Al-Qur'an Surah Yunus Verse 38

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Or, do they say that he has made it up? Say, “Then, bring a Sūrah like this, and call whomsoever you can beside Allah, if you are true.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Or do they claim, “He[[ The Prophet (ﷺ).]] made it up!”? Tell them ˹O Prophet˺, “Produce one sûrah like it then, and seek help from whoever you can—other than Allah—if what you say is true!”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Or do they say, “He fabricated it?” Say, “Produce then one Chapter like it, and call upon whoever you can other than Allah, if you are truthful!”

A. J. Arberry

Or do they say, 'Why, he has forged it'? Say: 'Then produce a sura like it, and call on whom you can, apart from God, if you speak truly.'

Abdul Haleem

Or do they say, ‘He has devised it’? Say, ‘Then produce a sura like it, and call on anyone you can beside God if you are telling the truth.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say they: he hath fabricated it! Say thou: then bring ye a Surah like thereunto, and call whomsoever ye can beside Allah, if ye say sooth.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Or do they say, "He forged it"? say; "Bring then a Sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!"

Abul Ala Maududi

Do they say that the Messenger has himself composed the Qur'an? Say: 'In that case bring forth just one surah like it and call on all whom you can, except Allah, to help you if you are truthful.

Ahmed Ali

Do they say (of the Prophet) that: "He has composed it?" Say to them: "Bring a Surah like this, and call anyone apart from God you can (to help you), if what you say is true."

Ahmed Raza Khan

What! They dare say that “He has fabricated it”? Say, “Then bring one chapter like it and, other than Allah, call everyone you can if you are truthful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Do they say, ‘He has fabricated it?’ Say, ‘Then bring a surah like it, and invoke whomever you can, besides Allah, should you be truthful.’

Ali Ünal

Or do they say that he (the Messenger) has fabricated it? Say: "(If it is possible for a mortal to fabricate it) then produce a surah like it and call for help on anyone you can, apart from God, if you are truthful (in your doubt and the claim you base upon it)."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And yet they say, `He has forged it.´ Then produce a (single) chapter like it, calling upon whomsoever you can (for your help), apart from Allâh, if you are truthful (in your this assertion).

English Literal

Or they say: "He fabricated it ." Say: "So come/bring with a chapter of the Koran similar/equal to it and call whom you were able from other than God, if you were truthful."

Faridul Haque

What! They dare say that "He has fabricated it"? Say, "Then bring one chapter like it and, other than Allah, call everyone you can if you are truthful."

Hamid S. Aziz

This Quran could not have been devised by any beside (or in opposition to) Allah; but it is a confirmation (or verification) of that which came before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book (Scriptures, or that which was decreed for mankind) - there is no doubt therein - from the Lord of the Worlds.

Hilali & Khan

Or do they say: "He (Muhammad SAW) has forged it?" Say: "Bring then a Surah (chapter) like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can, besides Allah, if you are truthful!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And this Qur’an is not such as could be forged by those besides Allah, but it is a verification of that which is before it and a clear explanation of the Book, there is no doubt in it, from the Lord of the worlds.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Or do they say: He has forged it? Say: Then bring a chapter like this and invite whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Or say they: He hath invented it? Say: Then bring a surah like unto it, and call (for help) on all ye can besides Allah, if ye are truthful.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do they say that Muhammad has invented it? (Muhammad), tell them, "If your claim is true, compose only one chapter like it and call on anyone besides God for help.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do they say: 'He has forged it'. Say: 'Compose one chapter like it, and call upon whom you will, other than Allah (to help you), if what you say is true'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Or do they say: "He has forged it" Say: "Bring then a Surah like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful!"

Wahiduddin Khan

Do they say, "He has fabricated it?" Say, "Bring me one chapter like it. Call on whom you may besides God to help you, if what you say be true!"

Talal Itani

Or do they say, “He has forged it”? Say, “Then produce a single chapter like it, and call upon whomever you can, apart from God, if you are truthful.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Or do they say, `He has invented it'?, Muhammad (s) has invented it. Say; `Then bring a sra like it, in terms of the clarity and the rhetorical excellence of its language, by way of invention, for you are eloquent speakers of Arabic like me; and call upon whom you can, for help in this [matter], besides God, that is, other than Him, if you are truthful', in [saying] that this is an invention. But they were not able to do this.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُواْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Or do they say;"He has forged it!"

Say;"Bring then a Surah like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful!"

If you argue, claim and doubt whether this is from Allah then you uttered a lie and blasphemy, and you say it is from Muhammad -- Muhammad, however is a man like you, and since he came as you claim with this Qur'an -- then you produce a Surah like one of its Surahs. Produce something of the same nature and seek help and support with all the power you have from humans and Jinns.

This is the third stage, Allah challenged them and called them to produce a counterpart of the Qur'an if they were truthful in their claim that it was simply from Muhammad. Allah even suggested that they seek help from anyone they chose. But He told them that they would not be able to do it. They would have no way of doing so.

Allah said;

قُل لَّيِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الاِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَن يَأْتُواْ بِمِثْلِ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا

Say;"If the mankind and the Jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another." (17;88)

Then He reduced the number for them to ten Surahs similar to it, in the beginning of Surah Hud, Allah said;

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِّثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُواْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ

Or they say, "He forged it."

Say;"Bring you then ten forged Surah like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah, if you speak the truth!" (11;13)

In this Surah He went even further to challenge them to produce only one Surah like unto the Qur'an.

So He said;

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُواْ بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُواْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ


Or do they say;"He has forged it" Say;"Bring then a Surah like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful!" (10;38)

He also challenged them in Surah Al-Baqarah, a Madni Surah, to produce one Surah similar to it. He stated in that Surah that they would never be capable of doing so, saying;

فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُواْ وَلَن تَفْعَلُواْ فَاتَّقُواْ النَّارَ

But if you do it not, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell). (2;24)

It should be noted here that eloquence was a part of the nature and character of the Arabs. Arabic poetry including Al-Mu`allaqat -- the oldest complete collection of the most eloquent ancient Arabic poems -- was considered to be the best in the literary arts. However Allah sent down to them something whose style none were familiar with, and no one is equal in stature to imitate. So those who believed among them, believed because of what they knew and felt in the Book, including its beauty, elegance, benefit, and fluency. They became the most knowledgeable of the Qur'an and its best in adhering to it.

The same thing happened to the magicians during Fir`awn's time. They were knowledgeable of the arts of sorcery, however, when Musa performed his miracles, they knew that it must have come through someone that was supported and guided by Allah. They knew that no human could perform such acts without the permission of Allah.

Similarly, `Isa was sent at the time of scholarly medicine and during the advancement in the treatment of patients. He healed the blind, lepers and raised the dead to life by Allah's leave. What `Isa was able to do was such that no form of treatment or medicine could reproduce. As a result, those who believed in him knew that he was Allah's servant and His Messenger.

Similarly, in the Sahih, Allah's Messenger said,

مَا مِنْ نَبِيَ مِنَ الاْاَنْبِيَاءِ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ أُوتِيَ مِنَ الاْايَاتِ مَا امَنَ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ الْبَشَرُ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا

There was never a Prophet but he was given signs by which the people would recognize him, and that which I was given is revelation that Allah revealed, so I hope that I will have the most followers among them.

Allah then said