When Our clear messages are recited to them, those who do not hope to meet Us, say: "Bring a different Qur'an, or make amendments to this one." Say: "It is not for me to change it of my will. I follow (only) what is revealed to me. If I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of an awful Day."
And when Our clear verses are recited to them, the people who do not expect to meet Us say, “Bring a Qur’an other than this one, or change it”; say (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “I do not have the right to change it on my own; I only follow what is divinely revealed to me; if I were to disobey my Lord*, then I fear the punishment of the Great Day (of Resurrection). (* Which is impossible.)
And when Our signs are recited to them, clear signs, those who look not to encounter Us say, 'Bring a Koran other than this, or alter it.' Say: 'It is not for me to alter it of my own accord. I follow nothing, except what is revealed to me. Truly I fear, if I should rebel against my Lord, the chastisement of a dreadful day.'
AND [thus it is:] whenever Our messages are conveyed unto them in all their clarity, those who do not believe that they are destined to meet Us [are wont to] say, "Bring us a discourse other than this, or alter this one.” Say [O Prophet]: "It is not conceivable that I should alter it of my own volition; I only follow what is revealed to me. Behold, I would dread, were I [thus] to rebel against my Sustainer, the suffering [which would befall me] on that awesome Day [of Judgment]!"
And whenever Our manifest revelations are rehearsed unto them, those who hope not for the meeting with Us, say: bring us a Qur'an other than this, or change it. Say thou: it lieth not with me to change it of my own accord; I only follow that which is Revealed unto me; verily I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the torment of the Mighty Day.
And when Our Clear Verses are recited unto them, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, say: Bring us a Quran other than this, or change it."Say (O Muhammad SAW): "It is not for me to change it on my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear if I were to disobey my Lord, the torment of the Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)."
And when Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not hope to meet Us say, “Bring a Quran other than this, or change it.” Say, “It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. I fear, if I disobeyed my Lord, the torment of a terrible Day.”
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. 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.
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."
And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! if I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day.
When Our manifest signs are recited to them, those who do not expect to encounter Us say, ‘Bring a Quran other than this, or alter it.’ Say, ‘I may not alter it of my own accord. I follow only what is revealed to me. Indeed should I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of a tremendous day.’
When Our verses, clear verses, are recited to them, those who do not reckon to meet Us say: 'Bring a Koran other than this, or make changes in it' Say: 'It is not for me to change it by myself. I follow nothing, except what is sent down to me. Indeed, if I should rebel against my Lord I fear the punishment of a Great Day.'
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Bring us a Qur'an other than this or change it." Say, [O Muhammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
Whenever Our authoritative revelations are recited to those who do not wish to meet Us in the life hereafter, say, "Bring us another book besides this one or change it." (Muhammad), tell them, "I can not change it myself. I only follow what is revealed to me. I fear that for disobeying my Lord I shall be punished on the great (Day of Judgment).
And when Our clear communications are recited to them, those who hope not for Our meeting say: Bring a Quran other than this or change it. Say: It does not beseem me that I should change it of myself; I follow naught but what is revealed to me; surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a mighty day.
Wai<u>tha</u> tutl<u>a</u> AAalayhim <u>a</u>y<u>a</u>tun<u>a</u> bayyin<u>a</u>tin q<u>a</u>la alla<u>th</u>eena l<u>a</u> yarjoona liq<u>a</u>an<u>a</u> iti biqur<u>a</u>nin ghayri h<u>atha</u> aw baddilhu qul m<u>a</u> yakoonu lee an obaddilahu min tilq<u>a</u>i nafsee in attabiAAu ill<u>a</u> m<u>a</u> yoo<u>ha</u> ilayya innee akh<u>a</u>fu in AAa<u>s</u>aytu rabbee AAa<u>tha</u>ba yawmin AAa<i><u>th</u></i>eem<b>in</b>
When Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say, "Bring us a different Quran, or make some changes in it." Say, "It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow only what is revealed to me. I fear, if I were to disobey my Lord, the punishment on a Dreadful Day."
But when Our Clear Signs are rehearsed unto them, those who rest not their hope on their meeting with Us, Say: "Bring us a reading other than this, or change this," Say: "It is not for me, of my own accord, to change it: I follow naught but what is revealed unto me: if I were to disobey my Lord, I should myself fear the penalty of a Great Day (to come)."
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَاتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٍ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا ٱئْتِ بِقُرْءَانٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَآ أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلْقَآئِ نَفْسِىٓ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
If the clear ayahs of the Qur’ān are recited to them proving the Oneness of Allah, those who deny the resurrection and who do not expect a reward or fear any consequences tell Muhammad to bring a different Qur’ān other than this Qur’ān which attacks the worship of idols, or to change it, substituting some or all of it for what agrees with their desires. Allah told Muhammad to say to them that it is not up to him to change anything himself, and what is more, he would not be able to come with something else. Rather, it is Allah alone Who changes what He wills of it, and the Messenger only follows what Allah reveals to him, fearing that if he went against Allah, by doing as they asked him to, he would be punished for it on a mighty day, the Day of Judgement.
