OCCASION OF THE REVELATION (VERSE NO. 90 - 93)

      A group of the pagan Arabs including some of their high ups and chiefs of tribes gathered together in the Sacred Shrine of Mecca, and also invited the Messenger of God, too, to attend their meeting which he accepted.

      They said to the prophet:ِ ``Tell us frankly what is your aim and object in despising our gods, and contempting our religion? If you look forward to become wealthy, we promise to give you enough to satisfy you. If you are driving at rank and position, we shall raise you up to our head.''

      The prophet said to them:ِ

      ``The Lord has guided me to a way that is straight; to an upright religion, that of Abraham, who was true in faith and not a polytheist. So, my prayer and service, my life and death, belongs all to Allah who has no partner; and I am the first Muslim who submits to Allah who is the Lord and the Cherisher of everything. I am the Messenger of God who has created you and all things, and I convey God's Message to you through the Book that Allah has inspired to me. A Book which is indeed a cause of prosperity for you in this present life, and a source of felicity in the life to come, and I want nothing of you, but, to follow your Lord's order and religion.''

      The pagans said again;ِ ``O.K.! You know well that we have not enough land to live in, and we are surrounded by high mountains. Tell your God then to push back the mountains to make a fertile land for us, like the Syrians and Iraqies. So, also tell your Lord to raise up some of our forefathers including GHAIS-IBN-AL-KALÄB to testify that you are truly the Messenger of God.''

      Mohammad (AS) said to them:ِ ``These things that you request for, are none of my business; and not in my power.''

      They said again:ِ ``Then if you are the Messenger of God; and you are in contact with God's Archangel, ``GABRIEL'', bring down with you some angels to testify your truthfulness. And also, tell them to make you have gardens of fruits well-watered, and a beautiful house adorned with gold; like those that you promise your followers to have in the life to come.''

      The prophet answered:ِ

      ``My mission is not to perform such things that you people ask.''

      The pagans said again to the prophet:ِ

      ``In this case, make the pieces of sky (THE METEORES) to fall upon us as you may think so; or at least ascend to the sky....''. One heathen from among them shouted loudly:ِ

      ``Even if you ascend to the sky, we will not believe your ascension until you bring down for us a Book that we may feel it and read it!''

      All these flimsy pretexts and foolish excuses were rejected by the prophet; and eventually ABUJAHL said:ِ

      ``My People! Let him go away! He can do nothing except abusing our gods, and insulting the religion of our forefathers. I will give him his deserved reward; and when he is in a prostration, I will give an end to all this, by casting a stone upon his head!''

VARIOUSLYِ COLOURED EXCUSES

Following the argument about Qurän's miraculous greatness and limitless wonders, reference is made to some of the flimsy pretexts, and foolish excuses of the heathens and idolaters. In order to accept the prophetic mission of the Messenger of God, they proposed six request as follows:ِ

1ِ Make a spring for us to gush out of the land.

2ِ Have a garden of date-palm and grapes well-watered.

3ِ Make the sky to fall down upon us, as you threaten.

4ِ Bring Allah and his angels down and face them with us.

5ِ Have a beautiful house adorned with gold.

6ِ Ascend to the sky and bring down to us a book.

      At the end, Allah instructs His Messenger to answer the pagans with the following words:ِ

      ``Am I anyone other than a human Messenger?''

      The Arabs were a thirsty people dwelling in a hot dry land in which vegetation and plants was very rare. To this effect, finding another spring of water like ZAMZAM, meant a great bounty to them, and the most valuable miracle too. They of course, did not know what does crude oil and petroleum mean, and in the lands that seas of oil exist, springs of water are rare. To them having a house adorned with gold and silver, and a fruitful garden well-watered was a sign of felicity and prosperity. A disbeliever is usually secular minded, and can only think of physical and material profits. He forgets or ignores all about the spiritual matters. Their ridiculous demands like seeing God, face to face, the God who has not a visible face at all; or the fall of sky and stones from overhead; ascension to the sky and bringing down a book to be read, are all the signs and symptoms of their materialistic ideas.

      On the other hand a Messenger's duty is only to convey his message, and can do nothing other than following what he is ordered to. So the Messenger of God would say nothing except that with which he was inspired. He was not sent to satisfy the mean fancies, and vain desires of some foolish unbelievers.