Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-35 [3], 36-45 [4], 46-56 [5], 57-67 [6], 68-89 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 26-35وَ اِذْAnd whenقَالَIbrahim saidاِبْرٰهِیْمُIbrahim saidلِاَبِیْهِto his fatherوَ قَوْمِهٖۤand his peopleاِنَّنِیْIndeed, I (am)بَرَآءٌdisassociatedمِّمَّاfrom whatتَعْبُدُوْنَۙyou worship اِلَّاExceptالَّذِیْthe One Whoفَطَرَنِیْcreated meفَاِنَّهٗand indeed Heسَیَهْدِیْنِ will guide me وَ جَعَلَهَاAnd he made itكَلِمَةًۢa wordبَاقِیَةًlastingفِیْamongعَقِبِهٖhis descendentsلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَرْجِعُوْنَ return بَلْNayمَتَّعْتُI gave enjoymentهٰۤؤُلَآءِ(to) theseوَ اٰبَآءَهُمْand their forefathersحَتّٰیuntilجَآءَهُمُcame to themالْحَقُّthe truthوَ رَسُوْلٌand a Messengerمُّبِیْنٌ clear وَ لَمَّاAnd whenجَآءَهُمُcame to themالْحَقُّthe truthقَالُوْاthey saidهٰذَاThisسِحْرٌ(is) magicوَّ اِنَّاand indeed weبِهٖof itكٰفِرُوْنَ (are) disbelievers وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayلَوْ لَاWhy notنُزِّلَwas sent downهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنُthe Quranعَلٰیtoرَجُلٍa manمِّنَfromالْقَرْیَتَیْنِthe two townsعَظِیْمٍ great اَهُمْDo theyیَقْسِمُوْنَdistributeرَحْمَتَ(the) Mercyرَبِّكَ ؕ(of) your LordنَحْنُWeقَسَمْنَا[We] distributeبَیْنَهُمْamong themمَّعِیْشَتَهُمْtheir livelihoodفِیinالْحَیٰوةِthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldوَ رَفَعْنَاand We raiseبَعْضَهُمْsome of themفَوْقَaboveبَعْضٍothersدَرَجٰتٍ(in) degreesلِّیَتَّخِذَso that may takeبَعْضُهُمْsome of themبَعْضًاothersسُخْرِیًّا ؕ(for) serviceوَ رَحْمَتُBut (the) Mercyرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordخَیْرٌ(is) betterمِّمَّاthan whatیَجْمَعُوْنَ they accumulate وَ لَوْ لَاۤAnd if notاَنْthatیَّكُوْنَ(would) becomeالنَّاسُ[the] mankindاُمَّةًa communityوَّاحِدَةًoneلَّجَعَلْنَاWe (would have) madeلِمَنْfor (one) whoیَّكْفُرُdisbelievesبِالرَّحْمٰنِin the Most Graciousلِبُیُوْتِهِمْfor their housesسُقُفًاroofsمِّنْofفِضَّةٍsilverوَّ مَعَارِجَand stairwaysعَلَیْهَاupon whichیَظْهَرُوْنَۙthey mount 43. Az-Zukhruf Page 492وَ لِبُیُوْتِهِمْAnd for their housesاَبْوَابًاdoorsوَّ سُرُرًاand couchesعَلَیْهَاupon whichیَتَّكِـُٔوْنَۙthey recline وَ زُخْرُفًا ؕAnd ornaments of goldوَ اِنْAnd not (is)كُلُّallذٰلِكَthatلَمَّاbutمَتَاعُan enjoymentالْحَیٰوةِ(of) the lifeالدُّنْیَا ؕ(of) the worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةُAnd the Hereafterعِنْدَwithرَبِّكَyour Lordلِلْمُتَّقِیْنَ۠(is) for the righteous

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Translation of Verse 26-35

(43:26) Call to mind when Abraham said to his father and his people:²⁴ “I totally disown all whom you serve

(43:27) except the One Who created me; and, behold, it is He Who will direct me to the Right Way.”²⁵

(43:28) And Abraham left behind this word²⁶ to endure among his posterity so that they may return to it.²⁷

(43:29) (Even when they began worshipping others than Allah We did not destroy them) but bestowed sustenance on them and on their forefathers until there came to them the Truth and a Messenger who clearly expounded things to them.²⁸

(43:30) And when the Truth came to them they said: “This is just sorcery²⁹ and we reject it.”

