Al-Qur'an Surah Ar-Ra'd Verse 27

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The disbelievers say, “Why is it that no sign (of their choice) has been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “Allah lets go astray whom He wills and gives guidance to those who turn to Him,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The disbelievers say, “If only a sign could be sent down to him from his Lord.”[[ The disbelievers demanded a tangible miracle such as the staff of Moses.]] Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Indeed, Allah leaves to stray whoever He wills, and guides to Himself whoever turns to Him—

Ruwwad Translation Center

Those who disbelieve say, “Why has no sign been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “Allah causes to stray whom He wills and guides to Himself who turns to Him,

A. J. Arberry

The unbelievers say, 'Why has a sign not been sent down upon him from his Lord?' Say: 'God leads astray whomsoever He will, and He guides to Him all who are penitent.'

Abdul Haleem

The disbelievers say, ‘Why has no miracle been sent down to him from his Lord?’ [Prophet], say, ‘God leaves whoever He will to stray, and guides to Himself those who turn towards Him,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who disbelieve say: wherefore is not a sign sent down unto him from his Lord! Say thou: verily Allah sendeth astray whomsoever He will and guideth unto Himself whosoever turnoth in penitence--

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Unbelievers say; "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" Say; "Truly Allah leaveth, to stray, whom He will; But He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence,-

Abul Ala Maududi

Those who have rejected (the message of Muhammad) say: "Why has no sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?" Tell them: "Allah lets go astray those whom He wills, and guides to Himself those who turn to Him."

Ahmed Ali

The unbelievers say: "How is it that no miracle was sent down to him by his Lord?" Say: "God leads whosoever He wills astray, and guides whoever turns to Him in repentance.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the disbelievers said, “Why was not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?” Proclaim, “Indeed Allah sends astray whomever He wills, and guides towards Himself the one who comes towards Him.”

Ali Quli Qarai

The faithless say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘Indeed Allah leads astray whomever He wishes, and guides to Himself those who turn penitently [to Him]

Ali Ünal

Those who disbelieve say: "Why isn’t a miraculous sign (of the kind we desire) sent down on him from his Lord?" Say (to them, O Messenger): "Surely God leads astray whomever He wills, and guides to Himself all who turn (to Him whole-heartedly),

Amatul Rahman Omar

And those who disbelieve say, `Why has no sign (of the destruction of his opponents) been revealed to this (Prophet) from his Lord?´ Say, `Verily, Allâh lets him go astray who wishes (to be left in error) and guides to Himself (only) those who turn again and again (to Him);

English Literal

And those who disbelieved said: "If only a sign/evidence was descended on him from his Lord." Say: "That God misguides whom He wills/wants, and He guides to Him who repented ."

Faridul Haque

And the disbelievers said, "Why was not a sign sent down upon him from his Lord?" Proclaim, "Indeed Allah sends astray whomever He wills, and guides towards Himself the one who comes towards Him."

Hamid S. Aziz

Allah expands his bounty freely to whomsoever He will, or He restricts its measure; and they rejoice in the life of this world, but the life of this world is naught but a temporary comfort compared with the Hereafter.

Hilali & Khan

And those who disbelieve say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him (Muhammad SAW) from his Lord?" Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Allah amplifies and straitens provision for whom He pleases. And they rejoice in this world’s life. And this world’s life, compared with the Hereafter, is only a temporary enjoyment.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And those who disbelieve say: Why is not a sign sent down upon him by his Lord? Say: Surely Allah makes him who will go astray, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who disbelieve say: If only a portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Say: Lo! Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth unto Himself all who turn (unto Him),

Muhammad Sarwar

The unbelievers say, "Why have not some miracles been sent to him, (Muhammad), from his Lord." Say, "God causes whomever He wants to go astray and He guides those who turn to Him in repentance

Qaribullah & Darwish

And those who disbelieve say: 'Why has no sign been sent down to him by his Lord' Say: 'Allah leads astray whom He will, and guides those who repent,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who disbelieved say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord" Say: "Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance."

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who deny the truth ask, "Why has no Sign been sent down to him by his Lord?" Say, "God lets go astray those whom He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him,

Talal Itani

Those who disbelieve say, “If only a miracle was sent down to him from his Lord.” Say, “God leads astray whomever He wills, and He guides to Himself whoever repents.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who disbelieve, from among the people of Mecca, say, `Why has not some sign, like the staff and the [glowing] hand or the she-camel, been sent down upon him, upon Muhammad (s), from his Lord?' Say, to them; `Indeed God sends astray whomever He will, to send astray -- such that signs cannot avail him in any way -- and He guides, He directs, to Him, to His religion, those who turn in repentance', [those who] return to Him (man, `those who', is substituted by [the following, alladhna, `those who ...']);

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Disbelievers ask for Miracles, Allah's Response to Them

Allah tells;

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

And those who disbelieved say;

Allah says that the idolators said,

لَوْلَا

Why is not,

meaning, there should be,

أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ

a sign sent down to him from his Lord,

The idolators also said,

فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِـَايَةٍ كَمَأ أُرْسِلَ الاٌّوَّلُونَ

Let him then bring us an Ayah like the ones (Prophets) that were sent before (with signs)! (21;5)

We mentioned this subject several times before and stated that Allah is able to bring them what they wanted. There is a Hadith which mentions that the idolators asked the Prophet to turn Mount As-Safa into gold and, they also asked him for a spring to gush forth for them and to remove the mountains from around Makkah and replace them with green fields and gardens.

Allah revealed to His Messenger;

"If You wish, O Muhammad, I will give them what they asked for. However, if they disbelieve thereafter, I will punish them with a punishment that I did not punish any among the `Alamin (mankind and the Jinns).

Or, if you wish, I will open for them the door to repentance and mercy."

The Prophet said,

بَلْ تَفْتَحُ لَهُمْ بَابَ التَّوبَةِ وَالرَّحْمَة

Rather, open for them the door to repentance and mercy.

This is why Allah said to His Messenger next,

قُلْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ



Say;"Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance."

Allah states that He brings misguidance or guidance whether the Messenger was given a sign (a miracle) according to their asking or not. Verily, earning the misguidance or the guidance are not connected to the miracles or the lack of them.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَمَا تُغْنِى الايَـتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍ لاَّ يُوْمِنُونَ

But neither Ayat nor warners benefit those who believe not. (10;101)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ

وَلَوْ جَأءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

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

and,

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

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, but most of them behave ignorantly. (6;111)

Allah said here,

قُلْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ


Say;"Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself those who turn to Him in repentance."

meaning, He guides to Him those who repent, turn to Him, beg Him, seek His help and humbly submit to Him.
The Believer's Heart finds Comfort in the Remembrance of Allah

Allah said