'' (c. 1400),
Metropolitan Museum of Art ''. The initial verses of the chapter (1–70) present an argumentative dialogue between Islam and its unbelievers. The remaining verses contain the stories of
Noah,
Moses and
Jonah, all considered prophets in Islam. •
1-2 The Makkans charge their Prophet with
sorcery because he is a man from among them •
3 The
Creator and Ruler of the universe the only true God •
4 Believers rewarded at death for good deeds •
4 Unbelievers punished after death •
5-6 God's works are signs to all men •
7-11 Rewards and punishments of the faithful and the unbelieving •
12 People stop thanking God when there is no need. •
13 Men pray to God in affliction, but forget Him with the return of prosperity •
14-15 The people of Makkah warned by the example of former generations •
16-18 The
Quraysh desire a different Quran — Muhammad protests his inability to alter it •
19 Idolaters trust intercessors who can neither profit nor harm them •
20 All men originally professed one religion •
21 The people demand of Muhammad a sign •
22 When men despise the judgments of God he threatens greater suffering •
23-24 Unbelievers remember God in distress by land and sea, but forget Him when delivered •
25 Life likened to water which sustains vegetable life •
26-28 Paradise for Muslims and hell for the infidels •
29-31 Idolaters will be deserted by their gods in the judgment-day •
32-37 Idolaters exhorted to worship him whom they recognise as their Creator, Preserver, and Governor •
38 The Quran no forgery; it confirms
the former Scriptures •
39-40 Those who charge Muhammad with imposture challenged to produce a chapter like it •
41 Some believe in the Quran, others reject it •
42-47 The unbelieving Quraish declared to be reprobate •
48 An apostle is sent to every nation •
49 Unbelievers mock at the threatenings of their prophet •
50 Every nation has its fixed period of existence •
51-55 Infidels will believe when their punishment comes upon them •
56-57 God is the Author of life and death •
58-59 The Quran an admonition and direction to the unbelievers •
60-61 Lawful food not to be prohibited •
62 Muhammad ever under Divine guidance •
63-65 The blessedness of those who believe and fear God •
66-68 Unbelievers cannot harm the Prophet •
69-71 Those rebuked who say that God hath begotten children •
72-75 Muhammad likened to
Noah and other
prophets •
76 Moses and
Aaron sent to Pharaoh and his princes •
77-82 They are rejected as sorcerers and perverters of the national religion •
83 A few of the people only believe on them •
84-86 Moses and Aaron with the believers put their trust in God •
87 The Israelites commanded to be constant in prayer to God •
88-89 Moses's prayer, that God would destroy the Egyptians, is heard •
90 Pharaoh and his people drowned in the sea •
90-92 He
repents and is raised out of the sea for a sign to the people •
93 The Israelites are provided with a habitation and blessing •
94-95 Jews and Christians appealed to in confirmation of the statements of the Quran •
96-98 No kind of miracle will suffice to make the reprobate believe •
99-103 Infidels do not believe on Muhammad because God does not permit them to do so •
104-107 The people of Makkah exhorted to accept the true orthodox faith •
108 Muhammad not responsible for the faith or unbelief of the people •
109 The Prophet exhorted to be patient The chapter presents the Meccan pagans' objections against the Quran, and responds to them. The pagans said that Muhammad was a "manifest sorcerer" and that he fabricated the Quran. They also challenged Muhammad to immediately bring the punishment of God, if his claim was true. They also demanded that Muhammad change the Quran to no longer condemn their practice of idolatry and using intercessors when worshipping God. The chapter's response to these objection is a mix of "argument, threat, promise and reproach". It defends the Quran's divine origin, not a fabrication of Muhammad's, and says that Muhammad could not change it even if he wanted to. As for the challenge to bring God's punishment, the chapter says that God may defer punishment in this world if he wants to. It also tells of the punishment against unbelievers in the past, such as the people of Noah and Moses. It says that if the pagans waited for the punishment before believing, it would be too late, as was the case with the Pharaoh of Moses. According to the Quran, the Pharaoh only believed in God just before drowning, and that belief was too late and did not benefit him. The chapter also mentions the People of Jonah, who at first rejected Jonah's message, but then repented and believed. Therefore, unlike the people of Noah and Moses, they were averted from God's punishment. The mention of Jonah in verse 98 gives the chapter its name. The chapter then instructs Muhammad if he had any doubt about the truth of what was revealed to him, he could ask other
People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) who would be able to confirm the Quran's account of these people of the past. ==Revelation==