قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِـَٔايَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ 106
Translations
[Pharaoh] said, "If you have come with a sign, then bring it forth, if you should be of the truthful."
Transliteration
Qala in kunta ji'ta bi-ayatin fa'ti biha in kunta mina as-sadiqin
Tafsir (Explanation)
Pharaoh responds to Moses' call to worship Allah alone by demanding he produce a miraculous sign (ayah) if he truly speaks the truth. This ayah captures Pharaoh's arrogant challenge, testing whether Moses can substantiate his prophetic claim. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that Pharaoh's demand, while superficially reasonable, stemmed from his spiritual blindness and denial, as he had already witnessed numerous signs and refused to believe.
Revelation Context
This verse occurs within the dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh in Surah Al-A'raf, which recounts the historical encounter when Moses came to Pharaoh with the message of monotheism. The broader context shows Pharaoh's successive rejections and demands for miracles, representing the archetypal conflict between divine truth and human arrogance and disbelief.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in various ahadith (Sahih Muslim and others) that Moses performed clear miracles including the staff turning into a serpent and the splitting of the sea, validating the Quranic account of these events.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that those who deny truth often demand endless signs while remaining spiritually hardened; we should recognize that true guidance comes from sincere hearts willing to accept evidence, not from obstinate demands for proof when one's ego refuses submission to Allah's will.