If the clear ayahs of the Qur’ān are recited to them proving the Oneness of Allah, those who deny the resurrection and who do not expect a reward or fear any consequences tell Muhammad to bring a different Qur’ān other than this Qur’ān which attacks the worship of idols, or to change it, substituting some or all of it for what agrees with their desires. Allah told Muhammad to say to them that it is not up to him to change anything himself, and what is more, he would not be able to come with something else. Rather, it is Allah alone Who changes what He wills of it, and the Messenger only follows what Allah reveals to him, fearing that if he went against Allah, by doing as they asked him to, he would be punished for it on a mighty day, the Day of Judgement.
<p>In the last three verses (15-17), there is the refutation of a false notion entertained by the deniers of Akhirah and also the rejection of an inappropriate request made by them. They were a people who did not know much about God or Revelation or Prophets sent by Him. They took them to be like common human beings having nothing special about them. Think of the Holy Qur'an, which reached the world through the Prophet of Islam. Even this, they thought, was spoken and written by him. It was under this frame of mind that they told the Holy Prophet ﷺ ` as for this Qur'an, it is against our beliefs and ideas.' These idols our forefathers have been worshipping since ever as providers of their needs are, according to the Qur'an, totally false and ineffectual. There are things we have been using and transactions we have been making all along. The Qur'an says that they are all unlawful. And then, the Qur'an tells us that we have to live again after we are dead and that we have to account for everything we have done. All these things make no sense to us. We are not ready to accept them. Therefore, you do one of the two things we are asking you to do. Either you replace this one with another Qur'an which does not have these things, or at the least, amend this very Qur'an and expunge those (undesirable) things from there.'</p><p>Rejecting their false notion first, the Qur'an instructs the Holy Prophet a1JI to tell those people that the Qur'an was not his Word, nor could he change it on his own. He only followed what was revealed to him by Allah. If he were to make the least change in it on his own and by his choice, he would be committing a grave sin, and that he feared the punishment that falls upon those who disobey Allah, therefore, he could not do that.</p><p>Then he was asked to tell them that he did everything under Divine orders. Had it been the will of Allah Ta` ala that this Word should not be recited to them, neither would he have recited that to them, nor would He have let them know about that. Now that it was the very will of Allah Ta` ala that they should be made to listen to precisely that Word, who can dare make any addition or deletion therein?</p>
In the last three verses (15-17), there is the refutation of a false notion entertained by the deniers of Akhirah and also the rejection of an inappropriate request made by them. They were a people who did not know much about God or Revelation or Prophets sent by Him. They took them to be like common human beings having nothing special about them. Think of the Holy Qur'an, which reached the world through the Prophet of Islam. Even this, they thought, was spoken and written by him. It was under this frame of mind that they told the Holy Prophet ﷺ ` as for this Qur'an, it is against our beliefs and ideas.' These idols our forefathers have been worshipping since ever as providers of their needs are, according to the Qur'an, totally false and ineffectual. There are things we have been using and transactions we have been making all along. The Qur'an says that they are all unlawful. And then, the Qur'an tells us that we have to live again after we are dead and that we have to account for everything we have done. All these things make no sense to us. We are not ready to accept them. Therefore, you do one of the two things we are asking you to do. Either you replace this one with another Qur'an which does not have these things, or at the least, amend this very Qur'an and expunge those (undesirable) things from there.'Rejecting their false notion first, the Qur'an instructs the Holy Prophet a1JI to tell those people that the Qur'an was not his Word, nor could he change it on his own. He only followed what was revealed to him by Allah. If he were to make the least change in it on his own and by his choice, he would be committing a grave sin, and that he feared the punishment that falls upon those who disobey Allah, therefore, he could not do that.Then he was asked to tell them that he did everything under Divine orders. Had it been the will of Allah Ta` ala that this Word should not be recited to them, neither would he have recited that to them, nor would He have let them know about that. Now that it was the very will of Allah Ta` ala that they should be made to listen to precisely that Word, who can dare make any addition or deletion therein?
<h2 class="title">Obstinance of the Chiefs of the Quraysh</h2><p>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 : </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِى أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَآءِ نَفْسِى</div><p>(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. </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَىَّ إِنِّى أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ</div><p>(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.)</p><h2 class="title">The Evidence of the Truthfulness of the Qur'an Muhammad then argued with supporting evidence to the truthfulness of what he had brought them:</h2><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قُل لَّوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَدْرَاكُمْ بِهِ</div><p>(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, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُراً مِّن قَبْلِهِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ</div><p>(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." </p>
Obstinance of the Chiefs of the QurayshAllah 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 : قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِى أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَآءِ نَفْسِى(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. إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَىَّ إِنِّى أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ(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.)The Evidence of the Truthfulness of the Qur'an Muhammad then argued with supporting evidence to the truthfulness of what he had brought them:قُل لَّوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَدْرَاكُمْ بِهِ(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, فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُراً مِّن قَبْلِهِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ(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." 