in their accusations, claiming:
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
“Or do they say, 'He is a poet for whom we are waiting for a calamity of time'?" (At-Tur 52:30)”
They labeled the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a mere poet and anticipated that time would eventually eliminate him and his message. Allah (swt) responds to this with a direct challenge: "Wait, for I am with you among those who wait" (52:31). This conveys that the passage of time would only confirm the truth of the Prophet's message, not diminish it.
Allah (swt) then questions whether these criticisms stem from the disbelievers' dreams or intellectual deliberation:
أَمْ تَأْمُرُهُمْ أَحْلَامُهُم بِهَٰذَا ۚ أَمْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
“Is it that their dreams command them to do this, or are they a rebellious people?" (At-Tur 52:32)”
This rhetorical question exposes that their rejection is based neither on rational evidence nor divine guidance but on their transgressing nature. They further alleged that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had "fabricated" the Quran, to which Allah challenges them:
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُ ۚ بَل لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Do they say, 'He has forged it'? No, but they do not believe." (At-Tur 52:33)”
This is followed by a profound challenge: "Then let them produce a discourse like this, if they are truthful" (52:34). The inimitability of the Quran stands as eternal evidence of its divine origin, a challenge unmet throughout history.
Allah (swt) then addresses fundamental questions about existence that the disbelievers failed to contemplate:
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or are they themselves the creators?" (At-Tur 52:35)”
This verse confronts the logical fallacies in rejecting a Creator. Either they came from nothing (an impossibility), or they created themselves (equally impossible), or they must acknowledge a Creator. The passage continues questioning whether they created the heavens and earth, possess the treasuries of Allah's mercy, or have established a ladder to the heavens by which they receive revelation.
The disbelievers also attributed daughters to Allah while selecting sons for themselves, a practice Allah condemns. They are described as plotting against the Prophet (peace be upon him), but Allah assures: "those who disbelieve are themselves in a plot" (52:42).
The passage concludes by questioning: "Do they have a god other than Allah?" (52:43). This brings the discourse back to the fundamental issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), highlighting that all their criticisms are ultimately rooted in their rejection of this essential truth.