the blind and the leper,” even though leprosy has no cure. Yet Jesus would heal the leper by Allah’s permission, and he would heal one born blind—someone created without eyes. Even more remarkable and momentous than this was that he brought the dead back to life by Allah’s permission. A dead person would be brought to him; he would speak to him, and then life would return to him. More remarkable and striking still was that, by Allah’s permission, he brought the dead out of their graves. He would stand by a grave and call its occupant, who would emerge from the grave alive. No form of medicine could ever attain such a thing. The sign given to Jesus at that time was therefore perfectly suited to the condition of the people.
The scholars said: As for the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), he came to the Arabs when they were vying with one another in eloquence and regarded eloquence as the greatest distinction a person could possess. Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) therefore brought this magnificent Quran, which confounded the masters of eloquence and left them unable to produce anything like it. Allah Most High says: “Say: If all humankind and jinn came together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like, even if they helped one another.” [al-Isrāʾ: 88] That is, even if they assisted one another, they would never produce its like.
We therefore say that Moses (peace be upon him) showed Pharaoh the greatest sign, but Pharaoh did not benefit from the signs: “Yet signs and warnings are of no avail to a people who will not believe.” [Yūnus: 101] “You can only warn those who follow the Reminder and fear the Most Merciful without seeing Him.” [Yā Sīn: 11] Those whose hearts have no receptiveness to guidance will not be guided, even if every sign comes to them—Allah’s refuge is sought. Thus He says: “But he denied and disobeyed.” He denied the report and disobeyed the command. In other words, he told Moses, “You are not a messenger.” Indeed, he even said: “This messenger of yours who has been sent to you is surely mad.” [al-Shuʿarāʾ: 27]
He disobeyed the command: he neither complied with Moses’ command nor submitted to his law. “Then he turned away, striving,” meaning that he turned his back and hastened away. “Then he gathered and called out.” He gathered the people—that is, assembled them—and called out to them in a loud voice so that he might more effectively deter them from what Moses (peace be upon him) wanted of them. “Then he said: I am