The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 154
CH. 21 AL-ANBIYA' PT. 17 b لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ وَاَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى. And their hearts are forgetful. 4 الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هُذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌّ secret-those who act wrongfully And they keep their counsels then say, 'Is this man aught but مِثْلُكُمْ ۚ اَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَاَنْتُمْ ?a human being like yourselves تُبْصِرُونَ Will you then accede to magic while you see it?'2345 قُل رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ In reply to this the Prophet. 5 وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ said, 'My Lord knows what is said in the heaven and the earth. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. '2346 and Messenger," the Quran depicts the Holy Prophet as saying with regard to himself (46:10). The verse under comment means to say that every new Divine Message in its own time was treated with mockery derision by disbelievers. 2345. Important Words: a) (forgetful) is derived from They say abi. e. he became diverted from it so as to forget it (Lane). See also 6:33. . (Will you then accede to) is derived from 3. They say i. e. I came to him or it. means, he did the thing; means, he advanced the proof. means, he committed the offence. means, I agreed with him or in regard to the affair. means, do you approach or come to, or accede to or yield to magic (Lane & Mufradāt). Commentary: The main objection of disbelievers against every Prophet has always been that he is an ordinary man like themselves. This objection has also been mentioned in 14:11; 23:25, 34; 26:155; 36:16 & 64:7. It has been answered in 12:110; 14:12; 16:44-45 & 17:96. Here this objection is answered in v. 8 below. It is strange that while on the one hand the disbelievers say that there is nothing in the Holy Prophet above an ordinary man, concede that he is a magician i. e. he on the other they possesses superior intellect. Divine Prophets are called magicians because their teachings produce a magical effect on the listeners. The verse implies an admission on the part of disbelievers that the Quran does possess a fascinating power and it is difficult for an unprejudiced and fair-minded person to reject its teaching. 2068 2346. Commentary: The subject of the verb & may both be God and the Holy Prophet. The particle means, in; about; regarding. The word may signify heavenly sciences or things