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Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

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1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf
Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-35 [3], 36-45 [4], 46-56 [5], 57-67 [6], 68-89 [7]

Quran Text of Verse 46-56
وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمُوْسٰیMusaبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤwith Our SignsاِلٰیtoفِرْعَوْنَFiraunوَ مَلَاۡىِٕهٖand his chiefsفَقَالَand he saidاِنِّیْIndeed I amرَسُوْلُa Messengerرَبِّ(of the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَ (of) the worlds فَلَمَّاBut whenجَآءَهُمْhe came to themبِاٰیٰتِنَاۤwith Our Signsاِذَاbehold!هُمْTheyمِّنْهَاat themیَضْحَكُوْنَ laughed 43. Az-Zukhruf Page 493وَ مَاAnd notنُرِیْهِمْWe showed themمِّنْofاٰیَةٍa Signاِلَّاbutهِیَitاَكْبَرُ(was) greaterمِنْthanاُخْتِهَا ؗits sisterوَ اَخَذْنٰهُمْand We seized themبِالْعَذَابِwith the punishmentلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَرْجِعُوْنَ return وَ قَالُوْاAnd they saidیٰۤاَیُّهَOالسّٰحِرُ[the] magician!ادْعُInvokeلَنَاfor usرَبَّكَyour Lordبِمَاby whatعَهِدَHe has made covenantعِنْدَكَ ۚwith youاِنَّنَاIndeed weلَمُهْتَدُوْنَ (will) surely be guided فَلَمَّاBut whenكَشَفْنَاWe removedعَنْهُمُfrom themالْعَذَابَthe punishmentاِذَاbehold!هُمْTheyیَنْكُثُوْنَ broke (their word) وَ نَادٰیAnd called outفِرْعَوْنُFiraunفِیْamongقَوْمِهٖhis peopleقَالَhe saidیٰقَوْمِO my peopleاَلَیْسَIs notلِیْfor meمُلْكُ(the) kingdomمِصْرَ(of) Egyptوَ هٰذِهِand theseالْاَنْهٰرُ[the] riversتَجْرِیْflowingمِنْunderneath meتَحْتِیْ ۚunderneath meاَفَلَاThen do notتُبْصِرُوْنَؕyou see اَمْOrاَنَاam Iخَیْرٌbetterمِّنْthanهٰذَاthisالَّذِیْone whoهُوَheمَهِیْنٌ ۙ۬(is) insignificantوَّ لَاand hardlyیَكَادُand hardlyیُبِیْنُ clear فَلَوْ لَاۤThen why notاُلْقِیَare placedعَلَیْهِon himاَسْوِرَةٌbraceletsمِّنْofذَهَبٍgoldاَوْorجَآءَcomeمَعَهُwith himالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsمُقْتَرِنِیْنَ accompanying (him) فَاسْتَخَفَّSo he bluffedقَوْمَهٗhis peopleفَاَطَاعُوْهُ ؕand they obeyed himاِنَّهُمْIndeed theyكَانُوْاwereقَوْمًاa peopleفٰسِقِیْنَ defiantly disobedient فَلَمَّاۤSo whenاٰسَفُوْنَاthey angered UsانْتَقَمْنَاWe took retributionمِنْهُمْfrom themفَاَغْرَقْنٰهُمْand We drowned themاَجْمَعِیْنَۙall فَجَعَلْنٰهُمْAnd We made themسَلَفًاa precedentوَّ مَثَلًاand an exampleلِّلْاٰخِرِیْنَ۠for the later (generations)
Translation of Verse 46-56

(43:46) Surely, We sent Musa with Our signs to Fir`awn and his chiefs. He said, ‘I am the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds.’

(43:47) But when he brought them Our signs, lo, they laughed them out.

(43:48) And, not a sign We showed them but it was greater than its sister.41 So we seized them with chastisement, haply that they might return.42

(43:49) But they said, ‘O sorcerer! Pray to your Lord for us,43 by what He has covenanted with you,44 we should then be guided aright.’45

(43:50) But when We removed from them the chastisement, at once they broke their word.46

(43:51) And Fir`awn made a proclamation among his people, saying, ‘O my people, does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me, and these canals that flow beneath me?47 What! Do you not see then?

(43:52) Or, am I better than this who is insignificant,48 who can scarcely express himself clearly?

