Verses 24–35
43. Az-Zukhruf · Ornaments of gold
Makkan89 verses
۞ قَٰلَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُم بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ
43:24He would say, ‘What! Even if I bring you a better guidance than what you found your fathers following?!’ They would say, ‘We indeed disbelieve in what you are sent with.’
فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
43:25Thereupon We took vengeance on them; so observe how was the fate of the deniers.
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌۭ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ
43:26When Abraham said to his father and his people, ‘I repudiate what you worship,1
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُۥ سَيَهْدِينِ
43:27excepting Him who originated me; indeed He will guide me.’
وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةًۢ بَاقِيَةًۭ فِى عَقِبِهِۦ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
43:28He made it a lasting word among his posterity so that they may come back [to the right path].*
بَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
43:29Indeed, I provided for these and their fathers until the truth and a manifest apostle came to them.
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ قَالُوا۟ هَٰذَا سِحْرٌۭ وَإِنَّا بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ
43:30But when the truth came to them, they said, ‘This is magic, and we indeed disbelieve in it.’
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ
43:31And they said, ‘Why was not this Quran sent down to some great man from the two cities?’2
أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍۢ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًۭا سُخْرِيًّۭا ۗ وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌۭ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
43:32Is it they who dispense the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have dispensed among them their livelihood in the present life, and raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service, and your Lord’s mercy is better than what they amass.3
وَلَوْلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفًۭا مِّن فِضَّةٍۢ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ
43:33Were it not [for the danger] that mankind would be one community, We would have made for those who defy the All-beneficent, silver roofs for their houses and [silver] stairways by which they ascend,
وَلِبُيُوتِهِمْ أَبْوَٰبًۭا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِـُٔونَ
43:34and [silver] doors for their houses and [silver] couches on which they recline,4
وَزُخْرُفًۭا ۚ وَإِن كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
43:35and ornaments of gold; yet all that would be nothing but the wares of the life of this world, and the Hereafter is for the Godwary near your Lord.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 29
1.Allamah Ismail Haqqi has quoted in Tafseer Ruhul Bayan that Ibrahim’s (a.s.) attempts succeeded and Allah settled many people who were the bearer of Allah’s oneness. According to tradition when Ali (a.s.) was in the womb of his mother, Fatima Binte Asad and she wanted to prostrate to idols, Ali (a.s.) prevented her. For this reason he is called Karamullah. Traditions say that Ali (a.s.) was doing his duty to guide even from the womb of his mother and he could not tolerate idol worship even at that time. It is amazing how people selected leaders who were idol worshippers for a long time. Now, as far the tradition of Fatima Binte Asad’s idolatry is concerned it is absolutely false.
Verse 32
2.The infidels demanded that Quran should have been revealed to Walid Bin Mughaira of Mecca and Arwa Bin Masood Thaqati of Taif because they were wealthy persons. Allah clarified that nobody has a right to interfere regarding Allah’s majesty and it has no concern with wealth. The infidels might be better than the believers with regard to wealth but We did not give the believers more so that they would not go astray. Be it known that inclination to wealth continues in every era. The only difference is that this inclination was in hypocrites of Quraysh and today this is seen in Muslims and there are so many Muslims who have made the wealth and grandeur their standard and their desire is that Allah and Prophet should discuss with before doing anything and if they could not reach till Allah, Prophets and Imams, they tell jurists that they should not give a legal opinion without discussing with them. This is the part of the ignorance of the past that still remains in some religions.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
The word Baraa is the infinitive which is used for all, singular, dual, plural and masculine and feminine.
Benefit
In the 28th ayat the pronoun is for appointment of Imamat and guidance which is indicated in the word ‘Sayahdeen’ and it is also a necessary part of the Kalima of Tawheed.
- 2
Both cities imply Mecca and Taif and here one word is reduced. That is from one of the two cities because no one can be from both the cities.
- 3
The word Sakkharya is derived from Tashkheer that is to split each other to use it. Otherwise if everyone gets the same ability the system of the world would decay and no one would work for anyone else. As mentioned in some traditions that the survival of the Universe is depends on differences of classes and capabilities otherwise if everyone is of same class, the world would be destroyed. The presence of classes is in all cases necessary. It is another thing that classes are required to run the system and not the basis of superiority and piety without whom no one can be respectable and worthy. In other words these classes and divisions are the result of the difference of the human capabilities. Creation of the classes on basis of capabilities and to make it work for the system. This is actual wisdom and justice.
- 4
Surar and Asarra. They both are plurals of Sareer which means Takth (Throne) and Zukhruf are common ornaments but mostly they imply gold ornaments.