Quran Universe
10:2

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنۡ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ رَجُلٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَنۡ أَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ قَدَمَ صِدۡقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡۗ قَالَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٞ مُّبِينٌ

Akana lilnnasi AAajaban an awhayna ila rajulin minhum an anthiri alnnasa wabashshiri allatheena amanoo anna lahum qadama sidqin AAinda rabbihim qala alkafiroona inna hatha lasahirun mubeenun

Have the people been amazed that We revealed [revelation] to a man from among them, [saying], "Warn mankind and give good tidings to those who believe that they will have a [firm] precedence of honor with their Lord"? [But] the disbelievers say, "Indeed, this is an obvious magician."

Word by word
  1. أَكَانَIs it
  2. لِلنَّاسِfor the mankind
  3. عَجَبًاa wonder
  4. أَنۡthat
  5. أَوۡحَيۡنَآWe revealed
  6. إِلَىٰto
  7. رَجُلٖa man
  8. مِّنۡهُمۡfrom (among) them
  9. أَنۡthat
  10. أَنذِرِWarn
  11. ٱلنَّاسَthe mankind
  12. وَبَشِّرِand give glad tidings
  13. ٱلَّذِينَ(to) those who
  14. ءَامَنُوٓاْbelieve
  15. أَنَّthat
  16. لَهُمۡfor them
  17. قَدَمَ(will be) a respectable position
  18. صِدۡقٍ(will be) a respectable position
  19. عِندَnear
  20. رَبِّهِمۡۗtheir Lord
  21. قَالَSaid
  22. ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَthe disbelievers
  23. إِنَّIndeed
  24. هَٰذَاthis
  25. لَسَٰحِرٞ(is) surely a magician
  26. مُّبِينٌobvious
Yunus · 10:2Makkah

Why would a messenger be one of us?

The surprise that a man brought revelation

What they found strange
a man among themknown, local, human
receives
revelationwarn peoplegive good news
they called it
magican easy dismissal
What the believers get
too ordinary to be truehe is just like us
a firm footinghonor with their Lord

Many Arabs said Allah is too great to send a human messenger. Ibn Abbas said this verse came as the reply. When the message could not be answered, they called the Prophet ﷺ a sorcerer. Yet he was one of their own, sent to warn and to give good news.

Advice from a stranger with a big title feels serious. The same advice from your cousin, your coworker, your mother, gets a shrug. Familiar means easy to ignore. Sometimes the truth arrives wearing a face you already know.

If the message came through someone ordinary, it cannot be that important.

Allah chose a human so the message could be lived, not just admired.

Try this

Think of good advice you brushed off because of who said it. Take it seriously today.

Related64:67:6338:5
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 10:1)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

الر ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْحَكِيمِ - أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ

(1. Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book (the Qur'an) Al-Hakim.)(2. Is it a wonder for mankind that We have sent Our revelation to a man from among themselves (saying): "Warn mankind, and give good news to those who believe that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds?" (But) the disbelievers say: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer!")

The isolated letters in the beginning of this Surah, as well as in others, have been previously discussed at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah. Allah said:

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْحَكِيمِ

(These are the verses of the Book (the Qur'an) Al-Hakim.) This indicates that these are verses of the Qur'an, in which the wisdom of judgment is clear.

The Messenger (ﷺ) cannot be but a Human Being

Allah rebukes the attitude of the disbelievers with the words

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا

(Is it a wonder for mankind...)

They have always found it strange that Allah would send Messengers to them from among mankind. Allah also tells us about other people from previous nations who said,

أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا

(Shall mere men guide us?)(64:6)

Hud and Salih said to their people:

أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ أَن جَاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِّنكُمْ 

(Do you wonder that there has come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from among you)(7:63)

Allah also told us what the disbelievers from Quraysh said:

أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ

(Has he made the gods into one God? Verily, this is a curious thing!)(38:5)

Ad-Dahhak reported Ibn 'Abbas that he said: "When Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ as a Messenger, most of the Arabs denied him and his message and said: Allah is greater than sending a human Messenger like Muhammad. " Ibn 'Abbas said, "So Allah revealed:

أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا

(Is it a wonder for mankind...)" Allah's statement;

أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

(that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds)

Scholars have differed over the meaning of the reward for the good deeds in this Ayah:

وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ

(and give good news to those who believe that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds.)

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah, "Eternal happiness has been written for them." Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: "It is the good reward for what they have done." Mujahid said: "It is their good deeds – their prayers, fasting, charity, and glorification." He then said, "And Muhammad ﷺ will intercede for them." Allah said:

قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ

((But) the disbelievers say: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer!")

This means that the disbelievers said this although Allah has sent a Messenger from among themselves to them, a man of their own race as a bearer of good news and as a warner. But they are the liars in saying that.