وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا سِحْرٌ وَإِنَّا بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ 30
Translations
But when the truth came to them, they said, "This is magic, and indeed we are, concerning it, disbelievers."
Transliteration
Wa-lammā jāʾa-hum al-ḥaqqu qālū hādhā siḥrun wa-innā bihi kāfirūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the truth (the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad's message) came to the disbelievers of Mecca, they rejected it outright, attributing it to magic rather than acknowledging it as divine revelation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this ayah illustrates the stubbornness of those whose hearts are sealed—they deliberately chose disbelief over truth, a theme emphasizing that rejection of guidance often stems from spiritual blindness rather than intellectual doubt.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Az-Zukhruf, which addresses the polytheists' rejection of monotheism and the Qur'an. The broader context describes how the Prophet's message was met with ridicule and accusations of sorcery, a common charge leveled by the Quraysh who were threatened by the message of tawhid (Islamic monotheism) and its implications for their power and religious authority.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth; some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain-water and brought forth vegetation and pasture in abundance. (In comparison to people who embraced Islam...) and some of which was hard barren land...' This hadith reflects the Qur'anic theme that the same message yields different responses based on hearts' receptivity.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that truthfulness cannot be defeated by false accusations, and that sincere seekers of truth will recognize it regardless of how opponents label it. For believers today, it serves as a reminder that rejection of faith often reflects a heart's unwillingness to submit rather than intellectual inadequacy, and that our role is to convey the message with wisdom while trusting Allah's judgment.