Four Reasons for the Request

Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) said: ittaqū Allāha in kuntum muʾminīn — fear Allah (swt); why are you asking me to do so? Fear Allah, if you are indeed believers. They gave their justifications.

Qālū nurīdu an naʾkula minhā: they said, we wish to eat thereof. They might have been very hungry, and they wanted the rizq of Allah (swt) — and it's okay to ask for rizq from Allah. Wa taṭmaʾinna qulūbunā: and to satisfy our hearts. When we see a miracle, it will satisfy our hearts; it will make our īmān firmer and stronger. So that's number two.

Wa naʿlama an qad ṣadaqtanā: and to know that you have indeed told us the truth. And again you can see here a little bit of a difference, again, between the Ṣaḥābah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and al-Ḥawāriyyūn. They're saying: we want to see this to make sure that you have told us the truth.

Wa nakūna ʿalayhā min al-shāhidīn: and that we ourselves be its witnesses. Now, even though they made this the last justification, it should have been the first, because it has the strongest foundation. They said: we want to be witnesses. In other words, they are asking Sayyidunā ʿĪsā to perform this miracle in front of their eyes, so that they can be witnesses in front of mankind, to say: we have seen this miracle with our eyes. So when they go in daʿwah, and when they go to convey the message of Allah (swt), they can tell the people: we have seen ʿĪsā ibn Maryam perform this miracle in front of our eyes. Wa nakūna ʿalayhā min al-shāhidīn: we will witness that; we will be witnesses in front of mankind. They convinced Sayyidunā ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) of the validity of their request.