Although most of the preceding material probably was delivered in one speech, verses 91-94 reflect scenarios that occurred later, in Medina. In v. 90 Muhammad appealed to his listeners to follow the guidance of the prophets. Later in Medina, however, most of the Jews claimed that it was precisely because they followed the prophets that they rejected Muhammads claim to be a prophet.
Some Jews, it seems, had claimed that Allah had not sent down anything to anyone. Muhammads reply is that Allah sent down the Torah to Moses. (Probably the Jews would have replied that Muhammads deity and their God are not the same.) Again the Quran describes the Torah as "a light and a guidance to mankind." The Jews are accused of making the Torah into books with pages, "disclosing and concealing much." The idea is not that the Jews messed with the text, but that they presented only the parts of the Torah that were convenient for them, obscuring the parts which - according to Muhammad - predicted the arrival of Muhammad.
Three things are mildly noteworthy in v. 92. First, the text says that the revelations were given to "confirm (the revelations) which came before it." Yet when one compares the Quran with the Pentateuch and the Gospels, their messages collide regarding minor points (such as the name of Abrahams father) and major points (such as the unique intercessory role of Jesus the Messiah). Second, the text says that Muhammads revelations are sent to warn "The Mother of Towns and all those around it." This is generally seen as a reference to Mecca, but it seems possible that at the time Muhammad was thus referring to Medina, either as being the Mother of Towns (which is a name now reserved for Mecca) or as a town close to Mecca. Third, toward the end of the verse, it is stated, "Those who believe in the hereafter believe in it [it being the collective recitations, the Quran]." However it is obvious that there are many people - Christians, Jews, and others - who believe in the hereafter but do not regard the Quran as truthful.
The text then describes two kinds of very wicked people: those who dishonestly claim that they have received revelation from Allah, and those who say that they can produce the sort of material which Allah has revealed. Notice the resultant discrepancy: in 2:23, Muhammad challenged unbelievers to produce a surah like the material in the Quran. But here, those who attempt to produce material like the contents of the Quran are described as wicked. With both texts in place, anyone who presents a composition and says, "Look, this is like the Quran" is liable to be accused of making his wickedness manifest. With 6:93 in the equation, the challenge in 2:23 appears to be merely a trap, not a serious invitation.
The text then vividly describes some of the future punishments in store for those wicked people.
Probably Muhammad had some specific individuals in mind here: a contemporary named Musailama, who lived in Yamama but visited Muhammad at least once, was making the same sort of claims that Muhammad was making. And a fellow named Abdullah Ibn Saad Ibn Abi Sarh, who had once been Muhammads secretary, had left Muhammad and was claiming that he, Abdullah, could also receive revelation from Allah.
The backstory here is worth relating: Muhammad had been speaking the contents of 23:14, and had reached the part that says, "and then we brought it forth as another creation." At that point Abdallah, who had been writing down the verse, exclaimed, "So blessed is Allah, the best of creators!" and Muhammad said, "Write that down, for thus it has been revealed." Abdullah did so (and the expression is still in the Quran), but the incident led him to doubt Muhammads genuineness.
Abdullah left Muhammad and went straight to Mecca, telling about his experience. Later, when Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca, Abdullahs name was on a list of people whom Muhammad wanted to have killed. However, due to the special, prolonged requests of Uthman (who was a close friend of Muhammad, and who also happened to be Abdullahs foster-brother), and the failure of Muhammads companions to grasp that Muhammad wanted them to kill Abdullah without having to be signalled to do so, Muhammad pardoned Abdullah (who seems to have claimed to have already re-embraced Islam, and who went on to become a ruler over Egypt for a while during Uthmans reign as caliph!). After granting Abdallah clemency, Muhammad chided his companions for not beheading Abdallah. This story is told at answering-islam.org.uk/Muhammad/Enemies/sarh.html complete with references from Islamic sources. For an Islamic response, in which the writer attempts (without much success) to discredit the story, see www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Sarh .
