وَإِن كَادُوا۟ لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِىَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُۥ ۖ وَإِذًا لَّٱتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا
10:16; 68:10.
Important Words:
عن (on account of). As a preposition it denotes transition, a compensation, superiority and a cause. It is synonymous with بand من and بعد denotes the meaning of فی etc. (Lane).
Commentary:
The verse means to say that disbelievers were determined to put the Holy Prophet to great hardship on account of the teachings which had been revealed to him so that they might compel him to alter them and devise others than those embodied in the Quran. But they failed in their purpose. This chapter was revealed when the Holy Prophet was about to leave for Medina. Disbelievers, having failed in all their evil designs to nip Islam in the bud, had made up their minds to make a last attempt to imprison the Holy Prophet, to expel him ignominiously from Mecca or in the last resort to kill him; but they failed in all their evil designs and plans. It is to these evil designs of disbelievers and their complete failure in carrying them out that reference has been made in this verse; and to take the verse to mean that the Prophet showed weakness in respect of his great Mission is obviously impossible. The verse thus refers to the designs and intentions of disbelievers with regard to the Holy Prophet and not to any actual or potential act of weakness on his part. The state of mind of disbelievers depicted in the words, then they would have certainly taken thee for a special friend, took concrete form when they once went in a deputation to the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Talib, and proposed to him that if his nephew would only refrain from criticizing their idols, they would make him their leader and chief. See also 8:31.
10:16; 68:10.
Disbelievers were determined to put the Holy Prophet to great hardship on account of the Teaching which had been revealed to him so that they might compel him to alter it and devise other than the one embodied in the Qur’an. It is to these evil designs of disbelievers and their complete failure in getting them carried out that reference has been made in this verse.