Key Verses

1. 9:64At-TawbahWarning
   يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُورَةٞ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ قُلِ ٱسۡتَهۡزِءُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡرِجٞ مَّا تَحۡذَرُونَ
   The hypocrites fear lest a surah should be revealed concerning them, proclaiming what is in their hearts. Say: Scoff (your fill)! Lo! Allah is disclosing what ye fear.
   In context

   The hypocrites are afraid that Allah will reveal a sūrah to His Messenger that will inform the believers about the disbelief that they conceal. Say, O Messenger: Continue, O hypocrites, mocking and poking fun. Allah will unveil what you are afraid of by revealing a sūrah or by informing His Messenger about the truth of your case.

2. 9:86At-TawbahPromise
   وَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةٌ أَنۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَجَٰهِدُواْ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنَكَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلطَّوۡلِ مِنۡهُمۡ وَقَالُواْ ذَرۡنَا نَكُن مَّعَ ٱلۡقَٰعِدِينَ
   And when a surah is revealed (which saith): Believe in Allah and strive along with His messenger, the men of wealth among them still ask leave of thee and say: Suffer us to be with those who sit (at home).
   In context

   When Allah reveals a sūrah to His Prophet (peace be upon him) that contains the instruction to have faith in Allah and to strive in His path, the rich people from among them ask you for permission to stay behind and they say: Let us stay behind with those who are excused, such as the weak and those who are chronically ill.

3. 9:124At-Tawbah
   وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةٞ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمۡ زَادَتۡهُ هَٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَٰنٗاۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَزَادَتۡهُمۡ إِيمَٰنٗا وَهُمۡ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ
   And whenever a surah is revealed there are some of them who say: Which one of you hath thus increased in faith? As for those who believe, it hath increased them in faith and they rejoice (therefor).
   In context

   When Allah revealed a sūrah to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), some of the hypocrites would ask by way of mocking and ridicule; 'Which one of you believers has had his faith increase?

4. 9:127At-TawbahWarning
   وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةٞ نَّظَرَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ هَلۡ يَرَىٰكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٖ ثُمَّ ٱنصَرَفُواْۚ صَرَفَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمۡ قَوۡمٞ لَّا يَفۡقَهُونَ
   And whenever a surah is revealed, they look one at another (as who should say): Doth anybody see you? Then they turn away. Allah turneth away their hearts because they are a folk who understand not.
   In context

   Whenever Allah reveals a sūrah to the Messenger (peace be upon him), mentioning the states of the hypocrites, the hypocrites would look at one another, saying ‘Does anyone see you?’ If no one is looking at them, they leave the gathering. Allah turned their hearts away from guidance and goodness, and leaves them, because they are a people who do not understand.

5. 11:13HudCommand
   أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۖ قُلۡ فَأۡتُواْ بِعَشۡرِ سُوَرٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ مُفۡتَرَيَٰتٖ وَٱدۡعُواْ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ
   Or they say: He hath invented it. Say: Then bring ten surahs, the like thereof, invented, and call on everyone ye can beside Allah, if ye are truthful!
   In context

   Do the idolaters say that Muhammad made up the Qur’ān, and that it is not revelation from Allah? Allah tells the Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) to challenge them to write ten similar sūrahs themselves like the Qur’ān, and to call upon whomever they could call upon to help them to do this, if they were telling the truth in claiming that the Qur’ān was fabricated.

6. 24:1An-Nur
   سُورَةٌ أَنزَلۡنَٰهَا وَفَرَضۡنَٰهَا وَأَنزَلۡنَا فِيهَآ ءَايَٰتِۭ بَيِّنَٰتٖ لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
   (Here is) a surah which We have revealed and enjoined, and wherein We have revealed plain tokens, that haply ye may take heed.
   In context

   This is a sūrah I revealed, made acting upon its rulings necessary and in which I revealed clear verses, in the hope that you will be reminded of the rulings it contains and then practice them.

7. 43:53Az-Zukhruf
   فَلَوۡلَآ أُلۡقِيَ عَلَيۡهِ أَسۡوِرَةٞ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ مَعَهُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ مُقۡتَرِنِينَ
   Why, then, have armlets of gold not been set upon him, or angels sent along with him?
   In context

   “Why did Allah who sent him not throw down golden bracelets on him so that it becomes clear that he is His Messenger, or why did the angels not come with him, following one another?”

8. 47:20MuhammadWarning
   وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَتۡ سُورَةٞۖ فَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتۡ سُورَةٞ مُّحۡكَمَةٞ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا ٱلۡقِتَالُ رَأَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ نَظَرَ ٱلۡمَغۡشِيِّ عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ فَأَوۡلَىٰ لَهُمۡ
   And those who believe say: If only a surah were revealed! But when a decisive surah is revealed and war is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with the look of men fainting unto death. Therefor woe unto them!
   In context

   Those who have faith in Allah say, longing for Allah to reveal to His Messenger a sūrah containing the instruction for fighting: ‘Why does not Allah reveal a sūrah in which fighting is mentioned.