The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 156
CH. 21 AL-ANBIYA' PT. 17 مَا أَمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْتُهَا ,No township, before them. 7 أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِى which We destroyed, ever believed. Would they then believe?2348 8. "And We sent none as إلَيْهِمْ فَسْتَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ. to whom We sent revelations لَا تَعْلَمُونَ Messengers before thee but men So ask the people of the Reminder, if you know not. 2349 "12:110; 16:44. after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas" (Matt. 12:39). The refusal on the part of the Quran to entertain the disbelievers' demand in the manner they expected it, does not imply that no sign had been or was to be shown to them. It only means to demonstrate that the demand is foolish and insolent and that heavenly Signs differ from age to age and therefore the signs that would be shown by the Holy Prophet would be different from those that were shown by Moses or Jesus and for that matter by any other Prophet. The word (poet) while meaning one who composes verses also signifies a person who plays with the sentiments and susceptibilities of men. Here the word has been used preferably in the latter sense. 2348. Commentary: The verse means to say that if disbelievers demand a "Sign of punishment," then that too is a foolish demand because when punishment overtook them and they were destroyed, how would they believe? The verse does not mean that the 2070 Quraish of Mecca would not believe in the Holy Prophet after Divine punishment overtook them because it is a known fact of history that they did believe in him after Mecca, the centre and source of their glory and prosperity fell. What the verse signifies is that while the peoples of the former Prophets, with the solitary exception of Prophet Jonah's people, did not believe in them after they were actually visited with punishment, the Holy Prophet's people would have the opportunity and good luck to believe in him even after having been overtaken by Divine punishment in the Fall of Mecca, the destruction of their idols and the departure of their glory and prestige. Ordinarily, after having suffered a crushing defeat and being wholly at the mercy of the Holy Prophet, they should have received condign punishment which they amply deserved but they were forgiven with a magnanimity unparalleled in the annals of human history, and then they believed in the Prophet. 2349. Commentary: may signify: (a) the former