Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 109

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They have sworn forceful oaths by Allah that if a sign comes to them, they will surely believe in it. Say, “Signs are in Allah’s power alone.” What will make you realize that even when they (the signs) come, they will not believe?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a sign were to come to them, they would certainly believe in it. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Signs are only with Allah.” What will make you ˹believers˺ realize that even if a sign were to come to them, they still would not believe?

Ruwwad Translation Center

They swear by Allah their most solemn oaths that if a sign came to them, they would certainly believe in it. Say [O Prophet], “Signs are only with Allah.” How do you know that even if it came to them, they would still not believe?

A. J. Arberry

They have sworn by God the most earnest oaths if a sign comes to them they will believe in it. Say: 'Signs are only with God.' What will make you realize that, when it comes, they will not believe?

Abdul Haleem

They swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a miraculous sign came to them they would believe in it. Say [Prophet], ‘Signs are in the power of God alone.’ What will make you [believers] realize that even if a sign came to them they still would not believe?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they swear by God with thee their solemn oaths that if there came unto them a sign they would surely believe therein. Say thou: signs are but with Allah; and what will make ye perceive that even if it came they will not believe?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if a (special) sign came to them, by it they would believe. Say; "Certainly (all) signs are in the power of Allah; but what will make you (Muslims) realise that (even) if (special) signs came, they will not believe."?

Abul Ala Maududi

They swear by Allah with their most solemn oaths that if a sign comes to them, they will certainly believe in it. Say: 'Signs are in Allah's power alone. What will make you realize that even if those signs were to come, they would still not believe?

Ahmed Ali

They solemnly swear by God: "If a sign comes to us we shall certainly believe in it." Tell them: "The signs are with God." Yet for all you know they will not believe if the signs came to them.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And they swore by Allah vehemently in their oaths that if any sign came to them, they will certainly believe in it; say, “The signs are with Allah, and what do you people know that if they came to them, they will not believe.”

Ali Quli Qarai

They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that were a sign to come to them they would surely believe in it. Say, ‘These signs are only from Allah,’ and what will bring home to you that they will not believe even if they came?

Ali Ünal

They swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a miracle (of the kind they desire) is shown to them, they will believe in it. Say: "Miracles are in God’s power alone (His is the sole authority to produce them or not)." (O believers, who think that if such a miracle were produced, the unbelievers would believe:) Are you not aware that even if such a miracle were shown to them, they would not believe?

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they swear by Allâh their most solemn oaths that if there comes to them a (particular) sign they would invariably believe in it. Say, `´(Not to speak of a single sign) there are indeed many signs with Allâh, but what is there to assure you that when that (sign) comes, even then, they will not believe.´

English Literal

And they swore/made oath by God their oath`s utmost if (E) an evidence/verse came to them they will believe (E) with it, say: "But the verses/evidences (are) at God." And what makes you feel/know, that if it came, they do not believe?

Faridul Haque

And they swore by Allah vehemently in their oaths that if any sign came to them, they will certainly believe in it; say, “The signs are with Allah, and what do you people know that if they came to them, they will not believe.”

Hamid S. Aziz

They swore by Allah with their strongest oaths, that if there come to them a Sign they will indeed believe therein. Say, ´Signs are only in Allah´s hands - but understand that even when one has come, they will not believe (or understanding is in Allah´s hand)."

Hilali & Khan

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: "Signs are but with Allah and what will make you (Muslims) perceive that (even) if it (the sign) came, they will not believe?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits, they abuse Allah through ignorance. Thus to every people have We made their deeds fair-seeming; then to their Lord is their return so He will inform them of what they did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they swear by Allah with the strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are only with Allah; and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they swear a solemn oath by Allah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein. Say; Portents are with Allah and (so is) that which telleth you that if such came unto them they would not believe.

Muhammad Sarwar

The unbelievers solemnly swear by God that if they were to be shown some miracle, they would certainly believe. (Muhammad), tell them, "Only with God are all the miracles." Even if a miracle was to take place, they still would not believe.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They solemnly swear by Allah that if a sign is given to them they would believe in it. Say: 'Signs are only with Allah' And how can you tell if it comes they will not believe'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: "Signs are but with Allah and what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe"

Wahiduddin Khan

They swear a solemn oath by God that if there should come to them a sign, they will believe in it. Say, "Signs are granted only by God." How can you tell that if a sign be given to them, they will indeed believe in it?

Talal Itani

They swear by God, with their most solemn oaths, that if a miracle were to come to them, they would believe in it. Say, “The miracles are only with God.” But how do you know? Even if it did come, they still would not believe.

Tafsir jalalayn

They, that is, the disbelievers of Mecca, have sworn by God the most earnest oaths that if there came to them a sign, of what they requested, they will believe in it. Say, to them; `Signs are only with God', and He sends them down as [and when] He wills; I am but a warner. But what will make you realise?, how would you know if they have believed, if these [signs] did come [to them]? In other words, you would not know this; truly, when they come, they will not believe, because of what I already know (a variant reading [for l yu'minna, `they will not believe'] has l tu'minna, `you will not believe', making the address to the disbelievers; another [variant reading] has annah [instead of innah, `that truly'] as meaning la`alla, `that perhaps', or as governed by the preceding clause [la'in j'athum yatun, `if there came to them a sign').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come

Allah says;

وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah,

Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah,

لَيِن جَاءتْهُمْ ايَةٌ

that if there came to them a sign...,

a miracle or phenomenon,

لَّيُوْمِنُنَّ بِهَا

they would surely believe therein.

affirming its truth.

قُلْ إِنَّمَا الايَاتُ عِندَ اللّهِ

Say;"Signs are but with Allah."

meaning;Say, O Muhammad - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah. If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request."

Allah said next,

وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءتْ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ



And what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe.

According to Mujahid it was said that;

`you' in `make you perceive' refers to the idolators.

In this case, the Ayah would mean,

what makes you -- you idolators -- perceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore.

Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came.

It was also said that;

`you' in, `what will make you perceive', refers to the believers,

meaning, what will make you perceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come.

Allah also said,

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ

"What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you!" (7;12)

and,

وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـهَأ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ

And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again). (21;95)

These Ayat mean;`What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again.

In the Ayah above (6;109) the meaning thus becomes;

What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe.

Allah said next