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wa-ʾin kāna kabura ʿalayka ʾiʿrāḍuhum fa-ʾini staṭaʿta ʾan tabtaghiya nafaqan fī l-ʾarḍi ʾaw sullaman fī s-samāʾi fa-taʾtiyahum bi-ʾāyatin wa-law shāʾa llāhu la-jamaʿahum ʿalā l-hudā fa-lā takūnanna mina l-jāhilīna
And should their aversion be hard on you, find, if you can, a tunnel into the ground, or a ladder into sky, that you may bring them a sign. Had Allah wished, He would have brought them together on guidance. So do not be one of the ignorant.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-‘An’am, Verse 35
35. "And if their turning away is hard upon you, then if you can seek a hole into the earth, or a ladder to heaven, so that you bring them a sign (they will not believe); and had Allah willed, He would have gathered them all to the guidance; so be not you of the ignorants."
The occasion of revelation of this verse indicates that pagans told the Messenger of Allah (S) that they would not believe in him unless he could make an opening in the earth so that a spring should gush for them, or he could climb up the sky: And they say:
Haply, the verse points to the kind of their inappropriate requests that even if he seeks a hole in the earth or climbs up a ladder unto the sky, confronting himself with difficulties, it will be useless in this regard. There is no deficiency in the Prophet's invitation, but these people are arrogant and obstinate. So, he ought not sympathize with them so much for guiding them.
"And if their turning away is hard upon you, then if you can seek a hole into the earth, or a ladder to heaven, so that you bring them a sign (they will not believe)....."
Yet, in order that no one imagines that Allah is not able to make them surrendered, the Qur'an immediately continues saying:
But it is clear that such a forceful faith is vain. The creation of humankind is for the purpose of a development that is based on authority and free-will. It is only in the situation of free-will that the value of 'believers' comparing with 'disbelievers', and 'good doers' compared with 'evil-doers' is recognized. Then, the verse says:
This holy concluding phrase means that the Prophet (S) should not be restless so that he might lose patience and perseverance. He ought not to be worried about them more than the required measure because of their infidelity and polytheism, but he ought to know that the right way is the same one that he paves. No doubt the Prophet (S) was aware of these facts, but the Lord, as a remembrance and in order to comfort His Prophet (S), tells him these matters.