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[Continued...]

Ayat 7 - 10

7. And they say: "What sort of a Messenger is this, who eats food and walks through the markets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?

8. Or [why] has not a treasure been bestowed on him [from heaven], or why has he [not] a garden for enjoyment?" The wicked say: "You follow none other than a man bewitched."

9. Look how they propound comparisons for you [in order to discredit you] but they have strayed and so cannot find a way.

10. Blessed is He Who, if He Willed, could give you better [things] than those, Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and He could give you Palaces [secure to dwell in].

In there attempts to belittle the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) the disbelievers criticised him for eating food and walking through the market places in order to sell, buy and fulfil his daily needs, arguing that a true messenger from Allâh would have been an Angel, who would not require such things. This was precisely what the disbelievers of old said,

"And the eminent among his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter while We had given them luxury in the worldly life said: 'This is just a man like yourselves. He eats of that which you eat and drinks of that which you drink. If you should obey a man like yourselves then indeed you would be of the losers.' " [Al-Mu`minûn (23): 33-34]

"They said: 'Is it one man amongst us that we should follow? Indeed we would then be in error and madness!' " [Al-Qamar (54): 24]

Allâh refutes this claim saying that indeed the Messengers were men like themselves except that they had been honoured with revelation, that had he sent an Angel then it would have come in the form of a man and thus increased them in confusion. This is because the one sent has to be of the same species as those to whom he is sent in order to teach them in the best manner. Allâh says,

"We did not send before you any of the Messengers except that they ate food and walked in markets." [Al-Furqân (25): 20]

"And We sent before you only men to whom We sent revelation from among the people of the cities [to which they were sent]." [Yusuf (12): 109]

"If We had made him an Angel, We would have made him appear as a man and We would have covered them with what they had covered themselves in [i.e. confusion]." [Al-An`âm (6): 9]

"Say: 'If there were upon the earth angels walking securely then We would have sent them an Angel from heaven as a messenger.' " [Al-Isrâ (17): 95]

Being a man in no way negates the possibility of being a Messenger,

"Say: 'I am a man like yourselves to whom it has been revealed that your god is one God. So whosoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.' " [Al-Kahf (18): 110]

"Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?": In these verses the polytheists asked three things:

1. That an Angel be sent to him that would testify to his truthfulness and hence leave no need of his preaching.

2. That he be given a treasure such that he would no longer need to walk the market places.

3. That he be given a garden for enjoyment.

Az-Zamakhsari said, "he eats food like we eat and walks the market places as we do. What they meant by this was that he should have been an Angel who was not in need of food and livelihood. Then they went one step down and suggested that at least he should have an Angel with him so that they could support each other in spreading the message. Then they went one step down and said that if he was not to be bestowed an Angel then at least he should be bestowed a treasure from the heaven such that he would not need to earn his livelihood. Then they went one step down and suggested that at least he should have a garden that he could eat from and enjoy in the way of those enjoining prominence or so that they themselves could eat from it and hence benefit from it. All of this arose due to lengths they went to in harassing the Prophet (SAW) and their rejection of him."

They asked him similar things on other occasions,

"Then would you possibly leave some of what is revealed to you, or is your breast constrained by it because they say: 'Why has there not been sent down to him a treasure or an Angel come with him?' Indeed you are only a Warner." [Hud (11): 12]

Meaning that the Messenger of Allâh (SAW) was grieved by their words however Allâh comforted him and enjoined him to patience reminding him, through mentioning the accounts of the past Prophets, that he had an excellent example in his brothers who came before him. Reminding him that they were oppressed, tortured and mocked, but they bore all of this with patience until the Help of Allâh came. Allâh says,

"And We know that your breast is constrained by what they say. So exalt [Allâh] with the praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate to Him. And worship your Lord until the certainty comes to you." [Al-Hijr  (15): 97-99]

Allâh also mentions the extent to which they harassed the Noble Prophet (SAW) continuously asking him for signs,

"They say: 'We will not believe in you until you cause a spring to gush from the ground. Or until you have a garden of palm trees and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in abundance. Or you make heaven fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed or you bring Allâh and the Angels before us. Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. [Even then] we will not believe until you bring down to us a book that we may read.' Say: 'Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human Messenger!' " [Al-Isrâ` (17): 90-93]

The likes of this was also asked of Musa (AS) by Pharaoh,

"Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets or gold or come with him Angels in procession?" [Az-Zukhruf (43): 53]

Their hearts are the same and hence their words bear resemblance!

Allâh explains to us that their requests were made by way of mockery and had He sent down what they asked for they would still not have believed,

"Even if We had sent down to you a written scripture on parchment and they touched it with their hands, the disbelievers would say: 'This is nothing but clear magic.' " [Al-An`âm (6): 7]

"Even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend they would say: 'Our eyes have only been dazzled. Rather we are a people affected by magic.' " [Al-Hijr (15): 14-15]

"Even if We had sent down to them the Angels and the dead spoke to them and We gathered together every [created] thing in front them, they would not believe unless Allâh should will. But most of them ignore the truth." [Al-An`âm (6): 111]

"Indeed those upon whom the word of your Lord has come into effect will not believe, even if every sign should come to them." [Yunus (10): 96-97]

Even at the end of this verse, after asking for all these things and realising their futility the disbelievers are left with no recourse but to say,

"You follow none other than a man bewitched."

"Look how they propound comparisons for you [in order to discredit you]": The way of the disbelievers was to invent certain characteristics that they thought a prophet should have and then show how the Prophet  (SAW) was lacking in these. However in this they were wondering aimlessly not able to find a set of characteristic that they could all settle on as has preceded in the previous verse. In the same way they labelled the Prophet (SAW) but could not come up with a consistent set of labels that would fit him. Sometimes they called him a magician, other times one affected by magic, other times one who was mad, a liar, a soothsayer or a skilled poet. All of these labels in reality were self-contradictory and could not possibly all co-exist in one person, hence they could not find a way to discredit the Messenger of Allâh (SAW). Because all there efforts were expended in trying to oppose the Prophet (SAW) neither were they able to find a way to the truth.

"They were not able to hear and neither did they see." [Hud (11): 20]

Meaning that they became unable to hear the truth such they would be able to benefit from it and neither see the guidance such that they would be guided by it. Allâh says,

"But their hearing, vision and hearts availed them not from anything [of the Punishment] because they were continuously rejecting the Signs of Allâh." [Al-Ahqâf (46): 26]

Indeed when they heard the Words of Allâh being recited,

"You recognise in the faces of those who disbelieve aversion. They are almost on the verge of assaulting those who recite to them Our verses." [Al-Hajj (22): 72]