Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 32

(Ayah 32) {وَ اِذْ قَالُوا اللّٰهُمَّ اِنْ كَانَ هٰذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ … :} This verse is an example of how, when a person becomes obstinate in opposition and intense enmity, he does not even consider how much harm he is causing himself by what he is saying or doing. Now look at the ignorant disbelievers of Makkah: instead of praying to Allah, "O Allah! If this religion is true and from You, then grant us the ability to accept it," in their enmity towards the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they said, "O Allah! If this religion is truly from You and is the truth, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or bring upon us a painful punishment." In their minds, they must have thought they were saying something very wise, but this became, until the Day of Judgment, a proof of their foolishness and ignorance and a cause of disgrace for them. The Qur'an mentions their repeated demands for punishment in several places. See Surah Al-Ankabut (53), Surah Sad (16), and Al-Ma'arij (1-3). In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that this demand was made by Abu Jahl. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب : « و إذ قالوا اللہم إن کان ھذا… » : ۴۶۴۸ ] Since everyone else approved of it, it was attributed to all of them. In Al-Tafsir Al-Wasit, Sayyid Tantawi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote an incident for which he did not mention the chain of narration (and Allah knows best), but the incident is interesting and instructive; even if it is not established by chain, the point remains correct. Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to a man from the people of Saba (the people of Yemen): "How ignorant your people were that they made a woman their ruler." He replied: "Your people were more ignorant than mine, for in response to the call of truth from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they said: «{ اللّٰهُمَّ اِنْ كَانَ هٰذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَاَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ اَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ اَلِيْمٍ }» 'O Allah! If this alone is the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky, or bring upon us another painful punishment,' but they did not say, 'O Allah! If this is the truth, then grant us guidance for it.'"

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

32. And (remember) when the disbelievers said: "O Allah! If this (religion) is indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring upon us a painful punishment." [33]

[33]
Abu Jahl’s Demand for Punishment:

This statement was made by Abu Jahl, and he said it mockingly, and he said it in the hearing of the Muslims. What he meant was that if these Muslims are truthful, then as much pain and suffering as we are causing them, in retribution for that, punishment from the sky should have descended upon us by now. And since that punishment has not descended upon us until today, therefore the religion of the Muslims is false and it cannot be from Allah. One answer to Abu Jahl’s supplication has already passed earlier in this surah, where Allah Almighty addressed the disbelievers and said that before (the Battle of Badr) you used to pray for a decision between truth and falsehood. So now, in the form of the Battle of Badr, My decision has become known to you, and if you desist even now, it is better for you, and if you do not desist, then I will punish you again in the same way. And the second answer is mentioned in the next verse.