Allah says that the idolators said,
[لَوْلاَ]
(Why is not), meaning, there should be,
[أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ
ءَايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ]
(a sign sent down to him from his Lord) The idolators also said,
[فَلْيَأْتِنَا
بِـَايَةٍ كَمَآ أُرْسِلَ الاٌّوَّلُونَ]
(Let him then bring us an Ayah like the ones (Prophets) that were sent before
(with signs)!) [21:5] We mentioned this subject several times before and stated
that Allah is able to bring them what they wanted. There is a Hadith which
mentions that the idolators asked the Prophet to turn Mount As-Safa into gold
and, they also asked him for a spring to gush forth for them and to remove the
mountains from around Makkah and replace them with green fields and gardens.
Allah revealed to His Messenger : "If You wish, O Muhammad, I will give them
what they asked for. However, if they disbelieve thereafter, I will punish them
with a punishment that I did not punish any among the `Alamin (mankind and the
Jinns). Or, if you wish, I will open for them the door to repentance and
mercy.'' The Prophet said,
«بَلْ تَفْتَحُ
لَهُمْ بَابَ التَّوبَةِ وَالرَّحْمَة»
(Rather, open for them the door to repentance and mercy.) This is why Allah
said to His Messenger next,
[قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ]
(Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those
who turn to Him in repentance.'') Allah states that He brings misguidance or
guidance whether the Messenger was given a sign (a miracle) according to their
asking or not. Verily, earning the misguidance or the guidance are not connected
to the miracles or the lack of them. Allah said in other Ayat, f
[وَمَا تُغْنِى
الآيَـتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ]
(But neither Ayat nor warners benefit those who believe not.) [10:101]
[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ
حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ
ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ]
(Truly, those, against whom the Word 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], and,
[وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا
نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلاً مَّا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ
اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ ]
(And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto
them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would
not have believed, unless Allah willed, but most of them behave ignorantly.)
[6:111] Allah said here,
[قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ]
(Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those
who turn to Him in repentance.'') meaning, He guides to Him those who repent,
turn to Him, beg Him, seek His help and humbly submit to Him.
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