Tafsir of Surah An-Nahl - Verse 102

The Idolators' Accusation that the Prophet was a Liar since some Ayat were abrogated, and the Refutation of their Claim

Allah tells us of the weak minds of the idolators, and their lack of faith and conviction. He explains that it is impossible for them to have faith when He has decreed that they are doomed. When they saw that some rulings had been changed by being abrogated, they said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ

(You are but a forger) meaning one who tells lies. But Allah is the Lord Who does whatever He wills, and rules as He wants.

بَدَّلْنَآ ءَايَةً مَّكَانَ ءَايَةٍ

(And when We change a verse (of the Qur'an) in place of another) Mujahid said: this means, "We remove one and put another in its place." Qatadah said: this is like the Ayah:

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(Whatever verse We change abrogate or omit the abrogated...)" (2:106). Allah said, in response to them:

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ

(Say: "Ruh-ul-Qudus has brought it...") meaning, Jibril,

مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ

(from your Lord with truth, ) meaning, with truthfulness and justice

لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(for the conviction of those who believe,) so that they will believe what was revealed earlier and what was revealed later, and humble themselves towards Allah.

وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

(and as a guide and good news for the Muslims.) meaning He has made it a guide and good news to the Muslims who believe in Allah and His Messengers.

Sequence of Verses

In the previous verse (98), there was an instruction to say اَعُوذ بِاللہ 'a udhu bil-lah' (I seek protection with Allah) while reciting the Qur’ an which indicates that the Shaitan puts scruples in the heart when one recites the Qur'an. In the verses cited above, there is a refutation of such Satanic instigations.

The Quran is the Book of dawah. Its various parts were revealed bit by bit over a period of twenty three years. In consideration of the training of the believers, a gradual approach was adopted in respect of certain commandments. Taking advantage of such ‘changes’, the opponents of Islam used to say that the Quran was not the Book of God, but the Prophet Muhammad’s own writings which he attributed to God. They used to say that, if it had come directly from God, there would not have been such changes in it. Had these opponents been sincere and serious in the study of the Quran and had they looked upon the factor of change in the right perspective, they would have seen the wisdom of a gradual approach in giving orders. But when they saw the matter in the wrong perspective, changes appeared to them to be the result of a lack of human knowledge. A reasoned confirmation of these changes not being immediately forthcoming gave rise to the levelling of false allegations. The Quran has been revealed to present the Truth—here Truth means the pure and unadulterated religion of God. Those who are seekers after Truth and who are not satisfied with adulterated religions, will find not only the answer to their search in the Quranic religion but also peace of mind therein.