Page 67 - Tafsir of surat at tawba repentance
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challenged the Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the
Qur’aan, but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence and
literary powers. The challenge to reproduce the Qur’aan was presented to the
Arabs and mankind in three stages:
1. The Whole Qur’aan:
In the Qur’aan, Allaah commanded the Prophet (r) to challenge all of creation to
create a book of the stature of the Qur’aan,
#x»yd È@÷VÏJÎ/ (#qè?ù't br& #n?tã `Éfø9$#ur ߧRM}$# ÏMyèyJtGô_$# ÈûÈõ©9 @è% )
( ÇÑÑÈ #ZÎgsß <Ù÷èt7Ï9 öNåkÝÕ÷èt/ c%x. öqs9ur ¾Ï&Î#÷WÏJÎ/ tbqè?ù't w Èb#uäöà)ø9$#
“Say: ‘If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the
like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce its like even though they
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exerted all their strength in aiding one another.’ ”
2. Ten Soorahs:
Next, Allaah made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who denied its
divine origin to imitate even ten soorahs of the Qur’aan:
;M»tutIøÿãB ¾Ï&Î#÷VÏiB 9uqß Îô³yèÎ/ (#qè?ù'sù ö@è% ( çm1utIøù$# cqä9qà)t ÷Pr& )
( ÇÊÌÈ tûüÏ%Ï»|¹ óOçFZä. bÎ) «!$# Èbrß `ÏiB OçF÷èsÜtGó$# Ç`tB (#qãã÷$#ur
“Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), ‘Bring ten
invented soorahs like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can
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beside Allaah, if you are truthful.’ ”
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Soorah al-Israa’ (17):88.
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Soorah Hood (11):13.
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