Surah Fussilat Tafseer

Rejection of the Qur'an is pure Stubbornness

Allah tells us that the Qur'an is so eloquent and perfect in its wording and meanings, yet despite that the idolators do not believe in it. He tells us that their disbelief is the disbelief of stubbornness, as He says elsewhere:

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا

And if We had sent this as a Qur'an in a foreign language, they would have said:

Allah tells us that the Qur'an is so eloquent and perfect in its wording and meanings, yet despite that the idolators do not believe in it. He tells us that their disbelief is the disbelief of stubbornness, as He says elsewhere:

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَـهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الاٌّعْجَمِينَ

فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَيْهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ مُوْمِنِينَ

And if We had revealed it unto any of the non-Arabs, and he had recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it. (26:198-199)

If the Qur'an had been revealed in the language of the non-Arabs, they would have said, because of their stubbornness:

لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ايَاتُهُ

أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ

Why are not its verses explained in detail What! not in Arabic and an Arab,

meaning, why is it not revealed in detail in Arabic? And by way of denunciation they would have said, "What! not in Arabic nor from an Arab -- i.e., how can foreign words be revealed to an Arab who does not understand them?

This interpretation was reported from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi and others.

قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاء

Say:"It is for those who believe, a guide and a cure..."

means, `say, O Muhammad:this Qur'an, for the one who believes in it, is guidance for his heart and a cure for the doubts and confusion that exists in people's hearts.'

وَالَّذِينَ لَاا يُوْمِنُونَ فِي اذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ

And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears,

means, they do not understand what is in it.

وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى

and it is blindness for them.

means they are not guided to the explanations contained therein.

This is like the Ayah:

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَأءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُوْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا

And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss. (17:82)

أُوْلَيِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ

They are called from a place far away.

Mujahid said,

"Far away from their hearts."

Ibn Jarir said,

"It is as if the one who is addressing them is calling to them from a distant place, and they cannot understand what he is saying."

This is like the Ayah:

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَأءً وَنِدَاءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand. (2:171)

Taking Musa as an Example

Allah says,