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 16-25اَمِOrاتَّخَذَhas He takenمِمَّاof whatیَخْلُقُHe has createdبَنٰتٍdaughtersوَّ اَصْفٰىكُمْand He has chosen (for) youبِالْبَنِیْنَ sons وَ اِذَاAnd whenبُشِّرَis given good newsاَحَدُهُمْ(to) one of themبِمَاof whatضَرَبَhe sets upلِلرَّحْمٰنِfor the Most Graciousمَثَلًا(as) a likenessظَلَّbecomesوَجْهُهٗhis faceمُسْوَدًّاdarkوَّ هُوَand heكَظِیْمٌ (is) filled with grief اَوَ مَنْThen (is one) whoیُّنَشَّؤُاis brought upفِیinالْحِلْیَةِornamentsوَ هُوَand heفِیinالْخِصَامِthe disputeغَیْرُ(is) notمُبِیْنٍ clear وَ جَعَلُواAnd they madeالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsالَّذِیْنَthose whoهُمْthemselvesعِبٰدُ(are) slavesالرَّحْمٰنِ(of) the Most Graciousاِنَاثًا ؕfemalesاَشَهِدُوْاDid they witnessخَلْقَهُمْ ؕtheir creationسَتُكْتَبُWill be recordedشَهَادَتُهُمْtheir testimonyوَ یُسْـَٔلُوْنَ and they will be questioned وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayلَوْIfشَآءَhad willedالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousمَا(we would) notعَبَدْنٰهُمْ ؕhave worshiped themمَاNotلَهُمْthey haveبِذٰلِكَabout thatمِنْanyعِلْمٍ ۗknowledgeاِنْNothingهُمْthey (do)اِلَّاbutیَخْرُصُوْنَؕlie اَمْOrاٰتَیْنٰهُمْhave We given themكِتٰبًاa bookمِّنْbefore itقَبْلِهٖbefore itفَهُمْso theyبِهٖto itمُسْتَمْسِكُوْنَ (are) holding fast بَلْNayقَالُوْۤاthey sayاِنَّاIndeed weوَجَدْنَاۤ[we] foundاٰبَآءَنَاour forefathersعَلٰۤیuponاُمَّةٍa religionوَّ اِنَّاand indeed weعَلٰۤیonاٰثٰرِهِمْtheir footstepsمُّهْتَدُوْنَ (are) guided 43. Az-Zukhruf Page 491وَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusمَاۤnotاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youفِیْinقَرْیَةٍa townمِّنْanyنَّذِیْرٍwarnerاِلَّاexceptقَالَsaidمُتْرَفُوْهَاۤ ۙ(the) wealthy ones of itاِنَّاIndeed, weوَجَدْنَاۤ[we] foundاٰبَآءَنَاour forefathersعَلٰۤیonاُمَّةٍa religionوَّ اِنَّاand indeed, weعَلٰۤی[on]اٰثٰرِهِمْtheir footstepsمُّقْتَدُوْنَ (are) following قٰلَHe saidاَوَ لَوْEven ifجِئْتُكُمْI brought youبِاَهْدٰیbetter guidanceمِمَّاthan whatوَجَدْتُّمْyou foundعَلَیْهِon itاٰبَآءَكُمْ ؕyour forefathersقَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنَّاIndeed weبِمَاۤwith whatاُرْسِلْتُمْyou are sentبِهٖwith [it]كٰفِرُوْنَ (are) disbelievers فَانْتَقَمْنَاSo We took retributionمِنْهُمْfrom themفَانْظُرْThen seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ۠(of) the deniers

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Translation of Verse 16-25

(43:16) Has Allah taken for Himself daughters out of those whom He creates and has chosen you to have sons?¹⁶

(43:17) (They believe so although when) any of them is given tidings of the birth of a female child the like of which he assigns to the Merciful One, his countenance darkens and he is choked with grief.

(43:18) Do they assign to Allah one who grows up amidst ornaments and is not well-versed in the art of disputation?¹⁷

(43:19) They claim that angels, who are Allah's chosen servants,¹⁸ are females. Did they witness how their body is constituted?¹⁹ Their testimony shall be written and they shall be called to account.

