The Quran

Preface

وَإِن كانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيكَ إِعراضُهُم فَإِنِ استَطَعتَ أَن تَبتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الأَرضِ أَو سُلَّمًا فِي السَّماءِ فَتَأتِيَهُم بِآيَةٍ ۚ وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُم عَلَى الهُدىٰ ۚ فَلا تَكونَنَّ مِنَ الجاهِلينَ

Yusuf Ali

If their spurning is hard on thy mind, yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a sign-¹ (what good?). If it were God’s will, He could gather them together unto true guidance: so be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and impatience)!

There were many Signs of a divine mission in the Prophet’s life and in the Message which he delivered. If these did not convince the Unbelievers, was it not vain to seek a miraculous Sign from the bowels of the earth or by a visible ascent to the skies? If in the Prophet’s eagerness to get all to accept his Message he was hurt at their callousness, active opposition, and persecution of him, he is told that a full knowledge of the working of God’s Plan would convince him that impatience was misplaced. This was in the days of persecution before the Hijrat. The history in Medīna and after shows how God’s truth was ultimately and triumphantly vindicated. Who among the sincere devotees of Muḥammad can fail to read 6:33-35 without tears in his eyes?