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43. Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments Of Gold, Luxury)
33. And were it not that all mankind would have become of one community (all disbelievers, desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Beneficent (Allâh), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators (and stair-ways, etc. of silver) whereby they ascend,
34. And for their houses, doors (of silver), and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline,
35. And adornments of gold. Yet all this (i.e. the roofs, doors, stairs, elevators, thrones etc. of their houses) would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is only for the Muttaqûn.
36. And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allâh) (i.e. this Qur'ân and worship of Allâh), We appoint for him Shaitân (Satan * devil) to be a Qarîn (an intimate companion) to him.
37. And verily, they (Satans / devils) hinder them from the Path (of Allâh), but they think that they are guided aright!
38. Till, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says [to his Qarîn (Satan / devil companion)] "Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts (or the east and west)" a worst (type of) companion (indeed)!
39. It will profit you not this Day (O you who turn away from Allâh's remembrance and His worship, etc.) as you did wrong, (and) that you will be sharers (you and your Qarîn) in the punishment.
40. Can you (O Muhammad SAW) make the deaf to hear, or can you guide the blind or him who is in manifest error?
41. And even if We take you (O Muhammad SAW) away, We shall indeed take vengeance on them.
42. Or (if) We show you that wherewith We threaten them, then verily, We have perfect command over them.
43. So hold you (O Muhammad SAW) fast to that which is inspired in you. Verily, you are on a Straight Path.
Name
It is derived from the word zukhruf-an which occurs in verse 33 ofthis Surah.
Period of Revelation
It could not be known from any authentic tradition, but a study of itssubject matter shows that this Surah also was sent down in the sameperiod in which the Surahs Al-Mumin, As-Sajdah and Ash-Shura, were sentdown. It appears that the revelation of this series of the Surahs beganwhen the disbelievers of Makkah were planning to put an end to theHoly Prophet's life. Day and night they were holding consultations intheir assemblies as how to eliminate him, and even an attack on hislife also had been made as has been clearly referred to in vv. 79-80.
Theme and Topics
In this Surah a forceful and severe criticism has been made of theQuraish and the common Arabs creeds and superstitions of ignorance inwhich they persisted, and their stubbornness has been exposed in afirm and effective way, so that every member of the society, who wasreasonable in some degree, should be made to consider the evils inwhich the community was involved and its tyrannical treatment of theperson who was trying to redeem it.
The discourse starts in a way asif to say: "You, by means of your mischiefs, want that the revelationof this Book should be stopped, but Allah has never withheld theappointment of His Prophets and the revelation of His Books because ofthe mischief of the people, but has destroyed the wicked people, whoobstructed the way of His guidance. The same He will do again. Alittle further in vv. 41-43 and 79-80 the same thing has beenreiterated. Though the people who were plotting against his life aremeant, the Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "whether youremain alive or not, We will certainly punish the wicked," and thepeople themselves have been plainly warned to the effect: "If you havedecided to take an action against Our Prophet, We too will take adecisive action."
Then, it has been told what is the reality of thereligion that the people are following so devotedly and what are thearguments on whose strength they are resisting Muhammad (upon whom beAllah's peace and Blessings).
They themselves admit that the Creatorof the earth and heavens and of themselves and their deities is onlyAllah. They also know and admit that the blessings they are benefitingfrom, have been bestowed by Allah; yet they insist on making othersassociates of Allah in His Godhead.
They regard the servants as thechildren of Allah, and that too daughters, whom they regard asdisgraceful for themselves.
They believe that the angels aregoddesses; they have carved their images as females; they adorn themwith female dresses and ornaments, and call them daughters of Allah:they worship them and invoke them for the fulfillment of their needs.How did they know that the angels were female?
When they are rebukedfor these superstitions, they present the pretense of destiny and say:"Had Allah disapproved of these our practices, we could not haveworshiped these images, whereas the means of finding out whetherAllah had approved of something or not, are His Books and not thosethings which are happening in the world according to His Will. Forunder His Will not only idol worship but crimes like theft andadultery, robbery. murder, etc. also are being committed. Can thisargument be used to justify as right and proper this commission ofevery crime and evil is the world?
