Quran Universe
7:203

وَإِذَا لَمۡ تَأۡتِهِم بِـَٔايَةٖ قَالُواْ لَوۡلَا ٱجۡتَبَيۡتَهَاۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّيۚ هَٰذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ

Waitha lam tatihim biayatin qaloo lawla ijtabaytaha qul innama attabiAAu ma yooha ilayya min rabbee hatha basairu min rabbikum wahudan warahmatun liqawmin yuminoona

And when you, [O Muhammad], do not bring them a sign, they say, "Why have you not contrived it?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur'an] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. لَمۡnot
  3. تَأۡتِهِمyou bring them
  4. بِـَٔايَةٖa Sign
  5. قَالُواْthey say
  6. لَوۡلَاWhy (have) not
  7. ٱجۡتَبَيۡتَهَاۚyou devised it
  8. قُلۡSay
  9. إِنَّمَآOnly
  10. أَتَّبِعُI follow
  11. مَاwhat
  12. يُوحَىٰٓis revealed
  13. إِلَيَّto me
  14. مِنfrom
  15. رَّبِّيۚmy Lord
  16. هَٰذَاThis (is)
  17. بَصَآئِرُenlightenment
  18. مِنfrom
  19. رَّبِّكُمۡyour Lord
  20. وَهُدٗىand guidance
  21. وَرَحۡمَةٞand mercy
  22. لِّقَوۡمٖfor a people
  23. يُؤۡمِنُونَwho believe
Al-A'raf · 7:203Makkah

Show us a miracle. This Book is the miracle.

The demand for signs on demand

The exchange
why no sign?make one yourself
reply
I follow revelationI do not invent
this Quraninsight, guidance, mercy
What proof looks like
a spectaclesomething to watch
the Quranthe clearest evidence

When the Prophet ﷺ did not bring a miracle, the pagans said: why have you not made one yourself? He was told to answer that he only follows what his Lord reveals. Ibn Kathir explains that Allah then points to the Quran as the most powerful miracle and clearest proof, guidance and mercy for those who believe.

You tell yourself you would be more religious if you could see some sign, a dream, a clear message. Meanwhile the app with the whole Quran sits unopened. The sign you are waiting for is already in your hand.

If I saw a real sign, I would change.

The Quran itself is the sign, and it is already here.

Try this

Read one page of the Quran today as if it were the sign you asked for.

Related26:4
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it" Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This (the Qur'an) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe. (203)

Idolators ask to witness Miracles

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(they say, "Why have you not brought it?")

"They say, 'Why have you not received a miracle?'", or, "Why have you not initiated or made it?" Ibn Jarir reported that, 'Abdullah bin Kathir said that Mujahid said about Allah's statement,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِآيَةٍ قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it?")

"They say, 'Produce a miracle of your own.'" Qatadah, As-Suddi, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and Ibn Jarir agreed with this. Allah said next,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِآيَةٍ

(And if you do not bring them an Ayah) a miracle or a sign. Similarly, Allah said,

إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ آيَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَاقُهُمْ لَهَا خَاضِعِينَ

(If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.)[26:4]

The pagans asked the Prophet, why did you not strive hard to bring us an Ayah (miracle) from Allah so that we witness it and believe in it. Allah said to him,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّي

(Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord.")

I do not ask such things of my Lord. I only follow what He reveals and commands me. Therefore, if Allah sends a miracle, I will accept it. Otherwise, I will not ask for it unless He allows me. Certainly, Allah is Most Wise, the All-Knower.

Allah next directs the servants to the fact that this Qur'an is the most powerful miracle, clearest evidence and most true proof and explanation, saying,

هَٰذَا بَصَائِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(This (the Qur'an) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.)