Verse 94 may be hard to grasp until one realizes that its contents are intended to embody the statement of Allah to the soul of a deceased unbeliever. Here the material from the Medina period ends and we return in the next verse to the subject of the Signs of Allah.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Some Jews, it seems, had claimed that Allah had not sent down anything to anyone. Muhammads reply is that Allah sent down the Torah to Moses. (Probably the Jews would have replied that Muhammads deity and their God are not the same.) Again the Quran describes the Torah as "a light and a guidance to mankind." The Jews are accused of making the Torah into books with pages, "disclosing and concealing much." The idea is not that the Jews messed with the text, but that they presented only the parts of the Torah that were convenient for them, obscuring the parts which - according to Muhammad - predicted the arrival of Muhammad.
Three things are mildly noteworthy in v. 92. First, the text says that the revelations were given to "confirm (the revelations) which came before it." Yet when one compares the Quran with the Pentateuch and the Gospels, their messages collide regarding minor points (such as the name of Abrahams father) and major points (such as the unique intercessory role of Jesus the Messiah). Second, the text says that Muhammads revelations are sent to warn "The Mother of Towns and all those around it." This is generally seen as a reference to Mecca, but it seems possible that at the time Muhammad was thus referring to Medina, either as being the Mother of Towns (which is a name now reserved for Mecca) or as a town close to Mecca. Third, toward the end of the verse, it is stated, "Those who believe in the hereafter believe in it [it being the collective recitations, the Quran]." However it is obvious that there are many people - Christians, Jews, and others - who believe in the hereafter but do not regard the Quran as truthful.
The text then describes two kinds of very wicked people: those who dishonestly claim that they have received revelation from Allah, and those who say that they can produce the sort of material which Allah has revealed. Notice the resultant discrepancy: in 2:23, Muhammad challenged unbelievers to produce a surah like the material in the Quran. But here, those who attempt to produce material like the contents of the Quran are described as wicked. With both texts in place, anyone who presents a composition and says, "Look, this is like the Quran" is liable to be accused of making his wickedness manifest. With 6:93 in the equation, the challenge in 2:23 appears to be merely a trap, not a serious invitation.
The text then vividly describes some of the future punishments in store for those wicked people.
Probably Muhammad had some specific individuals in mind here: a contemporary named Musailama, who lived in Yamama but visited Muhammad at least once, was making the same sort of claims that Muhammad was making. And a fellow named Abdullah Ibn Saad Ibn Abi Sarh, who had once been Muhammads secretary, had left Muhammad and was claiming that he, Abdullah, could also receive revelation from Allah.
The backstory here is worth relating: Muhammad had been speaking the contents of 23:14, and had reached the part that says, "and then we brought it forth as another creation." At that point Abdallah, who had been writing down the verse, exclaimed, "So blessed is Allah, the best of creators!" and Muhammad said, "Write that down, for thus it has been revealed." Abdullah did so (and the expression is still in the Quran), but the incident led him to doubt Muhammads genuineness.
Abdullah left Muhammad and went straight to Mecca, telling about his experience. Later, when Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca, Abdullahs name was on a list of people whom Muhammad wanted to have killed. However, due to the special, prolonged requests of Uthman (who was a close friend of Muhammad, and who also happened to be Abdullahs foster-brother), and the failure of Muhammads companions to grasp that Muhammad wanted them to kill Abdullah without having to be signalled to do so, Muhammad pardoned Abdullah (who seems to have claimed to have already re-embraced Islam, and who went on to become a ruler over Egypt for a while during Uthmans reign as caliph!). After granting Abdallah clemency, Muhammad chided his companions for not beheading Abdallah. This story is told at answering-islam.org.uk/Muhammad/Enemies/sarh.html complete with references from Islamic sources. For an Islamic response, in which the writer attempts (without much success) to discredit the story, see www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Sarh .
Verse 94 may be hard to grasp until one realizes that its contents are intended to embody the statement of Allah to the soul of a deceased unbeliever. Here the material from the Medina period ends and we return in the next verse to the subject of the Signs of Allah.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