When it is asked: Have you any otherauthority, apart from this wrong argument, for the polytheism ofyours?They reply, "The same has been the practice since the time ofour forefathers." In other words, this in their opinion is a strongenough argument for a creed's being right and true, whereas theProphet Abraham, descent from whom is the only basis of their prideand distinction, had rejected the religion of his elders and left hishome, and he had discarded every such blind imitation of hisforefathers, which did not have the support of any rational argument.Then, if these people had to follow their elders only, for this alsothey selected their most ignorant elders and abandoned their mostillustrious elders like the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (on whom bepeace).
When they are asked: "Has ever a Prophet or a Book sent downby God also given this teaching that others beside Allah too areworthy of worship? they present this practice of the Christians as anargument that they took Jesus son of Mary as son of God and worshipedhim; whereas the question was not this whether the community of aProphet had committed shirk or not, but this whether a Prophet hadhimself taught shirk. Jesus son of Mary had never said that he was sonof God and that the people should worship him. His own was the sameteaching which every other Prophet had given "My Lord as well as yourLord is Allah: so worship Him alone."
They were disinclined to believein the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet because he was neither a richman nor a person of high worldly position and rank. They said "HadAllah willed to appoint a prophet among us, He would have appointedone of the great men of' our two cities (Makkah and Taif). On thatvery basis, Pharaoh also had looked down upon the Prophet Moses andsaid: "If Allah, the King of the heavens, had to send a messenger tome, the king of the earth, He would have sent him with bracelets ofgold and a company of angels in attendance. Wherefrom has thismendicant appeared I am superior to him, for the kingdom of Egyptbelongs to me, and the canals of the River Nile are flowing under mycontrol. What is the status of this man as against me? He has neitherwealth nor authority."
Thus, after criticizing each practice ofignorance of the disbelievers and rejecting it with rational arguments,it has been pointed out: "Neither has God any offspring, nor are thereseparate gods of the earth and heavens, nor is there any intercessorwho may be able to protect from His punishment those who adoptdeviation knowingly. Allah is far above this that He should havechildren. He alone is the God of the whole Universe: all others areHis servants and not associates in His attributes and powers, and onlysuch men can intercede with Him, who are themselves followers of theTruth and they also can intercede only for those who may have adoptedobedience of the Truth in the world."
34. And for their houses, doors (of silver), and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline,
35. And adornments of gold. Yet all this (i.e. the roofs, doors, stairs, elevators, thrones etc. of their houses) would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is only for the Muttaqûn.
36. And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allâh) (i.e. this Qur'ân and worship of Allâh), We appoint for him Shaitân (Satan * devil) to be a Qarîn (an intimate companion) to him.
37. And verily, they (Satans / devils) hinder them from the Path (of Allâh), but they think that they are guided aright!
38. Till, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says [to his Qarîn (Satan / devil companion)] "Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts (or the east and west)" a worst (type of) companion (indeed)!
39. It will profit you not this Day (O you who turn away from Allâh's remembrance and His worship, etc.) as you did wrong, (and) that you will be sharers (you and your Qarîn) in the punishment.
40. Can you (O Muhammad SAW) make the deaf to hear, or can you guide the blind or him who is in manifest error?
41. And even if We take you (O Muhammad SAW) away, We shall indeed take vengeance on them.
42. Or (if) We show you that wherewith We threaten them, then verily, We have perfect command over them.
43. So hold you (O Muhammad SAW) fast to that which is inspired in you. Verily, you are on a Straight Path.
Name
It is derived from the word zukhruf-an which occurs in verse 33 ofthis Surah.
Period of Revelation
It could not be known from any authentic tradition, but a study of itssubject matter shows that this Surah also was sent down in the sameperiod in which the Surahs Al-Mumin, As-Sajdah and Ash-Shura, were sentdown. It appears that the revelation of this series of the Surahs beganwhen the disbelievers of Makkah were planning to put an end to theHoly Prophet's life. Day and night they were holding consultations intheir assemblies as how to eliminate him, and even an attack on hislife also had been made as has been clearly referred to in vv. 79-80.
Theme and Topics
In this Surah a forceful and severe criticism has been made of theQuraish and the common Arabs creeds and superstitions of ignorance inwhich they persisted, and their stubbornness has been exposed in afirm and effective way, so that every member of the society, who wasreasonable in some degree, should be made to consider the evils inwhich the community was involved and its tyrannical treatment of theperson who was trying to redeem it.
