وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَى ٱلْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ ٤٤
28:44 | And you, [O Muḥammad], were not on the western side [of the mount] when We revealed to Moses the command, and you were not among the witnesses [to that].
وَلَـٰكِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَا قُرُونًۭا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْعُمُرُ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِيًۭا فِىٓ أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا وَلَـٰكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ٤٥
28:45 | But We produced [many] generations [after Moses], and prolonged was their duration. ¹ And you were not a resident among the people of Madyan, reciting to them Our verses, but We were senders [of this message]. ²
Footnote 28:45 (1):🅧
So they forgot and neglected the ordinances of Allāh.
Footnote 28:45 (2):🅧
The Prophet (ﷺ) had no way of obtaining this information except through Allāh's revelation.
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ ٱلطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَـٰكِن رَّحْمَةًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًۭا مَّآ أَتَىٰهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٦
28:46 | And you were not at the side of the mount when We called [Moses] but [were sent] as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner had come before you that they might be reminded.
وَلَوْلَآ أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لَوْلَآ أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًۭا فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَايَـٰتِكَ وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٤٧
28:47 | And if not that a disaster should strike them for what their hands put forth [of sins] and they would say, "Our Lord, why did You not send us a messenger so we could have followed Your verses and been among the believers?"... ¹
Footnote 28:47 (1):🅧
The conclusion of the sentence is understood to be "...We would not have sent messengers," meaning that Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) sent messengers and sent Muḥammad (ﷺ) with the final scripture to mankind so that no one could claim that punishment was imposed unjustly without warning.
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُوتِىَ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سِحْرَانِ تَظَـٰهَرَا وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِكُلٍّۢ كَـٰفِرُونَ ٤٨
28:48 | But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, "Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?" Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, "[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, ¹ and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers."
Footnote 28:48 (1):🅧
The reference is by the disbelievers of Quraysh to the Qur’ān and the Torah.
قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِكِتَـٰبٍۢ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ٤٩
28:49 | Say, "Then bring a scripture from Allāh which is more guiding than either of them that I may follow it, if you should be truthful."
فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَكَ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًۭى مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ٥٠
28:50 | But if they do not respond to you - then know that they only follow their [own] desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allāh? Indeed, Allāh does not guide the wrongdoing people.