Al-Qur'an Surah Yunus Verse 20

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And they say, “Why is it that no sign has been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “The Unseen is only for Allah. So, wait. I am waiting with you.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They ask, “Why has no ˹other˺ sign been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “˹The knowledge of˺ the unseen is with Allah alone. So wait! I too am waiting with you.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

They say, “Why has no sign been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say [O Prophet], “The unseen belongs to Allah alone. Wait then; I too am waiting with you.”

A. J. Arberry

They say, 'Why has a sign not been sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say: 'The Unseen belongs only to God. Then watch and wait; I shall be with you watching and waiting.'

Abdul Haleem

They say, ‘Why has no miraculous sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say [Prophet], ‘Only God knows the unseen, so wait- I too am waiting.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they say: wherefore is not a sign sent down unto him from his Lord! Say thou: the Hidden belongeth unto Allah alone; so wait, verily I am with you among those who wait.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They say; "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say; "The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye; I too will wait with you."

Abul Ala Maududi

They say: 'Why was a sign not sent down upon the prophet from His Lord? Tell (such people): 'The realm of the Unseen belongs to Allah. Wait, then; I shall wait along with you.

Ahmed Ali

They say: "How is it that no sign was sent by his Lord (to His Prophet)?" Tell them: "Unknown things are only known to God. So watch and wait (for the sign); I am waiting and expecting with you."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And they say, “Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?” Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), “The hidden is only for Allah, therefore wait; I too am waiting with you.”

Ali Quli Qarai

They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘[The knowledge of] the Unseen belongs only to Allah. So wait. I too am waiting along with you.’

Ali Ünal

They say: "Why isn’t a miraculous sign (of a different sort) sent down on him from his Lord?" Say, then: "The Unseen belongs to God alone (He does whatever He wills and only He knows what the future will bring): therefore, wait and see, indeed I too am with you among those who wait."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they say, `Why is not a (decisive) sign (of destruction) sent down to him from his Lord?´ Say then, `The hidden reality (will come to pass. The knowledge of it) belongs to Allâh alone, so wait (for the time ordained). Surely, I am with you among those who wait.´

English Literal

And they say: "If only an evidence/sign was descended on him from his Lord." So say: "But the absent/supernatural (is) to God so wait , that I am with you from the waiting .

Faridul Haque

And they say, "Why is not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?" Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him), "The hidden is only for Allah, therefore wait; I too am waiting with you."

Hamid S. Aziz

Mankind were but one nation once, then they disagreed; and had it not been for a Word (decree) from your Lord which had already gone out, their differences would have been settled between them already.

Hilali & Khan

And they say: "How is it that not a sign is sent down on him from his Lord?" Say: "The unseen belongs to Allah Alone, so wait you, verily I am with you among those who wait (for Allah's Judgement)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And (all) people are but a single nation, then they disagree. And had not a word already gone forth from thy Lord, the matter would have certainly been decided between them in respect of that wherein they disagree.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they say: Why is not a sign sent to him from his Lord? Say: The unseen is only for Allah; therefore wait-- surely I too, with you am of those who wait.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they will say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Then say, (O Muhammad): The Unseen belongeth to Allah. So wait! Lo! I am waiting with you.

Muhammad Sarwar

They (unbelievers) say, "Why has his Lord not given him some miracles to (support his claim of being His Messenger)?" Say "(The knowledge) of the unseen certainly belongs to God. Wait and I too shall be waiting with you.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They say: 'Why has no sign been sent down to him from his Lord' Say: 'The Unseen belongs to Allah alone. Wait if you will I am one of those who wait'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And they say: "How is it that not a sign is sent down on him from his Lord" Say: "The Unseen belongs only to Allah, so wait you, verily, I am with you among those who wait."

Wahiduddin Khan

They ask, "Why has no sign been sent down to him from his Lord?" Tell them, "God alone has knowledge of the unseen. So wait; I too will wait with you."

Talal Itani

And they say, “If only a miracle was sent down to him from his Lord.” Say, “The realm of the unseen belongs to God; so wait, I am waiting with you.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And they, the people of Mecca, say, `Why has a sign not been sent down on him, on Muhammad (s), from his Lord?', as was the case with [previous] prophets, in the way of a she-camel, a staff or a [glowing] hand. Then say, to them; `The Unseen, that which is concealed from servants, in other words, its affair, belongs only to God, and it is from this [Unseen] that signs come forth; therefore He alone can bring them forth; mine is only to covey the Message. So wait, for the chastisement, if you do not believe. I am waiting with you'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Idolators requested a Miracle

Allah tells;

وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ


And they say;"How is it that not a sign is sent down on him from his Lord!"

These stubborn, lying disbelievers said, "Why would not a sign be revealed to Muhammad from his Lord."

They meant a sign such as given to Salih. Allah sent the she-camel to Thamud.

They wanted Allah to change the mount of As-Safa into gold or remove the mountains of Makkah and replace them with gardens and rivers. Allah is capable of doing all of that, but He is All-Wise in His actions and statements.

Allah said;

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى إِن شَأءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْراً مِّن ذلِكَ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ وَيَجْعَل لَّكَ قُصُوراً

بَلْ كَذَّبُواْ بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِيراً

Blessed be He Who, if He wills, will assign you better than (all) that -- Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) and will assign you palaces (in Paradise). Nay, they deny the Hour, and for those who deny the Hour, We have prepared a flaming Fire. (25;10-11)

He also said;

وَمَا مَنَعَنَأ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالاٌّيَـتِ إِلاَّ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ

And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them. (17;59)

Allah's way of dealing with His creatures is that He would give to them if they asked things from Him. But if they then didn't believe He would expedite punishment for them.

When Allah's Messenger was given the choice of Allah giving the people what they requested but if they didn't believe they would be punished, or that their request would not be answered immediately, Allah's Messenger chose the latter.

Allah guided His Prophet to answer their question by saying;

فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلّهِ

Say;"The Unseen belongs only to Allah..."

This Ayah means that the matter in its entirety is for Allah. He is well aware of the outcome of all matters.

فَانْتَظِرُواْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ



"...so wait you, verily, I am with you among those who wait."

If you would not believe unless you witness that which you asked for, then wait for Allah's judgement for me, as well as for yourselves.

Nonetheless, they had witnessed some of the signs and miracles of the Prophet, which were even greater than what they had asked for.

In their presence, the Prophet pointed to the moon when it was full and it split into two parts, one part behind the mountain and the other before them.

If they were seeking the guidance and firm knowledge by asking for signs, Allah would have known that and would have granted them what had been requested. But Allah knew that it was their obstinacy that was behind their request. Therefore Allah left them to suffer in their suspicion and doubt. Allah knew that none of them would believe.

This is similar to Allah's statements;

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ

وَلَوْ جَأءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ

Truly, those, against whom the Word (Wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them. (10;96-97)

and;

وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَأ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَـيِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلً مَّا كَانُواْ لِيُوْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَأءَ اللَّهُ

And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed, unless Allah willed. (6;111)

This was in addition to their arrogance. As Allah said in another Ayah;

وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَاباً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ

And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven. (15;14)

And He said;

وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَأءِ سَـقِطاً

And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down. (52;44)

He also said;

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَـباً فِى قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ


And even if We had sent down unto you (O Muhammad) a Message written on paper so that they could touch it with their hands, the disbelievers would have said;`This is nothing but obvious magic!' (6;7)

Such people don't deserve to have their requests answered, for there is no benefit in answering them. These people are obstinate and stubborn as a result of their corruption and immorality. Therefore Allah told His Messenger to say;

فَانْتَظِرُواْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ


So wait you, verily, I am with you among those who wait