Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:57-67 - Quran Translation Commentary

(43:63) When `Isa brought them clear proofs, he said, ‘I have brought you wisdom so as to make clear to you some of those things you are differing over.⁵⁸ Therefore, fear Allah and obey me.

(43:64) Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord. Therefore, worship Him. This is the straight path.’

(43:65) But the factions differed between themselves.⁵⁹ Woe then, unto those who did wrong from the chastisement of the painful day.

(43:66) Are they but waiting for the Hour, that it should come upon them on a sudden while they are unaware?

(43:67) Intimate friends that day will be foes to one another, but for the godfearing.

Commentary

53. The consensus of opinion among Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Dahhak and Suddi is that the term “yasiddun” means “yazijjun” (Ibn Jarir), which in turn means, “to scream, protest, and ridicule” (Au.).

54. That is, when `Isa (asws) was mentioned in the Qur’an, the Quraysh thought the Prophet was inviting them to the worship of Jesus, in confirmation of the Christian practice, so they protested, “is he better as a deity or Allah’s own daughters, the angels, whom we worship?” (Ibn Jarir in sum and substance).

In Yusuf Ali’s words: “Jesus was a man, and a prophet to the Children of Israel, ‘though his own received him not.’ Some of the churches that were founded after him worshiped him as ‘God’ and as ‘the son of God,’ as do the Trinitarian churches to the present day. The orthodox churches did so in the time of the holy Prophet. When the doctrine of Unity was renewed, and the false worship of others besides Allah was strictly prohibited, all false gods were condemned, e.g., at xxi.9##8. The pagan Arabs looked upon Jesus as being in the same category as their false gods, and could not see why a foreign cult, or a foreign god, as they viewed him, should be considered better than their own gods or idols. There was no substance in this, but mere mockery, and verbal quibbling. Jesus was one of the greater prophets: he was not a god, nor was he responsible for the quibbling subtleties of the Athanasian Creed.”

Qurtubi, (and Ibn Kathir from Ibn Is-haq), quote the following as the context of revelation: Once the Prophet presented his message to a group of Quraysh in the Grand Mosque. Ending with a threat, he left the assembly. `Abdullah b. al-Zab`ara said he knew how to non-plus the Prophet. He said, “Muhammad said that those that are worshiped besides Allah will be in the Fire. This means `Isa ibn Maryam, `Uzayr and other (virtuous men of the past) will be in the Fire.” The Quraysh were well-pleased with his words. But when they suggested this to the Prophet, he replied, “Whoever approved that he be worshiped will be in the Fire.”

55. Asad writes, “Objecting to the Qur’anic condemnation of their idolatrous worship of angels – whom they describe here as ‘our deities’ – the pagan Quraysh pointed to the parallel Christian worship of Jesus as ‘the son of God,’ and even as ‘god-incarnate,’ and argued more or less thus: ‘The Qur’an states that Jesus was purely human – and yet the Christians, whom the same Qur’an describes as “followers of earlier revelation” (ahl al-kitab) consider him divine. Hence, are we not rather justified in our worshiping of angels, who are certainly superior to a mere human being?’ The fallacy inherent in this ‘argument’ is disposed of in the sequence..

“Since the Qur’an condemns explicitly, and in many places, the deification of Jesus by the Christians, this unwarranted deification cannot be used as an argument in favor of the pagan worship of angels and, thus, against the Qur’an: in the words of Zamakhshari, such an argument amounts to ‘applying’ a false analogy.”

The following comes as an additional explanation of this verse,

عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ نَفَرًا كَانُوا جُلُوسًا بِبَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ اللَّهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ اللَّهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَسَمِعَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَخَرَجَ كَأَنَّمَا فُقِئَ فِي وَجْهِهِ حَبُّ الرُّمَّانِ فَقَالَ بِهَذَا أُمِرْتُمْ أَوْ بِهَذَا بُعِثْتُمْ أَنْ تَضْرِبُوا كِتَابَ اللَّهِ بَعْضَهُ بِبَعْضٍ إِنَّمَا ضَلَّتْ الْأُمَمُ قَبْلَكُمْ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا

(It is reported) that some people were squatting near the door of the Prophet (and discussing an issue), when someone said, “Didn’t Allah said this and this?” While another said, “Didn’t Allah say this and this?” The Prophet heard them, came out with a face which looked like a pomegranate had been squeezed on his face. He said, “Have you been ordered this?" Or he said, "Is this what you have been raised for, that you should strike a part of the Book with another? Nations before you lost their way in this manner.”

