Sūrat al-Ḥijr
Section 5 of 22 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
You Are Insane; Bring Us Angels
وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِى نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ
“They say, “O you to whom the Dhikr (the Qur’ān) has been revealed, you are surely insane.” (15:6)
Then Allah (swt) asks how it is that they should believe in this, when they say qālū yā ayyuhā alladhī nuzzila ʿalayhi al-dhikru innaka la-majnūn. They said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): you upon whom this Reminder is being revealed, you are insane.
لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
“Why do you not bring the angels to us, if you are one of the truthful?”” (15:7)
And then, law mā taʾtīnā bi-l-malāʾikati in kunta mina al-ṣādiqīn: why do you not bring us some angels, if you are truthful?
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓا۟ إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ
“We do not send down the angels except with truth, and then they shall be given no respite.” (15:8)
So Allah says mā nunazzilu al-malāʾikata illā bi-l-ḥaqqi wa mā kānū idhan munẓarīn. Were We to send down angels, that would be a last resort. They would be given no time afterwards. They would have no respite afterwards.