(43:31) They say: “Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon some great man from the two (main) cities?”³⁰

(43:32) Is it they who distribute the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who have distributed their livelihood among them in the life of this world, and have raised some above others in rank that some of them may harness others to their service.³¹ Your Lord's Mercy is better than all the treasures that they hoard.³²

(43:33) Were it not that all mankind would become a single community (and follow the same way), We would have provided for all those who disbelieve in the Merciful One silver roofs for their houses, and (silver) stairs on which to go up,

(43:34) and (silver) doors to their houses, and couches (of silver) upon which they would recline;³³

(43:35) or that they be made of gold. Surely all this is only the enjoyment of the life of the world. But (true prosperity) in the Hereafter with Your Lord is only for the God-fearing.

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Commentary

24. For a detailed discussion, see al-Baqarah 2: 124-33, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, pp. 111-15; al-An‘am 6, nn. 50-5, vol. II, pp. 245-53; Ibrahim 14, nn. 46-53, vol. IV, pp. 272-5; Maryam.19, nn. 26-7, vol. V, pp. 160-1; al-Anbiya’ 21, nn. 54-66, vol. V, pp. 272-81; al-Shu‘ara 26, nn. 50-62, vol. VIL, pp. 74-80; al-’Ankabut 29, nn. 26-46, vol. VIII, pp. 21-30; al-Saffat 37: 83-100 and nn, 44-55, vol, IX, pp. 296-300.

25. Thus the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) not only stated his belief, but also adduced an argument in support of it. The reason he disassociated himself from his ancestral deities was that they had neither created him nor provided him with the guidance he needed. Likewise, the reason for his being wholly devoted to the One True God was that He alone is the Creator, Who can and does guide man to the Straight Way.

26. In other words, none other than God deserves to be worshipped.

27. Whenever they deviated from the Straight Way this ‘word’ would be there to bring them back to it. This event is especially recounted to expose the disbelieving Quraysh’s irrational attitude. It was also recounted to put them to shame. For if they wanted to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors they should have chosen the role models of the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them). It is a pity that they chose instead the examples of their worst ancestors. It is pertinent to point out that the very basis of the Quraysh’s pre-eminence was their decadency from Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them) as also their custodianship of the Ka’bah, built by Abraham and Ishmael.

The Quraysh should have followed those Prophets rather than those of their forefathers who were immersed in ignorance, those who had abandoned the way of the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them) and had adopted polytheism from the idol-worshippers of the lands around them. Moreover, by mentioning this error another error of those people is also laid bare: had blind imitation of ancestors, without distinguishing between good and evil, been right, the Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) would himself have done so. The fact, however, is that he told his people that he could not follow their beliefs which were based on ignorance, beliefs because of which they had abandoned their Creator and made imaginary beings, who had not created them, their deities.

28. The Qur’anic expression rasul mubin can also signify that a Messenger whose Messenger ship was self-evident had appeared on the scene. His illustrious life, both before and after assuming Messenger ship, demonstrates that he is beyond doubt a true Messenger of God.

29. For further details, see al-Anbiya’ 21, n. 5, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, pp. 250-2; Sad 38, n. 5 above.

30. The two cities mean Makkah and Ta’if. The unbelievers contended that were God to send a Messenger, He would have chosen a leading person from either of these two main cities. On the contrary, he who was appointed to this office was an orphan, devoid of both wealth and worldly glory. As a youth, he had earned his livelihood as a shepherd.

Later, he engaged in trading and in this regard he drew upon the capital of his wife. Nor was he a tribal chief. Such eminent Makkan chiefs as Walid ibn al-Mughirah and ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah were, in their opinion, better suited for this position. Likewise, leading figures such as ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ud, Habib ibn ‘Amr, Kinanah ibn ‘Abd ‘Amr and Ibn ‘Abd Yalil flourished in Ta‘if. Initially, they were not even prepared to consider that a fellow human being could be God’s Messenger.

