Verses 10–15
God has previously described how the disbelievers ridiculed His scripture and His Prophet. They even challenged the authenticity of the Prophethood by demanding that an angel be sent as a testament. In response, God elucidates through three distinct sets of verses:
The set beginning with: Certainly We sent (apostles) before you to former communities () and extending to the end of verse fifteen. Here, God emphasizes that mocking the Divine Prophets and their teachings is a recurring behavior of the wicked. Their disbelief is persistent, irrespective of the miracles presented to them.
The subsequent set, starting with: Certainly We have appointed houses in the sky and adorned them for the onlookers () and going on until verse twenty-five, signifies that the cosmos and our planet are replete with signs. These are sufficient proofs for those with true faith.
The concluding set, commencing with: Certainly We created man out of a dry clay (drawn) from an aging mud () and proceeding until the chapter’s end, delves into the inherent conflict of faith and skepticism in humankind. It expounds on the predicament of the misguided. The inception of humanity exemplifies this, as illustrated by the narrative of Adam’s creation. The sequence of events that transpired then, like God’s command for the angels to prostrate before Adam and Iblīs’s defiance, is highlighted.
Commentary
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٠ وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ ١١
(15:10-11) Certainly We sent (apostles) before you to former communities, and there did not come to them any apostle but that they used to deride him.
The term shiyaʿ (sects) is derived from the singular form shīʿah. It represents a group united by a shared doctrine or school of thought. This term can also be seen in the verse: “of those who split up their religion and became sects: each faction exulting in what it possessed” (al-Rūm:32).
The phrase “We sent” implicitly refers to God dispatching messengers. The absence of a direct mention that it’s God who sent them is because the context makes it clear. More so, the emphasis of the verse is on the institution of prophethood rather than the individual prophets. This verse also illustrates that people of the past mirrored the attitudes of those who followed—they too would often dismiss Divine revelations, ridicule the prophets, and perpetrate wicked deeds. All this is mentioned to reassure the Prophet and to advise him against distress over their rejection and mockery. This sentiment is reiterated later in the chapter: “Certainly We know that you become upset because of what they say” ().
Therefore, the essence of this verse is: “Be pleased! We have bestowed upon you the Qur’an, and We shall guard it. Do not be troubled by their words, for it is the established way of the transgressors to behave in such a manner. It has transpired in every community. By My oath, such was the experience of the prophets We dispatched to ancient nations. They too were met with derision from their contemporaries.”
كَذَلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ١٢ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
(15:12-13) In that way We insert it into the evildoers’ hearts. They do not have belief in it, even though the way of life of the previous peoples has gone before.
The term sulūk denotes the act of passing through or inserting one thing into another. This is evident in the phrase: salaka al-ṭarīq, which means to tread or pass through a path. There’s also the common saying: salaka al-khayṭ al-ibrah, referring to the thread being threaded through the needle’s eye. Linguistically, the verbs salaka and aslaka share identical meanings.
Within the expressions “We insert it” and “they do not have belief in it,” the pronoun ‘it’ pertains to the Reminder, explicitly referring to the Qur’an. The essence of this verse is to highlight that the situation of the current messenger mirrors that of his predecessors, who also faced denial, opposition, and mockery. Thus, this Book will be etched into the hearts of these wrongdoers.
God further conveys to the Prophet that such individuals will always remain in disbelief towards the Qur’an and his prophethood. Their actions echo those of preceding nations who scorned the truth. This sentiment aligns with the verse: “Their apostles certainly brought them manifest proofs, but they were not the ones to believe in what they had denied earlier” (al-A’rāf:101).
Some opine that the pronoun ‘it’ references idolatry (shirk) or mockery. They argue that the particle bā in “they do not believe in it” (lā yu’minūn bihi) implies causation, suggesting the verse means: “We introduce idolatry into the hearts of evildoers or prompt them to mock. Their disbelief stems from their idolatry or mockery...” Such an interpretation, however, seems improbable. The primary function of the particle bā is to render the verb transitive, with causation not being its immediate connotation.
Others propose that the first instance of the pronoun ‘it’ alludes to mockery, while the subsequent usage refers to the Qur’an. According to this perspective, the verses suggest: “We inspire these disbelievers to mock you, just as we did with those before you. They will never believe in the Reminder...”
This interpretation is not problematic, even though it implies a distinction between the antecedents of the two consecutive pronouns (that is, “it”). The context alone demonstrates that it’s not feasible to interpret the pronoun “it” in lā yu’minūn bihi (they do not believe in it) as referencing mockery.
