Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 31

31. And if there were a Qur’an by which mountains could be moved, or the earth traversed, or the dead could be made to speak [41], even then those who disbelieve would not believe. But all matters [42] are in Allah’s hands. Have not the believers yet despaired (of the disbelievers’ demand for signs)? For if Allah had willed, He could have guided all people. And disaster will continue to afflict the disbelievers because of what they do, or it will descend near their homes [43], until Allah’s promise comes to pass. Surely, Allah never fails in His promise.

[41]
Showing Physical Miracles is Useless:

The word ﴿قُطّعت﴾ has appeared, and "qata‘ arḍ" means to traverse a distance, and ﴿قَطّع﴾ means to break into pieces, to tear apart, or to split open, and all these meanings can be intended here. That is, distances would be traversed instantly, or the earth would be broken into pieces, or it would be split open. And in this verse, there is mention of the demands for physical miracles that the Quraysh used to make from time to time, for example: one, that the mountains surrounding Makkah be removed from here so that the land becomes spacious for us; second, that the earth should split and springs should gush forth from it so that our shortage of water is alleviated; third, that one of our dead ancestors should come back to life before us and confirm what you keep telling us about resurrection, then we will believe you. In response, Allah Almighty said that if there were any Quran by following which such events could occur, it would be this Quran. But even then, you people would not believe, and even if We showed you any of these miracles, you would still call it a feat of magic. You would still not believe.

[42] Upon the repeated demands of the disbelievers for such a physical miracle, sometimes this thought would arise in the hearts of some Muslims as well, that if Allah were to show such a miracle, it would be better; these disbelievers would believe, and our difficulties would also be reduced. Allah Almighty answered this by saying that in reality, showing such a miracle is the work of Allah alone, because all matters are under His authority and control. But the believers should remember that Allah has absolutely no intention of showing such a miracle. The reason for this was previously explained: that even if these disbelievers see such a miracle, they will not believe, rather their stubbornness will increase. And here, the answer is given that if the objective were that the disbelievers be compelled to believe after seeing such a miracle, then Allah has the power to compel them to believe even without showing such a miracle. But such faith has no value. Value only exists when a person, with freedom of will and understanding, believes by his own choice.

[43] If the word ﴿تَحُلُ﴾ is considered as a third person feminine singular verb, then its meaning is as explained above. And if it is considered as a second person masculine singular verb, then its meaning would be: "or you will descend near the houses of these disbelievers," and by this is meant the conquest of Makkah, as is also mentioned in ﴿وَاَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِ﴾. In this verse, the address is not only to the disbelievers of Makkah but to all disbelievers. And according to the first meaning, the calamities refer to famine, the crushing defeat of the disbelievers in the Battle of Badr, and other calamities, and Allah's promise refers to the conquest of Makkah, as a result of which the backbone of disbelief was broken. And if the second meaning is taken, then the calamity that befell near their houses refers to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which, in terms of its outcome, proved to be very bad for the disbelievers, and Allah's promise in any case refers to the conquest of Makkah.