Surah Al-Furqan, Ayah 22

The Stubbornness of the Disbelievers

Allah describes how stubborn the disbelievers were in their disbelief when they said:

لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا

(Why are not the angels sent down to us,) meaning, `so that we may see them with our own eyes and they may tell us that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.' This is like when they said:

أَوْ تَأْتِىَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ قَبِيلاً

(or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face) (17:92). Hence they also said:

الْمَلَـئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى

(or why do we not see our Lord) Allah said:

رَبَّنَا لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوّاً

(Indeed they think too highly of themselves, and are scornful with great pride.) And Allah says:

حِجْرً‌ا مَّحْجُورً‌ا (25:22) The literal meaning of حِجر is protection, and مَّحْجُورًا is fully protected. This word was used in Arabic language at the time of danger, when there was a danger in sight. The word was used to seek protection - that is to ask for protection against the imminent danger. Likewise, on the Dooms Day when the infidels will see angels approaching toward them with chastisement, they will utter this word as per their habit in this world to seek protection. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has described the meaning of this word حَرَاماً مُحَرَّماً (that is banned, prohibited).

According to this interpretation, the phrase will mean that on the Dooms Day when the infidels will see the angels approaching them with chastisement, they will seek their pardon and plead to let them in the paradise. In response to their pleading the angels will reply حِجْرً‌ا مَّحْجُورً‌ا that is the Paradise is banned and prohibited for infidels. (Mazhari)

The initial addressees of the Quran were those who accepted as their prophets Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Moses and others. Despite this, they refused to accept Muhammad. One of the reasons for this is that people of later ages always devise, of their own accord, legendary accounts of their past prophets with a view to glorifying them. In the light of these stories, the personality of their past prophet assumes an almost magical character. Subsequently, when the contemporary prophet comes before them, he strikes them as being an ordinary human being. In their minds, on the one hand, there is the image of the past prophet who appears to them as a superhuman personality, while on the other hand, there is the present, living prophet who appears to them simply in the form of a human being. In the light of this comparison, they find themselves unable to believe in the present prophet. While accepting the institution of prophethood, they reject the prophet. For the disbelievers, the Prophet and the believers are a source of trial, and for the Prophet and the believers the disbelievers are a source of trial. The trial of those who deny the truth is that they should be able to recognise the latent greatness in the apparently ordinary appearance of the prophet, while for the believers it is that they should not lose patience with the meaningless and provocative utterances of the unbelievers.