فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـٰهَرَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَـٰفِرُونَ 48
Translations
But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?" Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, "[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers."
Transliteration
Falamma jaahum al-haqqu min indina qaloo lawla ootiya mithla ma ootiya moosa. Awalam yakfuroo bima ootiya moosa min qablu. Qaloo sihrana tazahara wa qaloo inna bikull kafiroon.
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the Quran came to the people of Makkah as clear truth from Allah, they demanded that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) be given the same miracles as Musa (Moses), despite their ancestors having already rejected and denied those very miracles. Their stubborn rejection is highlighted through their accusation that both the Torah and Quran are merely magic working in concert. As Ibn Kathir explains, this ayah demonstrates the obstinate nature of disbelievers who move the goalposts of their objections—first demanding miracles, then denying them when presented—revealing that their true issue is spiritual blindness rather than lack of evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Qasas (revealed in Makkah during a period of intense opposition to Prophet Muhammad). It addresses the Quraysh's rejection of the Quranic message and their demand for supernatural signs similar to those given to Musa. The surah contextualizes this by recounting the story of Musa and Pharaoh's people, drawing parallels between the rejection faced by Musa and the rejection faced by Muhammad (ﷺ).
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that every prophet was given miracles by which people believed, except that what Allah has given me is revelation which Allah has revealed to me. This indicates that the Quran itself is the supreme miracle (mu'jizah) of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that no amount of signs or evidence will convince those whose hearts are sealed by their own arrogance and ego; true guidance comes from sincere seeking and openness to truth. We should examine our own hearts to ensure we are not like those who dismiss truth due to stubbornness or resistance to change, and recognize that the ultimate miracle is the Quran itself—a message of guidance accessible to all believers across time.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يَبْعَثَ فِىٓ أُمِّهَا رَسُولًا يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا ۚ وَمَا كُنَّا مُهْلِكِى ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ إِلَّا وَأَهْلُهَا ظَـٰلِمُونَ
And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their mother [i.e., principal city] a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.
وَنَزَعْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَـٰنَكُمْ فَعَلِمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
And We will extract from every nation a witness and say, "Produce your proof," and they will know that the truth belongs to Allāh, and lost from them is that which they used to invent.
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
And you, [O Muḥammad], were not on the western side [of the mount] when We revealed to Moses the command, and you were not among the witnesses [to that].
قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَـٰنًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا ۚ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَكُمَا ٱلْغَـٰلِبُونَ
[Allāh] said, "We will strengthen your arm through your brother and grant you both supremacy so they will not reach you. [It will be] through Our signs; you and those who follow you will be the predominant."