الزخرف
Az-Zukhruf
The Ornaments of Gold • makkah • 89 Verses
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حمٓ
Commentary:
For an explanation of حم see 40:2, 41:2 and 42:2.
وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
39:29; 42:8; 46:13.
وَإِنَّهُۥ فِىٓ أُمِّ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِىٌّ حَكِيمٌ
Important Words:
أم means, mother; source, origin or basis of a thing or its stay or support; place of collection or comprehension and combination of a thing. أم الکتاب meaning, Mother of the Book signifies source of commandments; basis of the Book (Lane & Aqrab). See also 3:8; 13:40.
Commentary:
The word أم signifying the original source, the expression انه فی أم الکتاب would mean that the Quran existed in the knowledge of God—the original source, or it may signify that this was in the knowledge of God and was eternally decreed that the Quran would form the basis of the Last Perfect Law which God would reveal for the guidance of humanity.
Ummul-Kitab, meaning sources of the commandments (Lane), the expression signifies that the Qur’an existed in the knowledge of God—the Original Source—as the basis of the Shari‘ah, or it may signify that it was eternally decreed that the Qur’an would form the basis of the last Divine Law.
أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ ٱلذِّكْرَ صَفْحًا أَن كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا مُّسْرِفِينَ
Important Words:
أفنضرب (shall We take away). ضربه means, he struck him. They say, ضرب الدھر بیننا i.e. the time separated us. ضرب عنه means, he shunned, left or avoided him or turned away from him (Lane & Aqrab).
صفحا (neglecting) is derived from صفح. They say صفح عنه i.e. he turned away from him or he turned away from him and left him; he turned away from his sins, or he forgave him. ضربت عنه صفحا means, I turned away from him and left him. The word صفحاً is here an infinitive-noun and therefore is in the accus. case as in the phrase قعدت جلوساً (I sat down); or it is in the accus. case as an adv. noun, and the meaning is, I turned away from him aside.أفنضرب عنکم الذکر صفحاً would thus mean, shall We take away the Reminder from you or separate you from the Reminder and turn away Ourselves from you and neglect you. Or shall We then turn away the Reminder from you, and not invite you thereby to the Faith, turning away Ourselves from you. Or shall We then neglect you and not teach you what is incumbent on you (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:274 and 15:86.
Commentary:
The verse means to say that Heavenly Reminders in the form of Divine signs will never cease to come. If rejection of heavenly signs had been a reasonable ground for their discontinuance no Prophet would have come after the first one. But Prophets continued to appear and to show signs in spite of the fact that most of them were rejected. The Prophets are sent to the world to lead men to God and to warn wrongdoers of the evil consequences of their transgressions and iniquitous behaviour. So long as man needs to be guided and led to God—and man will need guidance till the end of time—and so long as there are wicked men in the world who require to be warned and reformed, so long will Prophets continue to appear.
Duraba ‘an-hu means, he left him and turned away from him. Safaha ‘an-hu also means, he turned away from him and left him. The Quranic expression means, 'Shall We take away the Reminder from you and turn Ourselves away from you and leave you without guidance' (Lane)?
Heavenly Reminders in the form of Divine Signs will never cease to come. If rejection of Heavenly Signs had been a reasonable ground that they should discontinue to appear, then no Prophet would have come after the first one. But Prophets continued to appear.
وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن نَّبِىٍّ فِى ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
15:11.
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that though earlier Prophets were rejected and opposed, yet God did not cease to send new Prophets on that account. So this system of the coming of heavenly Teachers will continue till the end of time and the jeering and opposition of disbelievers and their evil deeds will not stop it.
15:11.
وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن نَّبِىٍّ إِلَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
15:12; 36:31.
15:12; 36:31.
فَأَهْلَكْنَآ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًا وَمَضَىٰ مَثَلُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
Commentary:
For an explanation of this verse see vv. 27:61, 62.
ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
20:54.
Commentary:
For the theme developed in this and the next few verses see 16:9. Briefly, the argument given is that when God has made ample provision for the physical needs and requirements of man, it is inconceivable that He should have omitted to provide for his moral and spiritual needs.
20:54.
وَٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنشَرْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ
Commentary:
As physical life depends on water that comes down as rain, so does spiritual life depend on the spiritual water of Divine revelation. The words, "even so will you be raised" signify that even as dry and parched earth blooms and blossoms into new life when rain falls on it, so will a morally and spiritually dead people receive new life through Divine revelation.
The words signify that even as dry and parched earth blooms and blossoms into new life when rain falls on it, so do a morally and spiritually dead people receive a new life through Divine revelation.
وَٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْفُلْكِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ
لِتَسْتَوُۥا۟ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِۦ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا ٱسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِى سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُۥ مُقْرِنِينَ
11:42; 23:29.
Important Words:
مقرنین (capable of subduing) is derived from قرن. They say أقرن للشیء و أقرن الشیء i.e. he had the power and the strength to do the thing, he had the requisite ability and strength for it. مقرنین means, having the power or being able to do a thing (Aqrab).
وَإِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ
Commentary:
In the preceding two verses we were told that God has made boats and ships so that we may use them for travel. In the present verse attention is drawn to the fact that man should not lose sight of the journey to his spiritual goal which is God Himself.
وَجَعَلُوا۟ لَهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ جُزْءًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَكَفُورٌ مُّبِينٌ
Commentary:
The Surah had opened with the subject of revelation, of which the basic purpose is the establishment of Divine Unity. This and the following few verses repudiate the idolatrous doctrine of assigning sons and daughters to God.
The reference is to the Christian doctrine of Jesus being God’s son.
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ بَنَاتٍ وَأَصْفَىٰكُم بِٱلْبَنِينَ
6:101; 16:58; 37:153; 52:40; 53:22.
6:101; 16:58; 52:40; 53:22.
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ مَثَلًا ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
16:59.
16:59.
أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُا۟ فِى ٱلْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ
Commentary:
The reference in the verse may also be to the idols which were bedecked and bejewelled with ornaments. The verse administers a subtle rebuke to idol worshippers that they worship idols which can neither speak nor answer their prayers nor defend themselves against attacks made upon them. See also 20:90 and 21:64.
The reference may be to the idols which were bedecked and bejewelled with ornaments. The verse administers a subtle rebuke to idol- worshippers that they worship idols which can neither speak nor answer their prayers or defend themselves against attacks made upon them.