سورة الإسراء

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal narrates: Imam Rida (peace be upon him) said: The first thing that Allah created so that He might make it known to His creation was the writing of the letters of the alphabet ... Allah revealed this Quran with these letters that were current among all the Arabs, and then He said: قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَ الْجِنُّ عَلی أَنْ یَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هذَا الْقُرْآنِ لایَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَ لَوْ کانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِیراً [Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others].

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): That is the Book of great majesty, there is no doubt in it, it is a guide for the pious. (Al-Baqarah/2) The Quraysh and the Jews denied the Quran and said: "It is magic which he has fabricated himself." Allah says: الم ذلِکَ الْکِتابُ [Alif Lam Mim. That is the Book], [O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)] this Book which We have sent down upon you is composed of these same individual letters such as Alif, Lam, Mim, and it is in your mother tongue, and these are the very basic letters of your language. If you speak the truth, bring the like of it; you may seek help for this task from other like-minded people of yours. Then Allah, by means of this verse, announces that they do not have the power to bring the like of the Quran: قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَ الْجِنُّ عَلى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هذَا الْقُرْآنِ لايَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَ لَوْ کانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِیراً [Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others].

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: "فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا [But if you do not do it]; that is, O you who dispute with the proofs of the Lord of the worlds, if you do not bring it! وَ لَنْ تَفْعَلُوا [and you will never do it]; that is, you will never be able to do such a thing. فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِی وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَ الْحِجَارَةُ [Then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is men and stones]; that is, the firewood of that Fire is men and stones, it blazes up and torments the people of Hell, which has been prepared for the disbelievers!" (Al-Baqarah/24) Those who consider the word of Allah and His Prophet to be false and kindle the fire of enmity with Imam Ali (peace be upon him), his wali and his wasi. So know that you are incapable of bringing such a surah, because this Book is from Allah the Exalted, and if it were from His creatures you would have had the strength to contend with it. After they became incapable in the face of the Quran's rebuke and its challenge, Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَ الْجِنُّ عَلى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هذَا الْقُرْآنِ لايَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَ لَوْ کانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِیراً [Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn Abi al-Awja' and two or three other men from the naturalists (Dahriyyun) agreed with each other that each of them would write a quarter against the Quran from himself. They gathered in Mecca and it was agreed that the next year they would bring their writings to this same place. The following year they gathered at Maqam Ibrahim (peace be upon him). One of them said: "When I reached this verse: 'O earth, swallow your water! And O sky, hold back! And the water subsided.' (Hud/44) I gave up the contest." Another said: "When I reached this verse: 'When [the brothers] despaired of him, they went aside conferring privately.' (Yusuf/80) I too despaired of the contest." They were saying these things quietly so that no one would notice. Just at that moment Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) passed by and recited this verse: قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَ الْجِنُّ عَلى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هذَا الْقُرْآنِ لا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ [Say: If men and jinn should combine together to bring the like of this Quran, they could not bring the like of it]. On hearing this verse from the tongue of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) they were astounded.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Imam Rida (peace be upon him) mentioned the Quran and magnified the Quranic proofs and its verses and the miraculous nature of its composition.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): ظَهِیراً means supporter and helper.