43:8 Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)

{ فَأَهْلَكْنَا أَشَدّ } من هؤلاء { بَطْشًا } أي: قوة وأفعالا وآثارا في الأرض، { وَمَضَى مَثَلُ الْأَوَّلِينَ } أي: مضت أمثالهم وأخبارهم، وبينا لكم منها ما فيه عبرة ومزدجر عن التكذيب والإنكار.

أي فأهلكنا المكذبين بالرسل وقد كانوا أشد بطشا من هؤلاء المكذبين لك يا محمد كقوله عز وجل "أفلم يسيروا في الأرض فينظروا كيف كان عاقبة الذين من قبلهم كانوا أكثر منهم وأشد قوة" والآيات في ذلك كثيرة جدا.وقوله جل جلاله "ومضى مثل الأولين" قال مجاهد: سنتهم وقال قتادة: عقوبتهم وقال غيرهما: عبرتهم أي جعلناهم عبرة لمن بعدهم من المكذبين أن يصيبهم ما أصابهم كقوله تعالى في آخر هذه السورة "فجعلناهم سلفا ومثلا للآخرين" وكقوله جلت عظمته "سنة الله التي قد خلت في عباده" وقال عز وجل "ولن تجد لسنة الله تبديلا".

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

حـم - تَنزِيلُ الْكِتَـبِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

(Ha-Mim. By the manifest Book.) means, plain and clear in both wording and meaning, because it was revealed in the language of the Arabs, which is the most eloquent language for communication among people. Allah says:

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـهُ

(Verily, We have made it) meaning, revealed it,

قُرْءَاناً عَرَبِيّاً

(a Qur'an in Arabic) meaning, in the language of the Arabs, eloquent and clear;

لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

(that you may be able to understand.) means, that you may understand it and ponder its meanings. This is like the Ayah:

بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِىٍّ مُّبِينٍ

(In the plain Arabic language.) (26:195)

وَإِنَّهُ فِى أُمِّ الْكِتَـبِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِىٌّ حَكِيمٌ

(And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book with Us, indeed exalted, full of wisdom.) This explains the high status of the Qur'an among the hosts on high (the angels), so that the people of earth will respect it, venerate it and obey it.

وَأَنَّهُ

(And verily, it) means, the Qur'an,

فِى أُمِّ الْكِتَـبِ

(is in the Mother of the Book) meaning, Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet). This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid.

لَدَيْنَآ

(with Us,) means, in Our presence. This was the view of Qatadah and others.

لَّعَلِّى

(indeed exalted) means, occupying a position of honor and virtue. This was the view of Qatadah.

حَكِيمٌ

(full of wisdom.) means, clear, with no confusion or deviation. All of this indicates its noble status and virtue, as Allah says elsewhere:

إِنَّهُ لَقُرْءَانٌ كَرِيمٌ - فِى كِتَـبٍ مَّكْنُونٍ - لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ - تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(That (this) is indeed an honorable recitation. In a Book well-guarded. Which none can touch but the pure. A revelation from the Lord of the all that exists.) (56:77-80)

كَلاَّ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُ فَى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍ كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ

(Nay, indeed it is an admonition. So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it. (It is) in Records held (greatly) in honor, exalted, purified, in the hands of scribes (angels), honorable and obedient.) (80:11-16)

أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ الذِّكْرَ صَفْحاً أَن كُنتُمْ قَوْماً مُّسْرِفِينَ

(Shall We then take away the Reminder (this Qur'an) from you, because you are a people excessive.) means, `do you think that We will forgive you and not punish you, when you do not do as you have been commanded' This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Abu Salih, Mujahid and As-Suddi, and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir.

أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ الذِّكْرَ صَفْحاً

(Shall We then take away the Reminder (this Qur'an) from you,) Qatadah said, "By Allah, if this Qur'an had been taken away when the first generations of this Ummah rejected it, they would have been doomed, but Allah by His mercy persisted in sending it and calling them to it for twenty years, or for as long as He willed." What Qatadah said is very good, and his point is that Allah, by His grace and mercy towards His creation, did not stop calling them to the truth and to the wise Reminder, i.e., the Qur'an, even though they were heedless and turned away from it. Indeed, He sent it so that those who were decreed to be guided might be guided by it, and so that proof might be established against those who were decreed to be.

(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)

Consolation to the Prophet for the Disbelief of Quraysh

Then Allah consoles His Prophet for the disbelief of his people, and commands him to bear it with patience.

وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن نَّبِيٍّ فِى الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(And how many a Prophet have We sent amongst the men of old.) meaning, among the sects (communities) of old.

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّنْ نَّبِىٍّ إِلاَّ كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

(And never came there a Prophet to them but they used to mock at him.) means, they disbelieved him and mock at him.

فَأَهْلَكْنَآ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُم بَطْشاً

(Then We destroyed men stronger than these) means, `We destroyed those who disbelieved in the Messengers, and they were stronger in power than these who disbelieve in you, O Muhammad.' This is like the Ayah:

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُواْ أَكْـثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةً

(Have they not traveled through the earth and seen what was the end of those before them They were more in number than them and mightier in strength) (40:82). And there are many similar Ayat.

وَمَضَى مَثَلُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(and the example of the ancients has passed away. ) Mujahid said, "The way of their life." Qatadah said, "Their punishment." Others said, "Their lesson," i.e., `We made them a lesson for those disbelievers who came after them, that they would suffer the same end as them,' as in the Ayah at the end of this Surah:

فَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ سَلَفاً وَمَثَلاً لِّلاٌّخِرِينَ

(And We made them a precedent, and an example to later generations.) (43:56);

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى قَدْ خَلَتْ فِى عِبَادِهِ

(this has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants) (40:85).

وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاً

(and you will not find any change in the way of Allah.) (33:62)

So We destroyed those who were mightier than them — than your people — in prowess strength and already there passed there has been mentioned in previous verses the example of the ancients the description of how they were destroyed and thus the sequel for your people will be the same.

A Preacher must not give up his preaching due to disappointment

أَفَنَضْرِ‌بُ عَنكُمُ الذِّكْرَ‌ صَفْحًا أَن كُنتُمْ قَوْمًا مُّسْرِ‌فِينَ (Shall we remove the advice away from you because you are a transgressing people? - 43:5) The meaning is that We will not give up advising you through the Qur'an, no matter how rebellious and disobedient you may become. This tells us that the person who is engaged in preaching and inviting others towards Islam should carry the message to everybody; he must not give up preaching to some people or any group simply because they are non-believers, highly irreligious, sinners and transgressors.

So We destroyed those stronger than they in seizing, and the example of the first ones passed away. “They have taken Our prophets as liars, ridiculed them, and did not accept their advice. Hence We showed them Our harshness and severity. We overthrew them and pulled them up by the roots. If anyone contends with Us, Our severity will overcome him. We exact justice from the arrogant, We take vengeance on the apostates, and We show the answer to the enemies.”