Surah Az-Zukhruf (43): Read Online and Download - English Translation
This page contains all verses of surah Az-Zukhruf in addition to Interpretation of all verses by Maarif-ul-Quran (Mufti Muhammad Shafi). In the first part you can read surah الزخرف ordered in pages exactly as it is present in the Quran. To read an interpretation of a verse click on its number.
Information About Surah Az-Zukhruf
- Type of Surah Az-Zukhruf: Meccan
- Number of verses in Surah Az-Zukhruf: 89
- Order of Surah Az-Zukhruf in Quran: 43
- Order of revelation: 63
- Surah name in English: Ornaments of gold
- Page numbers in Quran: from page 489 to 495
- Translation: Saheeh International
- Tafsir: Maarif-ul-Quran
Surah Az-Zukhruf
سُورَةُ الزُّخۡرُفِ
Page 493 (Verses from 48 to 60)
وَمَا نُرِيهِم مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ إِلَّا هِىَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أُخْتِهَا ۖ وَأَخَذْنَٰهُم بِٱلْعَذَابِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
وَقَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَ ٱلسَّاحِرُ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهْتَدُونَ
فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ
وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِى قَوْمِهِۦ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِى مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِىٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ
أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ
فَلَوْلَآ أُلْقِىَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ
فَٱسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُۥ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا فَٰسِقِينَ
فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْءَاخِرِينَ
۞ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
وَقَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًۢا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَٰٓئِكَةً فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ
Listen to Surah Az-Zukhruf (Arabic and English translation)
Tafsir of Surah Az-Zukhruf (Maarif-ul-Quran: Mufti Muhammad Shafi)
English Translation
And We showed them not a sign except that it was greater than its sister, and We seized them with affliction that perhaps they might return [to faith].English Transliteration
Wama nureehim min ayatin illa hiya akbaru min okhtiha waakhathnahum bialAAathabi laAAallahum yarjiAAoonaEnglish Translation
And they said [to Moses], "O magician, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. Indeed, we will be guided."English Transliteration
Waqaloo ya ayyuha alsahiru odAAu lana rabbaka bima AAahida AAindaka innana lamuhtadoonaEnglish Translation
But when We removed from them the affliction, at once they broke their word.English Transliteration
Falamma kashafna AAanhumu alAAathaba itha hum yankuthoonaEnglish Translation
And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?English Transliteration
Wanada firAAawnu fee qawmihi qala ya qawmi alaysa lee mulku misra wahathihi alanharu tajree min tahtee afala tubsiroonaEnglish Translation
Or am I [not] better than this one who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?English Transliteration
Am ana khayrun min hatha allathee huwa maheenun wala yakadu yubeenuوَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ (and can hardly express himself - 43:52). Although as a result of his own supplication, the stammering of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had been removed by Allah Ta` ala, Fir'aun remembered his previous state only, and hence this aspersion. And it is possible also that by saying this, Fir'aun did not mean stammering in speech, but he meant that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) could not put forward adequate logical arguments to satisfy him, although this was nothing but a false accusation, because Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had completely overwhelmed Fir'aun through his arguments and proofs against which he had no answer. (Tafsir Kabir and Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani).
English Translation
Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"English Transliteration
Falawla olqiya AAalayhi aswiratun min thahabin aw jaa maAAahu almalaikatu muqtarineenaEnglish Translation
So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of Allah].English Transliteration
Faistakhaffa qawmahu faataAAoohu innahum kanoo qawman fasiqeenaفَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ (Thus he made fool of his people - 43:54). According to the Arabic expression, this sentence may be translated in two ways; the translation adopted in the text above is based on one of them. The second one may be: "He (Fir'aun) easily made his people to follow him". (Ruh-u1-Ma’ ani)
English Translation
And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all.English Transliteration
Falamma asafoona intaqamna minhum faaghraqnahum ajmaAAeenaفَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا (So, when they provoked our anger, - 43:55). Since Allah Almighty is pure of the states of anger and sorrow, the meaning is that their behavior caused Us to decide that they should be punished. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)
English Translation
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.English Transliteration
FajaAAalnahum salafan wamathalan lilakhireenaEnglish Translation
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.English Transliteration
Walamma duriba ibnu maryama mathalan itha qawmuka minhu yasiddoonaCommentary
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ (And when the example of the son of Maryam was cited, your people started at once shouting at it [ in joy ]...43:57). Exegetes have narrated three events as background of the revelation of these verses. One is that once the Holy Prophet ﷺ had addressed the tribe of Quraish and said, "0 people of Quraish! there is no good in whatever is worshipped beside Allah." The polytheists responded by saying, "The Christians worship Sayyidna ` Isa ﷺ ، although you yourself say that he was a virtuous slave of Allah, and His prophet." These verses were then revealed in reply to this objection (Qurtubi).
