Blame, pride and the fear of change
Surat al Isra was revealed in Makkah and therefore its features distinct from Madani revelations. Makki revelations are typically about belief, prophethood, the Unseen, resurrection and accountability. From ayah 90 to 97, we see the disbelievers are telling the Prophet that they would not believe unless a long list of their demands was met. First they asked him to strike the ground and produce a flowing spring. And if he does this, they may rethink their position. Note that they do not guarantee they will believe, even after seeing the miracle.
وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفۡجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَنۢبُوعًا
And they say, “We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring. (17:90)
أَوۡ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٞ مِّن نَّخِيلٖ وَعِنَبٖ فَتُفَجِّرَ
ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرَ خِلَٰلَهَا تَفۡجِيرًا
Or [until] you have a garden of palm trees and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in force [and abundance] (17:91)
Then they ask him to make the sky fall on them. Do they want to believe or to be tortured? In another verse, they say let the sky rain down stones on them.
أَوۡ تُسۡقِطَ ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَمَا زَعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡنَا كِسَفًا
أَوۡ تَأۡتِيَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ قَبِيلًا
Or you make the heaven fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed or you bring Allah and the angels before [us] (17:92)
Next they ask for a house of gold in the sky or for the Prophet to go up to the sky, and then prove it by bringing back a book from the sky with their names in it.
أَوۡ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيۡتٞ مِّن زُخۡرُفٍ أَوۡ تَرۡقَىٰ فِي
ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡنَا كِتَٰبٗا نَّقۡرَؤُهُۥۗ
قُلۡ سُبۡحَانَ رَبِّي هَلۡ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرٗا رَّسُولٗا
Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read.” Say, “Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?” (17:93)
The type of questions they posed were not real questions, but a way of creating an excuse for them to disbelieve. It is like saying if you can move this mountain I will believe, but if you can’t I won’t. It throws responsibility for their failure on someone else. It is not just Makkans who did this, but we do the same. We blame everyone but ourselves. They were saying the problem was not their attitude, but that the Prophet ﷺ was not responding to their request. Whereas the reality was that they had no intention to believe. In reality, they had no intention of believing. It was easier to deny the truth than to admit it and risk losing status in their community.
The status quo was sacred for them and that is why they refused to budge. Facing the reality is not easy, neither is changing yourself or changing your habits. This is where Ramadan comes. It helps you to change what is not easy and make it easy. Ramadan defeats all the negative inner voice. Ramadan tells us we can focus and Allah will give us the energy to change. We need to have sincerity and Allah will support us. This is the message from these verses.
Ameen.
Based on the Ramadan Reflection on night 12 by Shaykh Haytham Tamim. Transcribed by Hana Khan.