Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Hafiz Ibn KathirThe Idolators ask for a Miracle
Allah states that out of their disbelief and stubbornness, the idolators asked why is not a miracle sent down to the Messenger from his Lord, just like the earlier Messengers For instance, the disbelievers were being stubborn when they asked the Prophet to turn As-Safa into gold, to remove the mountains from around them, and to replace them with green fields and rivers. Allah said,وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالاٌّيَـتِ إِلاَّ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ(And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them.)17:59 Allah said here,إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ(You are only a warner), and your duty is only to convey Allah's Message which He has ordered you,لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills.)2:272 Allah said;وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ(And to every people there is a guide.) meaning that for every people there has been a caller, according to Ibn `Abbas and as narrated from him by Ali bin Abi Talhah.
Allah said in a similar Ayah, aوَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلاَ فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.)35:24 Similar has reported from Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd.اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى وَمَا تَغِيضُ الاٌّرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ عِندَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ - عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