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Ummah

Surah Al-Hijr · سُوْرَةُ الْحِجْرِ · Juz 14

Q 15:8

مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓا۟ إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ

Translations

We do not send down the angels except with truth; and the disbelievers would not then be reprieved.
Sahih International · EN
Nous ne faisons descendre les Anges qu'avec la vérité; et alors, il ne leur sera pas accordé de répit [à ces impies].
Muhammad Hamidullah · FR

Tafsir

In response to their idea of having the angels brought forth, Allah said: I will not send the angels except when it becomes wise to do so, that is, when your time comes to be penalised. And if the angels were sent and they did not believe, then their punishment would become imminent.

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
And they say: "O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been revealed! Verily, you are a madman (6)"Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful? (7)We do not send the angels down except with the truth, and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite (8)Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)(9) The Accusation that the Prophet (ﷺ) was a Madman and Demands for Him to bring down Angels Allah tells us about the disbelief, arrogance and stubbornness of the disbelievers as reflected in their words: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ (O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been revealed!) i.e., the one who claims to receive it. إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ (Verily, you are a mad man!) i.e., by your invitation to us to follow you and leave the way of our forefathers. لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ (Why do you not bring angels to us) i.e., to bear witness to the accuracy of what you have brought to us is true, if you are really telling the truth? This is similar to what Pharaoh said: فَلَوْلَا أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ (Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or angels sent along with him?)(43:53). And Allah said: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَا ۗ لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوًّا كَبِيرًا - يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَىٰ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا (And those who do not expect a meeting with Us (i. e., those who deny the Day of Resurrection and the life of the Hereafter), say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?" Indeed they think too highly of themselves, and are scornful with great pride. On the Day that they do see the angels - there will be no good news given on that day to the guilty. And they (angels) will say: "All kinds of glad tidings are forbidden for you.")(25:21-22) For this reason Allah said: مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ (We do not send the angels down except with the truth, and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite!) Mujahid said in this Ayah: مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ (We do not send the angels down except with the truth) "[i.e.,] with the Message and the punishment." Then Allah, may He be exalted, stated that He is the One Who revealed the Dhikr to him, which is the Qur'an, and He is protecting it from being changed or altered.

Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net