Transliteration:( Wa izaa tutlaa 'alaihim aayaatunaa baiyinaatin qaalal lazeena laa yarjoona liqaaa'a na'ti bi Qur'aanin ghairi haazaaa aw baddilh; qul maa yakoonu leee 'an 'ubaddilahoo min tilqaaa'i nafsee in attabi'u illaa maa yoohaaa ilaiya inneee akhaafu in 'asaytu Rabbee 'azaaba Yawmin 'Azeem )
"And when Our clear signs [44] are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say, 'Bring a Quran [45] other than this or change it.' Say, 'It is not for me to change it on my own [46]. I only follow what is revealed to me [47]. I fear the punishment of a Great Day [48] if I were to disobey my Lord.'"
This verse was revealed in response to a group of disbelievers who mocked the Holy Prophet (PBUH), demanding a Qur'an that would not condemn their idols or include laws that prohibited their worship. They wanted either a new Qur'an that suited their desires or for the current Qur'an to be altered. In response, this verse clarifies that such demands were futile, whether they were made to mock or test the Prophet. The divine message was revealed in its complete form and could not be changed based on human whims.
The infidels requested a Qur'an that would not criticize their idols or the verses that prohibited idol worship. They wanted to either extract or change these verses to fit their desires and beliefs. This demand reflected their rejection of the true message and their arrogance in thinking they could shape divine revelation.
The verse hints that although the Holy Prophet (PBUH) cannot alter the Qur'an, he has the authority to request Allah to change aspects of the revelation, as seen in events like the change of the Qibla. Allah's authority over such matters was granted to the Prophet, and the Prophet’s role was to follow and convey Allah's commands, not to alter them based on human desires.
From this, we understand that every aspect of the Qur'an, including the script, vowels, and recitation styles, is from Allah Almighty. No part of the Qur'an can be changed or altered, as it is the direct word of Allah, preserved in its entirety without any modification. The Prophet's role was to faithfully convey and preserve it, not to make any changes to it.
The verse presents an impossible hypothetical: even if the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were to disobey Allah and change the Qur'an, he too would be in danger of divine punishment. This emphasizes that the Prophet, while deeply fearing Allah, would never act in such a manner. The Prophets have no fear of punishment in the same way that ordinary humans do, as they are divinely protected from sin and error. They experience divine awe but are safeguarded by Allah from any act of disobedience or distortion.
15. And when Our clear Ayat are recited unto them, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, say: “Bring us a Qur’an other than this, or change it.” Say: “It is not for me to change it on my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear the torment of the Great Day (the Day of Resurrection) if I were to disobey my Lord.” 16. Say: “If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed among you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense”
Allah tells us about the obstinance of the disbelievers of the Quraysh, who were opposed to the message and denied Allah. When the Messenger read to them from the Book of Allah and His clear evidence they said to him: “Bring a Qur’an other than this.” They wanted the Prophet to take back this Book and bring them another book of a different style or change it to a different form. So Allah said to His Prophet :
(Say: “It is not for me to change it on my own accord;) This means that it is not up to me to do such a thing. I am but a servant who receives commands. I am a Messenger conveying from Allah.
(I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear the torment of the Great Day (the Day of Resurrection) if I were to disobey my Lord.)
(Say: “If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you…”) This indicates that he brought this only with the permission and will of Allah for him to do so. The proof of this was that he had not fabricated it himself and that they were incapable of refuting it, and that they should be fully aware of his truthfulness and honesty since he grew up among them, until Allah sent the Message to him. The Prophet was never criticized for anything or held in contempt. So he said,
(Verily, I have stayed among you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense) Which meant “don’t you have brains with which you may distinguish the truth from falsehood” When Heraclius, the Roman king, asked Abu Sufyan and those who were in his company about the Prophet , he said: “Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim” Abu Sufyan replied: “No.” Abu Sufyan was then the head of the disbelievers and the leader of the idolators, but he still admitted the truth. This is a clear and irrefutable testimony since it came from the enemy. Heraclius then said: “I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah.” Ja`far bin Abu Talib said to An-Najashi, the king of Ethiopia: “Allah has sent to us a Messenger that we know his truthfulness, ancestral lineage, and honesty. He stayed among us before the prophethood for forty years.”
(10:15) And whenever Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say: ‘Bring us a Qur’an other than this one, or at least make changes in it.[19] Tell them (O Muhammad): ‘It is not for me to change it of my accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Were I to disobey my Lord, I fear the chastisement of an Awesome Day.[20]
19. They implied two things when they said these words. First, they meant that what Muhammad (peace be upon him) was presenting as divine revelation was really the product of his own mind but he was ascribing it to Allah merely to make his claim weighty. Secondly, they implied this: If you want to be the leader of your people, present something that may make them prosperous in the world and give up the doctrines of Tauhid and the Hereafter and the moral restrictions you are prescribing in your teaching. And if it is not possible, make some amendments in the Quran so that a compromise may be made between you and us on the principle of give and take so that there should be some scope for our shirk in your Tauhid and for our self worship and for our salvation in the Hereafter, irrespective of what we do in this world. You should also note it well that we cannot accept your absolute morality: therefore you should make an allowance for our prejudices, our rites and customs, our personal and national interests and our desires. We propose that with mutual agreement we should make a list of those religious demands which should be obligatory on us for the fulfillment of Allah’s rights, and beyond that we should be free to conduct our worldly affairs in any way we like. This compromise is necessary because we cannot accept your demand that human life in all its aspects should entirely be led in accordance with the implications of the doctrines of Tauhid and the Hereafter and the regulations of the Islamic code of life.
20. This is the answer to the two above mentioned demands: I have no authority of making any alterations in this Book for I am not its author but Allah is the One Who is sending it down to me. Therefore there is no question of any compromise about it. If you want to accept its way, you will have to accept it as it is; otherwise you are free to reject it.
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