The second narration is that the objection of the infidels related to the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:
إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ
"Surely, you and whatever you worship other than Allah are the fuel of Jahannam." (21:98)
When this verse was revealed, 'Abdullah Ibn-uz-ziba'ra claimed that he had the proper answer to this verse which was that the Christians worship Sayyidna Masih (Isa علیہ السلام) and Jews worship Sayyidna ` Uzair (علیہ السلام) ، so will they both become fuel of Hell? Upon hearing this, the polytheists of Quraish became very joyful, and Allah then revealed the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُم مِّنَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ أُولَـٰئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ ﴿101﴾
"Surely, those for whom the good (news) from Us has come earlier shall be kept away from it." (21:101)
The above verses of Surah Zukhruf was also revealed in this context. (Ibn Kathir, etc.,)
The third narration is that once the pagans of Makkah expressed the absurd thought that the Holy Prophet ﷺ wanted to claim godhead for himself, so that he might be worshipped like Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is worshipped by the Christians; these verses were revealed in that context.
In reality, there is no conflict between these three narrations. The infidels will have said all the three things, and in reply Allah Ta` ala revealed these verses in such a comprehensive manner that took care of all the three objections. The answer to the last objection is quite clear in these verses as to those who started worshipping Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) did not do so in obedience to any Divine command, nor had Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ever desired it for himself, nor does the Qur'an support it. Their misconception was based on the miraculous birth of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) without a father which was, according to them, a sign of his being god or a son of God. The Holy Qur'an has refuted this misconceived argument. How is it then possible that the Holy Prophet ﷺ will claim Godhead in imitation of the Christians?
The gist of the objection mentioned in the first and second narrations is essentially the same. The statement in the Qur'an that all those who are worshipped except Allah will become fuel for Hell or the statement of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that there is no good in whatever is worshipped except Allah, refer to the lifeless objects of worship, such as idols or those living beings who directed their followers towards their own worship, or who liked to be worshipped, such as shaitans, Fir'aun, Namrud, etc.. So Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) is obviously not included in this category, since at no stage did he like to be worshipped. Christians do not worship him because of any direction having being given by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، rather they were misled and started worshipping him by deducing the wrong conclusion from his birth without a father which was a sample of Allah's power to show to the people that Allah does not need even any apparent cause or means to create something. This worship of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) by Christians was not only irrational, but also against his own teachings, because he had always preached 'tauhid' (Oneness of Allah); his own disgust against being worshipped simply does not allow his inclusion in the ranks of false gods.
English Translation
And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.English Transliteration
Waqaloo aalihatuna khayrun am huwa ma daraboohu laka illa jadalan bal hum qawmun khasimoonaEnglish Translation
Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.English Transliteration
In huwa illa AAabdun anAAamna AAalayhi wajaAAalnahu mathalan libanee israeelaEnglish Translation
And if We willed, We could have made [instead] of you angels succeeding [one another] on the earth.English Transliteration
Walaw nashao lajaAAalna minkum malaikatan fee alardi yakhlufoonaوَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَائِكَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ (and if we will, We may create angels from you who succeed you on the earth...43:60) This is in reply to the gravely mistaken conclusion drawn by Christians from the miraculous birth of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) without a father as a result of which they attributed godhead to him, and started worshipping him. Allah Ta ala states to controvert their argument that Sayyidna 'Isa's (علیہ السلام) birth was merely a demonstration of His power, and He has the power to do even more supernatural things like creating Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) without father and mother. And if He wills, He may do as unprecedented things as causing angels to be born out of human beings.
