Inconsistency of Context and Cause of Revelation in the Interpretation of the Verse of the Prophet's Desire
A group of Quranic commentators have claimed that the reason for the revelation of Surah Hajj, verse 52 (the "verse of the Prophet's Desire") was an incident in which Satan whispered words affirming the position of intercession of the idols worshipped by the polytheists, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was reciting the Quran. Upon discovering the source of these words, the Prophet became saddened and distressed. Subsequently, this verse was revealed, providing solace to the Prophet and informing him that Satan had also made insinuations to previous prophets, but Allah dispels these satanic insinuations and establishes His verses. This study aims to investigate the validity of the claim that Surah Hajj, verse 52 is connected to the aforementioned story. In this regard, an analysis of the textual context of the Surah reveals that the proposed connection is untenable. This is because there is a continuous context from verse 42 to 57, and verse 52 can only be understood within this context. According to the context, the Meccan polytheists were demanding the swift arrival of divine punishment and considered its delayed arrival as evidence of the ineffectiveness of Muhammad's prophethood. The Quran's response to them is that previous prophets also expressed a desire for the manifestation of God's fearsome signs, and in response to these desires, the devils cast doubts. However, punishment eventually came, and God's instructive signs were fulfilled, and the devils' doubts were dispelled.