Transliteration:( 'A kaana linnaasi 'ajaaban 'an 'awhainaaa 'ilaa rajulin minhum 'an anzirin naasa wa bashshiril lazeena 'aamanoo 'anna lahum qadama sidqin 'inda Rabbihim; qaalal kaafiroona 'inna haazaa la saahirun mubeen )
"Have the people wondered [2] that We revealed to a man among them, 'Warn the people and give glad tidings to those who have believed that they will have a position of honor [3] with their Lord'? The infidels said, 'Indeed, this is a manifest sorcerer.' [4]"
When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) proclaimed prophethood with the permission of Allah Almighty, the polytheists responded by questioning how one person could be given such an important position or responsibility of prophethood. In response, this verse was revealed, addressing their doubts and misconceptions. (Khuzainul Irfaan, Roohul Bayaan)
These people, who accepted idols made of wood and stone as gods, hesitated to accept the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as the true Prophet.
From this emerges two important issues:
The warning of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is meant for all people, but the glad tidings are specifically for the believers alone.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the Prophet for both those before and after him.
By "position" is meant the place and honor that will be given on the Day of Judgment. On that day, both believers and infidels will stand in the presence of Allah Almighty, but their positions will not be the same. The position of truth signifies the mercy of Allah Almighty or the intercession of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) has explained this to mean intercession. (Roohul Bayaan) In short, the believers will receive both.
The reply of the infidels reflects their helplessness and the greatness of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). They would witness things beyond their intelligence and imagination, such as the miracles performed by the Prophet, which they would falsely claim to be magic. This further illustrates their rejection of divine signs and their inability to comprehend the true nature of the Prophet’s mission.
The tafsir of Surah Yunus verse 1 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yunus ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 2.
(10:2) Does it seem strange to people that We should have revealed to a man from among themselves, directing him to warn the people (who lie engrossed in heedlessness); and to give good news to the believers that they shall enjoy true honour and an exalted status with their Lord?[2] (Is this so strange that) the deniers of the truth should say: ‘This man is indeed an evident sorcerer’?[3]
2. This question has been posed to impress on them that if they considered the matter coolly, they themselves would come to the conclusion that:
(a) There is nothing strange in appointing a man to warn his fellow men of the consequences of neglecting the Message. For it is obvious that a man, and not a jinn nor an angel nor any other being, was the proper messenger for human beings.
(b) There is nothing strange in it that the Creator and Lord of mankind should make arrangements for the guidance of erring human beings; nay, it would have been strange if He had made no such arrangements, and
(c) There is nothing strange in this that real honor and success should come to those who accept the guidance and not to those who reject it.
3. They dubbed him “evident sorcerer” but did not consider whether the epithet appropriately applied to him or not. It is obvious that the mere fact that he was moving the hearts and influencing the minds of the believers with his eloquence was not a sufficient proof that he was using magic to achieve this object. And it is not difficult at all to distinguish rhetoric of a Messenger from that of an sorcerer for these are quite distinct from each other in their nature, in the objectives for which they are used and in the effect they produce on the lives of the believers. The irresponsible sorcerer does not care at all whether what he utters is correct, just and righteous because his only object is to influence the hearts of the hearers in order to achieve his own unlawful ends. That is why he does not hesitate at all to utter any false, exaggerated or unjust thing, if it serves his purpose. For his only aim is to produce an emotional effect in order to deceive the people by using an artificially ornamented and exaggerated language rather than to state things of wisdom. As a result of this, his talk is contradictory, imbalanced and unsystematic. As his sole object is self-interest, he abuses his rhetoric for exploitation, or for sowing seeds of discord or for setting one party against the other. Therefore, the sorcerer fails to produce any high moral effects on the lives of the people or to imbue them with any righteous thoughts or to urge them to noble deeds or to bring about any healthy change in their lives; nay, as a result of his magic the people begin to exhibit even worse qualities than they did before.
Thus it is implied that by the application of this criterion, the charge of the unbelievers that “This man is a manifest sorcerer” is refuted, for it means to say to them: You yourselves are witnessing that the talk of this person is wise, systematic, balanced, right and just. Every word he utters is well-thought out and everything he says is most valuable and precious. His eloquence aims at nothing but reform of the people. There is not the least tinge of personal, family, national or any other worldly interest in his talk. His only intention and desire is to warn the people of the consequences of their negligence and to invite them to the way of their own good. Then consider the effects of his eloquence and you will find that they are quite different from those produced by the rhetoric of the enchanters. The lives of all those who have been influenced by him have been so reformed that they have become models of high moral character and excellent conduct. Therefore, you should consider the matter and decide for yourselves whether he is an enchanter or a prophet.
[512]- i.e., a sure position due to their righteous deeds.
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