If only a sign from his Lord had been sent down to him. They did not acknowledge the signs sent down to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, out of obstinacy. They proposed signs similar to those of Moses and Jesus, such as turning the staff into a serpent and raising the dead. It was said to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: You are merely a man sent as a warner and a fearer for them of a bad outcome, and a counselor like other messengers. What is upon you is only to bring forth what proves that you are a warner. The validity of that is achieved by any sign that is sent down. All signs are equal in establishing the truth of the call; there is no difference between them. The One who has everything in measure gives each prophet a sign according to what His knowledge of the interests requires and His estimation of them. For every people, there is a guide from the prophets who guides them to the religion and calls them to Allah in a way of guidance, with a sign that is specific to them. He did not make the prophets one single law. Another interpretation is that they deny that what has been sent down to you are signs and they are obstinate. So do not let that concern you; you are only a warner. What is upon you is only to warn, not to establish faith in their hearts, and you are not capable of that. For every people, there is a guide who is capable of guiding them through compulsion, and that is Allah, the Exalted. Indeed, what he followed with the mention of the signs of His knowledge and His estimation of things indicates the decree of His wisdom that giving every warner signs different from those of others is a matter managed by precise knowledge and determined by divine wisdom. If He had known that responding to their proposal would bring about good and benefit, He would have answered them. As for the second interpretation, it indicates that He, with this power and this knowledge, is the only one capable of guiding them, knowing which way will guide them, and there is no way to that for anyone else.