وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَاتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ ۙ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا ٱئْتِ بِقُرْءَانٍ غَيْرِ هَـٰذَآ أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلْقَآئِ نَفْسِىٓ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّى عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ 15
Translations
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Bring us a Qur’ān other than this or change it." Say, [O Muḥammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
Transliteration
Wa-idha tutla 'alayhim ayatuna bayyinat, qala alladhina la yarjuna liqaa'ana i'ti biqur'anin ghayri hadha aw baddilhu. Qul ma yakunu li an ubaddilahu min tilqa'i nafsi. In attabi'u illa ma yuhsa ilayya. Inni akhafu in 'asaytu rabbi 'adhaba yawmin 'adhim.
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the clear signs of Allah are recited to those who do not hope to meet Him, they arrogantly demand that the Prophet bring a different Qur'an or alter it. The Prophet's response affirms the immutability of the divine revelation—he has no authority to change it by his own initiative, but follows only what is divinely revealed. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize this ayah establishes the Qur'an's preservation and the Prophet's complete submission to divine guidance, not human whim or pressure.
Revelation Context
This ayah addresses the Meccan polytheists' rejection of the Qur'an and their demands for a 'convenient' revelation. It falls within Surah Yunus's broader theme of refuting disbelief and affirming the authenticity of the Qur'anic message during the early Meccan period when opposition to the Prophet was most intense.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith 4974) where the Prophet said, 'I have not been commanded to change the Qur'an,' reflects this principle. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains traditions about the Qur'an's inviolability and the Prophet's faithfulness in conveying it unchanged.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that divine truth is immutable and cannot be compromised to appease human desires or cultural pressures. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of steadfast adherence to revealed guidance and fear of Allah above fear of human criticism or demands for convenience.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ نُوحٍ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُم مَّقَامِى وَتَذْكِيرِى بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ فَأَجْمِعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَكُمْ وَشُرَكَآءَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةً ثُمَّ ٱقْضُوٓا۟ إِلَىَّ وَلَا تُنظِرُونِ
And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, "O my people, if my residence and my reminding of the signs of Allāh has become burdensome upon you - then I have relied upon Allāh. So resolve upon your plan and [call upon] your associates. Then let not your plan be obscure to you. Then carry it out upon me and do not give me respite.
وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ فَمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
And We had certainly settled the Children of Israel in an agreeable settlement and provided them with good things. And they did not differ until [after] knowledge had come to them. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَمَن يُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, "Allāh," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?"
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِۦ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
And if Allāh should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.