(43:20) They say: “Had the Merciful One so willed, we would never have worshipped these deities.”²⁰ But they have no knowledge of the matter and are simply conjecturing.

(43:21) Or did We bestow upon them a Book before on whose authority they are holding on (to angel-worship)?²¹

(43:22) Nay; they simply claim: “We found our forefathers on a way, and we continue to find guidance in their footsteps.”²²

(43:23) And thus it is: whenever We sent any warner to a city its affluent ones said: “We found our forefathers on a way and we continue to follow in their footsteps.”²³

(43:24) Each Prophet asked them: “Will you do so even if we were to show you a way better than the way of your forefathers?” They answered: “We disbelieve in the religion with which you have been sent.”

(43:25) Then We exacted retribution from them. So do consider the end of those who gave the lie (to the Prophets).

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Commentary

16. This verse fully lays bare the absurdity of the Arabian polytheists’ position. These polytheists considered angels to be God’s daughters.

Their idols also took feminine form: these were the goddesses they worshipped. God berates them for setting up others as equals with Him.

They commit this outrageous act while they know all too well that God alone is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who has made the earth a comfortable place for them to live on. It is He Who sends down rain for them and has placed animals and cattle at their disposal.

Despite this they take others as objects of their worship even though they know these to be created beings. Furthermore, these polytheists are guilty of ascribing even Divine attributes to created beings. They also ascribe daughters to God whereas they resent even their births and regard them as dishonorable for themselves. They not only have the audacity to invest these deities with God's attributes but also made them a part of His essence by declaring them to be His children.

17. In other words, they allocate those that are weak and delicate to God and monopolize their claim over sons who are apt to act bravely.

This verse implies the permission of women’s use of ornaments for women. Such accessories are natural for women as is evident from a variety of ahadith. Imam Ahmad, Abu Da’ud and Nasa’i have narrated from ‘Ali: ‘While holding silk in one of his hands and gold in the other, the Prophet (peace be on him) declared: “It is forbidden for the male members of my community to use both of these.”’ (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, narrated by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Da’ud, Kitab al-Libas, Bab ft al-Harir li al-Nisa’; and Nasa‘i, Kitab al-Zinah, Bab Tahrim al-Dhahab ‘ala al-Rijal.) Likewise, Tirmidhi and Nasa‘i narrate a tradition from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari that the Prophet (peace be on him) allowed the use of silk and gold for the females of his community while he prohibited their use for males. (Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Libas ‘an Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Bab ma Ja’a fi al-Harir wa al-Dhahab; Nasa’i, Kitab al-Zinah, Bab Tahrim al-Dhahab ‘ala al-Rijal.) While discussing this juristic issue Abu Bakr al-Jassas cites the following tradition in his Ahkam al-Qur’an: According to ‘A’ishah, ‘Once Usamah, son of Zayd ibn Harithah, sustained an injury and started bleeding. The Prophet (peace be on him) loved him like his own son. In order to keep Usamah in good humor, he kept telling the crying boy: “Had you been our daughter, we would have given you ornaments and dressed you in silk.”’ Abu Musa al-Ash’ari says: ‘The Prophet (peace be on him) declared: “It is forbidden for the male members of my community to use ornaments and silken cloth, while it is lawful for females.” ‘Amr ibn al-‘As relates that two women who wore gold bracelets called on the Prophet (peace be on him). He asked them: ‘Would you like God to replace these with bracelets of fire?’ When they replied in the negative, he directed them as follows: ‘Fulfil your obligation and pay zakah on these’. ‘A’ishah points out that as long as zakah is paid, there is nothing wrong with wearing ornaments. Caliph ‘Umar also issued the following directive to his governor, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari: ‘Ask all Muslim women under your jurisdiction to pay zakah on their ornaments.’ Imam Abu Hanifah narrated the following tradition on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Dinar whereby ‘A ’ishah had given over gold ornaments to her sisters and “Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar had likewise given them over to his daughters.

(Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah al-Zukhruf 43: 18.) After citing all these traditions Abu Bakr al-JassAs writes: ‘The traditions that have come down from the Prophet (peace be on him) as regards the lawfulness of gold and silk [for women] are more numerous than those about their unlawfulness. The present verse is also indicative of their lawfulness. Moreover, the practice of the ummah from the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions to our own time [that is, the end of the fourth century of the Hijrah] has been the same and no one objects to this. Any objection to such matters on the basis of an isolated tradition is not acceptable.’ (Jassas, Akkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah al-Zukhruf 43: 18.)

18. The angels are beyond belonging to one gender or the other. This point comes out sharply from the wording of the verse.

19. This might alternatively be translated as follows: ‘Were they present when they were born?’

20. They justified their error, pleading that had it not been God’s will, He would not have let them indulge in worshipping others besides Him. All misguided people down the ages have resorted to this argument.

Their contention has been that if they took to worshipping the angels it was because God let them do so. In other words, they have been engaged in this practice for centuries, yet they have still not been punished by God. This, they argue, proves that this practice does not carry God's disapproval.

21. In their ignorance they believed that all that actually happened in the world carried God’s approval. Hence their polytheism too enjoyed His approval. Had this line of argument been sound, then not only would polytheism but also theft, robbery, bribery, fornication, violation of oaths and several other evils that are rampant among us would also be considered permissible. Nevertheless, no one claims such behavior to be good and lawful. Had the logic of the polytheists been sound, even these misdeeds should be considered as good and lawful. However, the fact is that all that happens in the world is not indicative of God’s approval or disapproval, of His pleasure or displeasure. These are determined in the light of the Scriptures sent down to Messengers, which declare what is approved and what is disapproved by God. In the Scriptures, God Himself declares which beliefs, deeds and morals are pleasing to Him and those which incur His displeasure. Hence, if the polytheists have any Scriptural evidence to prove that angels should be worshipped along with God, they should produce it. (For further details, see al-An‘am 6, nn. 71, 80, 110 and 124-5; Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. Il, pp. 262-3, 266-7, 280 and 288-9; al-A’raf 7, nn. 17-18, vol. II, p. 18; Yunus 10: 101; Hid 11: 116; al-Ra‘d 13: 49; al-Nahl 16: 10, 30-2 and 94-5; al-Zumar 39: 20 and al-Shura 42, n. 11 above)

22. Inevitably, the polytheists could not produce any Scriptural evidence in support of their beliefs and practices. Their only argument was that they followed what had come down from their ancestors. Accordingly, they took angels as goddesses.

23. It is worth considering why is it that the affluent in every nation have opposed the Prophets and preferred to cling to their ancestral faith? Why are they being always in the forefront of the opponents of Truth and seek to maintain the entrenched Jahiliyah of the day? Again, why is it that they are always instrumental in misleading people and in provoking them to come forth with mischief in opposition to God’s Prophets? The following reasons account for this: (i) The affluent are too engrossed in their worldly pleasures to be concerned with the far-fetched task of distinguishing between truth and falsehood. Their mental sloth and cynical disinterest with questions of right and wrong push them towards conservatism so that they become supporters of the status quo ante. (ii) Their interests are deeply interwoven with the existing order.

Their acquaintance with the current system of life makes them fear that if there is any change their dominance will be undermined and it will no longer be possible for them to act in contravention of the law or to f acquire unlawful earnings. (For further details, see al-An‘am 6, n. 91, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. Il, p. 272; al-A‘raf 7, nn. 46, 53, 58, 74,88 and 92, Vol. III, pp. 36-37, 43, 46-47, 56-57, 66-67 and 70-71; Hud 11, nn. 31-32 and 41, Vol. IV, pp. 93, 99, 100; Bani Isra‘il 17, n. 18, Vol. V, p: 31; al-Mu‘minun 23, nn. 26-27, 35 and 59, Vol. VI, pp. 92-94, 97 and 110; Saba’ 34, n. 54, Vol. IX, p. 193.)