(43:53) Why not bracelets of gold were cast on him,49 or angels came with him in accompaniment?’

(43:54) Thus did he make light of his people. So they obeyed him. They were indeed a corrupt people.

(43:55) At length when they provoked Us to anger,50 We took vengeance on them and drowned them all.51

(43:56) We made them a precedent and an example for the later ones.52


Commentary

41. The other signs are quite well known such as, the storms, locusts, lice, frogs, blood, losses in agricultural products, loss of lives, and, of course, the shining hand and the rod becoming snake (Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir). As for being greater, it is possible that every new one was so apparently Allah’s handiwork as to be impossible to dismiss as a natural phenomenon (Au.).

42. “The concept of ‘returning’ to God implies that the instinctive ability to perceive His existence is inherent in human nature as such, and that man’s ‘turning away’ from God is a consequence of spiritual degeneration, and not an original tendency or predisposition” (Asad).

43. One question: how could they address Musa as a magician and then ask him to plead for the removal of the chastisement? The answer is that a magician was not a derogatory term among them. It was rather a word of reverence meaning “scholar” as there were no scholars then but only magicians (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi and others).

Ibn Kathir seconds the above opinion.

44. The testament between Musa and his Lord was to the effect that if Fir`awn’s folks entered into faith, they would be spared the punishment.

45. That is, points out Ibn Kathir, they meant to say that if they were relieved, they would accept Musa’s faith, as Allah said elsewhere (7: 133-135):

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفَانَ وَالْجَرَادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالضَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ آيَاتٍ مُفَصَّلَاتٍ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا مُجْرِمِينَ (133) وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّجْزُ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِنْدَكَ لَئِنْ كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا الرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ (134) فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْزَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ هُمْ بَالِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنْكُثُونَ [الأعراف : 133 - 135]

“Therefore, We let loose upon them flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and (water turning into) blood: signs distinct. But they waxed proud; indeed, they were a criminal people. Whenever a wrath fell upon them they cried out: ‘O Musa. Supplicate to your Lord by what He has promised you. If you release us (O Musa) from this wrath, we shall believe in you and shall let go with you the Children of Israel.’ But when We relieved them of the wrath until a term they were to attain, behold, they went back (on their word).”

46. Majid quotes the Bible: “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, Entreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord” (Ex. 8: 8). And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them, Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail” (Ex., 9: 28).

47. Asad’s following expression was preceded by Shabbir’s in Urdu: “I.e., ‘at my command’: a reference to the imposing irrigation system originating in the Nile and controlled by royal power.”

48. That is, 'am I not?'

49. It was a practice among them that when one of them was promoted to higher status, he was awarded bracelets of gold to wear on the wrists (Razi, Qurtubi); while Fir`awn reserved pearls for himself (Shabbir).

Asad adds: “In Ancient Egypt, golden armlets and necklaces were regarded as princely insignia (cf. Genesis xli, 42) or at least as evidence of high social dignity.”

Yusuf Ali might be quoted here: “Gold bracelets and gold chains were possibly among the insignia of royalty. In any case they betokened wealth, and the materialists judge a man’s worth by his wealth and his following and equipage. So Pharaoh wanted to see Moses, if he had any position in the spiritual kingdom, invested with gold bracelets, and followed by a great train of angels as his Knight-companions! The same kind of proofs were demanded by the materialist Quraish of our holy Prophet. These were puerilities, but such puerilities go down with the crowd. Barring a few Egyptians who believed in Allah and in the Message of Moses, the rest of Pharaoh’s entourage followed Pharaoh in his pursuit of revenge, and were drowned in the Red Sea.”

50. This is how Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id ibn Jubayr, and many others understood the text (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

51. “Fir`awn boasted of water (when he spoke of the canals flowing beneath him: Au.), and he perished in water, - a fitting recompense” (Yusuf Ali, elsewhere).

Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn abi Hatim have a report which says, as narrated by Tariq b. Shihab: “I was with `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud when someone mentioned sudden death. He remarked, ‘It is an ease granted to a believer, while a source of grief for the unbeliever.’ Then he recited this verse, ‘At length when they provoked Us to anger, We took vengeance on them and drowned them all’” (Shawkani).

52. That is, Fir`awn and his folks were a precedent for the unbelieving nations that followed him, in terms of behavior, and in terms of the retribution that followed, as also an example for the later generations to learn from.