The Qur’an, however, refuted their baseless contentions by stressing that all along it is humans who have been God’s Messengers, as it is they alone who can serve as guides to their fellow human beings. It is also affirmed that these Messengers did not abruptly descend from the sky. Rather, they were born like other humans and were brought up in their respective communities; they too walked about in the markets and enjoyed family lives and needed food and drink to sustain them. (See al-Nahl 16: 43; Bani Isra’il 17: 94-95; Yusuf 12: 109, al-Furqan 25: 7 and 20, al-Anbiya ‘21: 7-8 and al-Ra’d 13: 38.) In response to the Qur’anic argument ' the unbelievers said that some prominent person who commanded a large band of followers among them and inspired awe in such people should have been made God’s Messenger. According to their view, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (peace be on him), was not suited for that office.

31. This is the Qur’anic response to their objection. Here, a number of important points are succinctly brought out: (1) It is God’s right to decide to whom He grants a portion of His Mercy and to whom He does not. If this is not the case, one might ask, is it the prerogative of humans to decide who should receive a certain portion of God’s Mercy and who should not? (God’s Mercy here signifies that universal, encompassing Mercy in which everyone necessarily has a share.) (2) Let alone designation to God’s Messenger ship, even the bestowal of daily sustenance lies in God’s Hand. It is God Who causes the birth of humans of all types: beautiful and ugly, strong and weak, those with a sweet and others with an offensive voice, the intelligent and the dull-witted, and the rich and the poor. He grants some a retentive memory and makes others prone to forgetfulness. He grants some sound limbs and makes others crippled from birth. He causes some to be born among a developed and others among a backward people. No one other than God has any role in deciding such matters about human beings. They are, therefore, bound to live with the characteristics with which they were born. Again, it is God Who bestows on people sustenance, power, honor, fame, wealth and political authority. No one can interfere in God’s decisions on these matters. Those whom God causes to rise can never suffer a fall because of the machinations of others.

As for those about whom God decides that they shall encounter a fall, none can ever avert this. For all human efforts ultimately prove in vain against God’s decisions.

In a realm so exclusively and firmly in God’s control, it seems that some people like to arrogate to themselves the right to decide on God’s behalf on a matter so vital as to who should be appointed His Messenger.

(3) God does not bestow all endowments upon a single individual.

One notes a striking difference between various people in this regard. Some are granted a particular endowment while others do not share this. As a result, human beings are interdependent.

Given this, they should not foolishly think that an elite of their community, which has already been given political power and worldly glory, should also be endowed with the office of God’s Messenger ship. Their demand to combine all excellent qualities and privileges in one single person cannot be entertained.

Likewise, there is nothing odd in the fact that some people have not received a combination of excellence in intellect, knowledge, wealth, physical attractiveness, power and prestige.

32. God’s Mercy here specifically means the Mercy of Messenger ship.

The Qur’an here clearly points out that the Quraysh chiefs, whom the Makkans respected for their affluence and exalted rank, are unworthy of the august office of Messenger ship. Compared to other positions, there is a different criterion for appointing people to the elevated office of God’s Messenger ship, for this is an office that requires the highest qualities. It is not for every powerful tribal chief or opulent tycoon to hold such august office. The contrary view held by the Quraysh simply shows how very low the standards they had set up for appointment to God’s Messenger ship were or else they would not have thought of their chiefs in this regard. As for God, they should not expect Him to follow such an unwise course.

33. For the Prophet's detractors, wealth represented the very zenith of all bounties, the climax of all that deserves to be cherished. God, however, attaches scant importance to it. Had it not been feared that men would be a drawn towards unbelief, God would have granted all unbelievers houses 3 of gold and silver. Wealth is no index of a person’s moral or spiritual excellence. This is evident from the fact that many wicked people, whose rotten stench engulfs a whole society, are wealthy. Hence, it is foolish to regard wealth as a sign of someone’s greatness.