Another but sahih, hadith of the same nature is in Ahmed. It is as follows: Abu Umamah reports the Prophet as having said,

مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أُوتُوا الْجَدَلَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ

“No people lost the path after a guidance they were upon except that they were given contentions and disputations. Then the Prophet recited this verse: ‘They did not strike (the example for) you but (by way of) disputations, but rather they are an argumentative people’” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani).

56. This is how Ibn Jarir understands the meaning of “minkum” of the text. As Allah said elsewhere (6: 133),

إِنْ يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ مَا يَشَاءُ [الأنعام : 133]

“If He wished He could remove you and replace after you whomsoever He will.”

However, other commentators have expressed the possibility of a literal meaning of “minkum” meaning, '(angels born) out of you.'

57. The textual “`ilmun” has been understood as “`alamun” (a sign, insignia) by authorities like Ibn `Abbas; and the allusion is to his (`Isa ibn Maryam's) second coming which will take place before the end of the world. In fact, at one time some people had begun to recite the word as “`alamun;” but the reciters of the Holy Qur’an (qurra) gathered together over this issue and the unanimous opinion was that it is “`ilmun.” And so was the recitation of Ubay b. Ka`b (Ibn Jarir).

The Prophet has said in a well-known hadith of Muslim,

فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ فَيَنْزِلُ عِنْدَ الْمَنَارَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ شَرْقِىَّ دِمَشْقَ بَيْنَ مَهْرُودَتَيْنِ وَاضِعًا كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى أَجْنِحَةِ مَلَكَيْنِ إِذَا طَأْطَأَ رَأَسَهُ قَطَرَ وَإِذَا رَفَعَهُ تَحَدَّرَ مِنْهُ جُمَانٌ كَاللُّؤْلُؤِ فَلاَ يَحِلُّ لِكَافِرٍ يَجِدُ رِيحَ نَفَسِهِ إِلاَّ مَاتَ وَنَفَسُهُ يَنْتَهِى حَيْثُ يَنْتَهِى طَرْفُهُ فَيَطْلُبُهُ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَهُ بِبَابِ لُدٍّ فَيَقْتُلُه

“While he (Dajjal) will be in that (state) Allah will send down the Messiah, son of Maryam, by the white minaret in Eastern Dimashq, wearing two cloaks, with his hands across the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, it begins to drop down droplets (of water), and when he raises it, bead-like pearls scatter about. It would not be possible for an unbeliever that his breath reaches him but he does not die. And his breath will end where his sight ends. Then he will chase him (Dajjal) to the gates of Ludd and kill him” (Qurtubi).

58. That is, in many matters of religious importance (whether pertaining to beliefs, law or morals: Au.) the Israelites had differed between themselves. `Isa ibn Maryam was sent to clear those differences and show where lay the truth (Razi).

59. One opinion is that the allusion is to the differences between Jews and Christians, while another is that the reference is to the division between the Christians themselves who split into Nestorians (who said Jesus was a son of God), Jacobites (who said that he was God Himself), Malakites (who said he was third of the three), and so on (Razi, Qurtubi).

Majid adds: “(.. the pure religion of Jesus degenerated into gross idolatry). ‘During the fifth century the practice of introducing images into churches increased and in the sixth it had become prevalent. The common people, who had never been able to comprehend doctrinal mysteries, found their religious wants satisfied in turning to these effigies. With singular obtuseness, they believed that the saint is present in his image, though hundreds of the same kind were in existence, each having an equal and exclusive right to the spiritual presence. The doctrine of invocation of departed saints, which assumed prominence in the fifth century, was greatly strengthened by these graphic forms, had reappeared.’ (Draper, Intellectual Development of Europe, I. p. 413).”