Quran Universe
2:118

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ لَوۡلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا ٱللَّهُ أَوۡ تَأۡتِينَآ ءَايَةٞۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡۘ تَشَٰبَهَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ قَدۡ بَيَّنَّا ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمٖ يُوقِنُونَ

Waqala allatheena la yaAAlamoona lawla yukallimuna Allahu aw tateena ayatun kathalika qala allatheena min qablihim mithla qawlihim tashabahat quloobuhum qad bayyanna alayati liqawmin yooqinoona

Those who do not know say, "Why does Allah not speak to us or there come to us a sign?" Thus spoke those before them like their words. Their hearts resemble each other. We have shown clearly the signs to a people who are certain [in faith].

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd said
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. لَا(do) not
  4. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
  5. لَوۡلَاWhy not
  6. يُكَلِّمُنَاspeaks to us
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah
  8. أَوۡor
  9. تَأۡتِينَآcomes to us
  10. ءَايَةٞۗa sign
  11. كَذَٰلِكَLike that
  12. قَالَsaid
  13. ٱلَّذِينَthose
  14. مِنfrom
  15. قَبۡلِهِمbefore them
  16. مِّثۡلَsimilar
  17. قَوۡلِهِمۡۘtheir saying
  18. تَشَٰبَهَتۡBecame alike
  19. قُلُوبُهُمۡۗtheir hearts
  20. قَدۡIndeed
  21. بَيَّنَّاWe have made clear
  22. ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِthe signs
  23. لِقَوۡمٖfor people
  24. يُوقِنُونَ(who) firmly believe
Al-Baqarah · 2:118Madinah

Why does Allah not speak to us? Same words, same hearts.

Demanding a private miracle

The demand
let Allah speak to usor show us a sign
echoes
those before themthe same words
but
signs made plainfor those with certainty
What is missing
a bigger sign
a certain heartto see the signs given

Ibn Abbas said Rafi bin Huraymilah told the Prophet ﷺ: if you are a messenger, ask Allah to speak to us directly. Others said the Arab idolaters said it. Either way, people before them said the same. Their hearts are alike. The signs are already clear for those with certainty.

If Allah wants me to pray, He will send me a sign. If this is the right path, something will happen to prove it. Meanwhile the Quran sits on the shelf. The sign you are waiting for is often the one you are not reading.

I will commit when Allah gives me a clear sign.

The signs are already made plain. Certainty grows by engaging with them.

Try this

Instead of waiting for a sign today, read one page of the Quran and look for one.

Related6:12417:902:55
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike, We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty (118)

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that Rafi' bin Huraymilah said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "O Muhammad! If you were truly a Messenger from Allah, as you claim, then ask Allah to speak to us directly, so that we hear His Speech." So Allah revealed,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ

(And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?")

Abu Al-'Aliyah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said that it was actually the statement of the Arab disbelievers:

كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ

(So said the people before them words of similar import.) He said, "These are the Jews and the Christians."

What further proves that the Arab idolators said the statement mentioned in the Ayah is that Allah said,

وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ ۘ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ

(And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: "We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah had received." Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah and a severe torment will overtake the criminals (polytheists and sinners) for that which they used to plot.)(6:124) and

وَقَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا

(And they say: "We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad ﷺ), until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us) until,

قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا

(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord [(Allah) above all that evil they (polytheists) associate with Him]! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?")(17:90-93) and,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا

(And those who expect not a meeting with Us (i. e. those who deny the Day of Resurrection and the life of the Hereafter) said: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?")(25:21) and,

بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً

(Nay, everyone of them desires that he should be given pages spread out)(74:52).

There are many other Ayat that testify to the disbelief of the Arab idolators, their transgression, stubbornness, and that they asked unnecessary questions out of disbelief and arrogance. The statements of the Arab idolators followed the statements of the nations of the People of the Two Scriptures and other religions before them. Allah said,

يَسْأَلُكَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا مُوسَىٰ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوا أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً 

(The People of the Scripture (Jews) ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven. Indeed, they asked Musa (Moses) for even greater than that, when they said: "Show us Allah in public,")(4:153) and,

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً 

(And (remember) when you said: "O Musa! We shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.")(2:55).

Allah's statement,

تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(Their hearts are alike.) means, the hearts of the Arab idolators are just like the hearts of those before them, containing disbelief, stubbornness and injustice. Similarly, Allah said,

كَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ - أَتَوَاصَوْا بِهِ

(Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!" Have they (the people of the past) transmitted this saying to these (Quraysh pagans)?)(51:52-53).

Allah said next,

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

(We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty.) meaning, We made the arguments clear, prooving the truth of the Messengers, with no need of more questions or proofs for those who believe, follow the Messengers and comprehend what Allah sent them with. As for those whose hearts and hearing Allah has stamped and whose eyes have been sealed, Allah described them:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

(Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment)(10:96-97).