The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 595
PT. 15 BANI ISRĀ'ĪL CH. 17 وَإِنْ كَادُوا لَيَفْتِنُوْنَكَ عَنِ الَّذِی And they had well-nigh. 74 caused thee severest affliction أوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِى عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُ on account of what We have وَإِذَا لَّا تَخَذُوكَ خَلِيْلًا revealed to thee that thou mightest invent against Us something other than that; and then they would have certainly taken thee for a friend. 2003 special "10:16; 68:10. who do not make proper use of their spiritual eyes in this world would remain deprived of spiritual sight in the life to come. The Quran speaks of those who do not ponder over the Signs of God and do not benefit by them as "blind. " Such men will remain blind in the next life also, i. e. they would not be able to see God with their spiritual eyes. The verse does not refer to any physical blindness because the human soul will shed its physical tabernacle here and men will rise on the Judgement Day free from all physical maladies and ailments. See also 6:106. 2003. Important Words: (on account of). As a preposition it denotes transition, a compensation, superiority and a cause. It is synonymous with and and denotes the meaning of ¿ etc. (Lane). Commentary: ب من The verse means to say that disbelievers were determined to put the Holy Prophet to great hardship on account of the teachings which had been revealed to him so that they might compel him to alter them and devise others than those embodied in the Quran. But they failed in their purpose. This chapter was revealed when the Holy Prophet was about to leave for Medina. Disbelievers, having failed in all their evil designs to nip Islam in the bud, had made up their minds to make a last attempt to imprison the Holy Prophet, to expel him ignominiously from Mecca or in the last resort to kill him; but they failed in all their evil designs and plans. It is to these evil designs of disbelievers and their complete failure in carrying them out that reference has been made in this verse; and to take the verse to mean that the Prophet showed weakness in respect of his great Mission is obviously impossible. The verse thus refers to the designs and intentions of disbelievers with regard to the Holy Prophet and not to any actual or potential act of weakness on his part. The state of mind of disbelievers depicted in the words, then they would have certainly taken thee for a special friend, took concrete form when they once went in a deputation to the Prophet's uncle, Abū Ṭālib, and 1803