place, as in His words:

“Or have We sent down to them an authority that speaks in support of their associating partners with Him?”

And His words:

“for which Allah has sent down no authority.”

Ibn ‘Abbās said, “Every occurrence of ‘authority’ in the Quran means proof.” Al-Bukhārī cited this in his Sahīh.

In this surah, “Hā Mīm Ghāfir,” Allah has related instructive accounts of kings and scholars who opposed the messengers, whose statements, disputation, and arrogance resemble those of the philosophers and their scholars. For example, He says:

“Those who dispute concerning Allah’s signs without any authority having come to them have nothing in their hearts but a longing for greatness they will never attain.”

And He says:

“Have you not seen those who dispute concerning Allah’s signs? How are they turned away?”

“Those who deny the Book and what We sent Our messengers with will soon know,”

“when shackles and chains are around their necks, and they are dragged”

“through boiling water, then burned in the Fire.”

—up to His words—

“That is because you rejoiced on earth without right and because you were insolent.”

He concluded the surah with His words, Most High:

“When their messengers came to them with clear proofs, they rejoiced in the knowledge they possessed.”

The same is true of Surahs al-An‘ām and al-A‘rāf, most of the Meccan surahs, and a number of the Medinan surahs. They address these people, present them with parables and analogies, and recount their stories and the stories of the prophets and their followers in their dealings with them.

Thus He, glorified be He, said:

“We had certainly given them power such as We have not given you, and We gave them hearing, sight, and hearts. Yet they gained no benefit from