Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 53

(Ayah 53) ➊ {وَ يَسْتَنْۢبِـُٔوْنَكَ اَحَقٌّ هُوَ … : ’’ نَبَأٌ ‘‘} refers to news of great importance. (Raghib) {’’ يَسْتَنْبِـُٔوْنَ‘‘ ’’ نَبَأٌ‘‘} from the form "istif‘al" is for seeking. When the disbelievers were given the aforementioned answer to their question {’’ مَتٰي هٰذَا الْوَعْدُ ‘‘}, they again again asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this context {’’ اَحَقٌّ هُوَ ‘‘} Is this really true, or are we merely being frightened? Since the disbelievers, due to their denial of the Resurrection and the clear arguments of the Qur’an regarding its establishment, were in severe anxiety and distress about whether to accept it or not, Allah Almighty, in response to them, combined several words of emphasis to assure them and said {’’ قُلْ ‘‘} Say to them: The meaning of {اِيْ وَ رَبِّيْۤ اِنَّهٗ لَحَقٌّ ’’ اِيْ‘‘} is {’’ نَعَمْ ‘‘ } that is, yes, but it always comes with an oath, then {’’إِنَّ‘‘ } is for emphasis, then there is the lām of emphasis, that yes, by my Lord, I swear! Indeed, this is certainly the truth. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, there are only two other verses like this in the Qur’an, in which Allah Almighty commanded to swear when addressing the deniers of the Hereafter. The first verse: «{ وَ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَا تَاْتِيْنَا السَّاعَةُ قُلْ بَلٰى وَ رَبِّيْ لَتَاْتِيَنَّكُم}» [ سبا : ۳ ] The second verse: «{ زَعَمَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا اَنْ لَّنْ يُّبْعَثُوْاقُلْ بَلٰى وَ رَبِّيْ لَتُبْعَثُنَّ }» [التغابن : ۷ ]

➋ {وَ مَاۤ اَنْتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِيْنَ :} Due to the presence of "bā’", it has been translated as "never" for emphasis of negation, meaning you can never escape from Our punishment so as to render Us powerless to seize you, nor can you in any way prevent it.