The discourse starts in a way asif to say: "You, by means of your mischiefs, want that the revelationof this Book should be stopped, but Allah has never withheld theappointment of His Prophets and the revelation of His Books because ofthe mischief of the people, but has destroyed the wicked people, whoobstructed the way of His guidance. The same He will do again. Alittle further in vv. 41-43 and 79-80 the same thing has beenreiterated. Though the people who were plotting against his life aremeant, the Holy Prophet has been addressed to the effect: "whether youremain alive or not, We will certainly punish the wicked," and thepeople themselves have been plainly warned to the effect: "If you havedecided to take an action against Our Prophet, We too will take adecisive action."
Then, it has been told what is the reality of thereligion that the people are following so devotedly and what are thearguments on whose strength they are resisting Muhammad (upon whom beAllah's peace and Blessings).
They themselves admit that the Creatorof the earth and heavens and of themselves and their deities is onlyAllah. They also know and admit that the blessings they are benefitingfrom, have been bestowed by Allah; yet they insist on making othersassociates of Allah in His Godhead.
They regard the servants as thechildren of Allah, and that too daughters, whom they regard asdisgraceful for themselves.
They believe that the angels aregoddesses; they have carved their images as females; they adorn themwith female dresses and ornaments, and call them daughters of Allah:they worship them and invoke them for the fulfillment of their needs.How did they know that the angels were female?
When they are rebukedfor these superstitions, they present the pretense of destiny and say:"Had Allah disapproved of these our practices, we could not haveworshiped these images, whereas the means of finding out whetherAllah had approved of something or not, are His Books and not thosethings which are happening in the world according to His Will. Forunder His Will not only idol worship but crimes like theft andadultery, robbery. murder, etc. also are being committed. Can thisargument be used to justify as right and proper this commission ofevery crime and evil is the world?
When it is asked: Have you any otherauthority, apart from this wrong argument, for the polytheism ofyours?They reply, "The same has been the practice since the time ofour forefathers." In other words, this in their opinion is a strongenough argument for a creed's being right and true, whereas theProphet Abraham, descent from whom is the only basis of their prideand distinction, had rejected the religion of his elders and left hishome, and he had discarded every such blind imitation of hisforefathers, which did not have the support of any rational argument.Then, if these people had to follow their elders only, for this alsothey selected their most ignorant elders and abandoned their mostillustrious elders like the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael (on whom bepeace).
When they are asked: "Has ever a Prophet or a Book sent downby God also given this teaching that others beside Allah too areworthy of worship? they present this practice of the Christians as anargument that they took Jesus son of Mary as son of God and worshipedhim; whereas the question was not this whether the community of aProphet had committed shirk or not, but this whether a Prophet hadhimself taught shirk. Jesus son of Mary had never said that he was sonof God and that the people should worship him. His own was the sameteaching which every other Prophet had given "My Lord as well as yourLord is Allah: so worship Him alone."
They were disinclined to believein the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet because he was neither a richman nor a person of high worldly position and rank. They said "HadAllah willed to appoint a prophet among us, He would have appointedone of the great men of' our two cities (Makkah and Taif). On thatvery basis, Pharaoh also had looked down upon the Prophet Moses andsaid: "If Allah, the King of the heavens, had to send a messenger tome, the king of the earth, He would have sent him with bracelets ofgold and a company of angels in attendance. Wherefrom has thismendicant appeared I am superior to him, for the kingdom of Egyptbelongs to me, and the canals of the River Nile are flowing under mycontrol. What is the status of this man as against me? He has neitherwealth nor authority."
Thus, after criticizing each practice ofignorance of the disbelievers and rejecting it with rational arguments,it has been pointed out: "Neither has God any offspring, nor are thereseparate gods of the earth and heavens, nor is there any intercessorwho may be able to protect from His punishment those who adoptdeviation knowingly. Allah is far above this that He should havechildren. He alone is the God of the whole Universe: all others areHis servants and not associates in His attributes and powers, and onlysuch men can intercede with Him, who are themselves followers of theTruth and they also can intercede only for those who may have adoptedobedience of the Truth in the world."