(153–161) “The People of the Book ask you to bring down to them a Book from heaven. They demanded something even greater of Moses, saying, ‘Show us Allah openly!’ So the thunderbolt seized them for their wrongdoing. Then, after clear proofs had come to them, they took the calf for worship, yet We pardoned that and granted Moses compelling authority. * We raised the Mount above them because of their covenant, and We said to them, ‘Enter the gate prostrating yourselves.’ We also said to them, ‘Do not violate the Sabbath,’ and We took from them a solemn covenant.”

This demand made by the People of the Book of the Messenger Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arose from obstinacy and their desire to dictate terms. They made their acceptance or rejection of him contingent upon it: they asked him to bring down the Quran to them all at once, just as the Torah and the Gospel had been revealed. This was the height of wrongdoing and ignorance on their part. The Messenger is a human being, a servant under his Lord’s direction, and he has no control whatsoever over the matter. Rather, the entire affair belongs to Allah, who sends and reveals whatever He wills to His servants. Thus, after mentioning the miraculous signs that the polytheists demanded from Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Allah Most High said concerning the Messenger: “Say, ‘Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?’”

Likewise, their making the distinction between truth and falsehood depend merely upon whether the Book was revealed all at once or in separate portions was nothing but an assertion unsupported by evidence, relevance, or even a specious argument. Where is it found in the prophethood of any prophet that one should not believe or place trust in a messenger who brings a book revealed in separate portions?

On the contrary, the gradual revelation of this Quran in accordance with changing circumstances is among the indications of its greatness and of Allah’s care for the one to whom it was revealed. Allah Most High says: “Those who disbelieve say, ‘Why was the Quran not sent down to him all at once?’ Thus it was, so that We might strengthen your heart through it, and We recited it in measured stages. * They never bring you an argument without Our bringing you the truth and the best explanation.”

After mentioning their corrupt objection, Allah explained that such conduct was nothing unusual for them. They had already set shameful precedents in their dealings with the messenger in whom they claim to believe—precedents even graver than this. They asked him to let them see Allah with their own eyes, and they took the calf as a god to worship after witnessing with their own eyes signs such as no others had seen.

They also refused to accept the rulings of their own Book, the Torah, until the Mount was raised above their heads and they were threatened that it would be dropped upon them if they did not believe. They then accepted under reluctant acquiescence, with a faith resembling involuntary belief.

They also refused to enter the gates of the town as they had been commanded—prostrating themselves and seeking forgiveness—and disobeyed in both word and deed. Some among them transgressed the Sabbath, so Allah punished them with that dreadful punishment.

A solemn covenant was also taken from them, but they cast it behind their backs.