Tafsir — Al-Baqarah 129

And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike, We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty (118) Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that Rafi' bin Huraymilah said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "O Muhammad! If you were truly a Messenger from Allah, as you claim, then ask Allah to speak to us directly, so that we hear His Speech." So Allah revealed, وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ (And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?") Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that it was actually the statement of the Arab disbelievers: كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ (So said the people before them words of similar import.) He said, "These are the Jews and the Christians." What further proves that the Arab idolators said the statement mentioned in the Ayah is that Allah said, وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ ۘ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ (And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: "We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah had received." Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah and a severe torment will overtake the criminals (polytheists and sinners) for that which they used to plot.)(6:124) and وَقَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا (And they say: "We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad ﷺ), until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us) until, قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا (Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord [(Allah) above all that evil they (polytheists) associate with Him]! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?")(17:90-93) and, وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا (And those who expect not a meeting with Us (i. e. those who deny the Day of Resurrection and the life of the Hereafter) said: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?")(25:21) and, بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً (Nay, everyone of them desires that he should be given pages spread out)(74:52). There are many other Ayat that testify to the disbelief of the Arab idolators, their transgression, stubbornness, and that they asked unnecessary questions out of disbelief and arrogance. The statements of the Arab idolators followed the statements of the nations of the People of the Two Scriptures and other religions before them. Allah said, يَسْأَلُكَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا مُوسَىٰ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوا أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً (The People of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: "Show us Allah in public,")(4:153) and, وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً (And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.")(2:55). Allah's statement, تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ (Their hearts are alike.) means, the hearts of the Arab idolators are just like the hearts of those before them, containing disbelief, stubbornness and injustice. Similarly, Allah said, كَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ - أَتَوَاصَوْا بِهِ (Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!" Have they (the people of the past) transmitted this saying to these (Quraysh pagans)?)(51:52-53). Allah said next, قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ (We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty.) meaning, We made the arguments clear, prooving the truth of the Messengers, with no need of more questions or proofs for those who believe, follow the Messengers and comprehend what Allah sent them with. As for those whose hearts and hearing Allah has stamped and whose eyes have been sealed, Allah described them: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ (Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment)(10:96-97).

अह्ले किताब और बहुदेववादियों में से जो नहीं जानते, उन्होंने सत्य के प्रति हठ के कारण कहा : अल्लाह हमसे बिना किसी मध्यस्थ के बात क्यों नहीं करता, या हमारे पास हमारे ही लिए विशिष्ट कोई भौतिक निशानी क्यों नहीं आती? इन लोगों की इसी बात की तरह, इससे पहले झुठलाने वाले समुदायों ने भी अपने रसूलों से कही थी, भले ही उनके समय और स्थान अलग-अलग हों। इन लोगों के दिल कुफ़्र, हठ और अहंकार में उन लोगों के दिलों के समान हैं जो इनसे पहले थे। हमने उन लोगों के लिए आयतें स्पष्ट कर दी हैं, जो सत्य पर विश्वास करते हैं, जब वह उनके सामने प्रकट होता है, न तो उन्हें कोई संदेह घेरता है और न ही हठ उन्हें रोकता है।

啓典の民と偶像崇拝者のなかの知識なき者たちは、真理に対する抵抗心から、アッラーがかれらに直接話さない理由、あるいはなぜかれらに見ることのできる奇跡がもたらされないのかを尋ねた。不信仰者の共同体は、過去の預言者たちにも同様のことを尋ねていた。異なる時代や場所にいたとしても、かれらの心は不信仰と頑迷さ、愚かさにおいてかれら以前の不信仰者と似通っている。われらは、真理を確信し、それを疑ったり抵抗したりしない者に対し、その印を明示したのである。