26. The revelation of “And they say, ‘Why has no angel been sent down to him?’”

1. Sirat Ibn Hisham 459No grade recorded

   نُزُولُ وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ [ مَقَالَةُ زَمْعَةَ وَصَحْبِهِ وَنُزُولُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَدَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَوْمَهُ إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ. وَكَلَّمَهُمْ فَأَبْلَغَ إلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ ( لَهُ ) زَمَعَةُ بْنُ الْأَسْوَدِ، وَالنَّضْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَالْأَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ يَغُوثَ، وَأُبَيُّ بْنُ خَلَفٍ، وَالْعَاصُ بْنُ وَائِلٍ: لَوْ جُعِلَ مَعَكَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَلَكٌ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْكَ النَّاسَ وَيُرَى مَعَكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لا يُنْظَرُونَ وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْنَاهُ رَجُلًا وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يَلْبِسُونَ

   ✧ The revelation of 'And they said, Why has no angel been sent down to him?' [The statement of Zamʿah and his companions and the revelation of this verse] Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of God ﷺ called his people to Islam and spoke to them, conveying the message fully. Then Zamʿah b. al-Aswad, al-Naḍr b. al-Ḥārith, al-Aswad b. ʿAbd Yaghūth, Ubayy b. Khalaf, and al-ʿĀṣ b. Wāʾil said to him: 'If only an angel were sent with you, O Muḥammad, to speak to the people on your behalf and to be seen with you.' So God Most High revealed concerning their statement: 'And they said, Why has no angel been sent down to him? But if We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided, and then they would not be granted respite. And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him a man, and We would have confounded them in that which they are confounding.'