Some have argued that if the pronoun “it” in the phrase “We insert it” refers to the inspiration to mock, then this would suggest that the idolaters are preordained to mock and are compelled to it.
In response to the objection: When God inspires individuals to mock, it suggests that these individuals had already been deeply involved in their malevolent actions prior to this divine inspiration. Their mockery is merely a culmination of their prior misdeeds. The idea of God leading people astray is figurative in nature, with no constraints preventing such an action. What we can confidently assert is that God does not misguide individuals from the onset, and the verse doesn’t allude to such a notion. On the contrary, available evidence disputes this idea. To illustrate, this concept parallels the verse: “Thereby He leads many astray, and thereby He guides many; and He leads no one astray thereby except the transgressors” (al-Baqarah:26). This point has been elaborated upon previously.
Some Qur’anic scholars argue that the phrase ‘the way of life of the previous peoples’ refers to the path chosen autonomously (by earlier generations), rather than a path designated by God. Given the context in which these verses reprimand those who ridicule the Divine Revelation and offer solace to the Prophet, this interpretation seems most apt.
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ ١٤ لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَسْحُورُونَ ١٥
(15:14-15) Were We to open for them a gate of the sky, so that they could go on ascending through it, they would surely say, ‘Indeed a spell has been cast on our eyes; indeed, we are a bewitched lot.’
The term urūj fī al-samā refers to ascending to the heavens, while the verb taskīr implies being covered (ghishāwah) or overshadowed.
The intention behind “opening for them a gate of the sky” is to pave a way through which they can enter the superior world, which is the abode of angels. It doesn’t imply, as some believe, a physical ceiling with a door on two flaps that can open and close. This can be related to another verse where God states, “Then We opened the gates of the sky with pouring water” (al-Qamar:11).
The Almighty chose this specific miracle from the potential ones that could dispel any doubts from them. The act of opening a gate from the heavens and ascending through it was held in high regard in their eyes, more so than any other miracle. This is evident as when they proposed several significant miracles, they always culminated with the act of ascending to the heavens as the ultimate one. As depicted in the Qur’an, they said, “We will never believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth for us from the ground, or you ascend into the sky. And even then, we will not believe your ascension until you bring down a book for us to read” (al-Isrā’:90-93). Ascending through the sky and having power over its matters is akin to a book being sent down from it to be read. To sum it up, the notion of a human ascending to the higher realms was the most remarkable miracle in their view.
The heavens serve as the sanctuary for the noble angels. It is the place where Divine judgments and decrees are issued. Within it are the records of destinies, the pathways of various affairs commence, the source of revelations, and the destination where records of human deeds ascend. A human’s ascension into the heavens grants him insight into the flow of these affairs, the reasons behind the extraordinary events, the genuine nature of revelation and prophethood, the call to righteousness, both happiness and despair, and in essence, gives him a comprehensive oversight of all truths. This especially holds true if this ascension is continuous and not just a singular event. This notion is hinted at in the Qur’an when it mentions: “so that they could go on ascending through it.” Note the use of the continuous form “they could go on ascending” instead of referring to a past event.
Opening the gate to the heavens and allowing ascension in this manner enlightens them about the core and roots of this truthful mission. Yet, due to the corruption in their hearts and the entrenched doubts in their souls, they misconceive what they witness. They even accuse the Prophet of bewitching them, believing themselves to be under his spell.
Therefore, the essence of this verse is: “Even if We opened a gateway to the heavens for them, and facilitated their entry into its realm, allowing them to continuously ascend and repeatedly witness its hidden secrets and the celestial nature of things, they would proclaim, ‘Our vision has been clouded, and what we observed holds no truth. Indeed, we are a people bewitched.’”
House: One of the 12 parts into which the heavens are divided in astrology. (Ed.) ↩︎
Editor’s note: As an example: Let’s take the verb āmana which means “he believed.” If you say āmana billāh, it translates to “he believed in God.” Here, the particle “bā” is used to make the verb transitive, allowing it to take “God” as its direct object. Without the “bā,” the sentence would be incomplete because the verb wouldn’t have a direct object to refer to. The particle “bā” connects the action of believing with what is being believed in. ↩︎
Editor’s note: In essence, the author is delving into the nuances of interpretation and how pronouns in the text are to be understood. This is a common exercise in the exegesis (tafsir) of religious texts where every word, especially pronouns, can have significant implications for understanding. ↩︎