Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment — Verse 21
43:21 · az-Zukhruf
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أَمۡ ءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُمۡ كِتَـٰبࣰا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ ٢١
am ātaynāhum kitāban min qablihi fahum bihi mus'tamsikūn
Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment / az-Zukhruf (43:21)
Connections 5 single-source 2 commentators
Multi-source connections
No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
Single-source mentions (5) cited by only one commentator
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
-
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 4 verses
-
Ma'arif-ul-Quran 1 verse
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
or have We perhaps given them a book before this one, to which they hold fast
am ātaynāhum kitāban min qablihi fahum bihi mus'tamsikūn
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Tafsir Commentary
The Idolators have no Proof
Allah condemns the idolators for worshipping others instead of Allah with no evidence or proof for doing so.
أَمْ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ كِتَـباً مِّن قَبْلِهِ
(Or have We given them any Book before this) means, before their idolatry.
فَهُم بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ
(to which they are holding fast) means, with regard to what they are doing. This is not the case. This is like the Ayah:
أَمْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـناً فَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يُشْرِكُونَ
(Or have We revealed to them an authority (a Scripture), which speaks of that which they have been associating with Him) (30:35) meaning, that did not happen. Then Allah says:
بَلْ قَالُواْ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ
(Nay! They say: "we found our fathers following a certain way and religion (Ummah), and we guide ourselves by their footsteps.") meaning, they have no grounds for their belief in idolatry apart from the fact that they are imitating their fathers and forefathers who were following a certain Ummah or way, i.e., religion. The word Ummah is used in a similar manner elsewhere, where Allah says:
إِنَّ هَـذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً
(And verily, this your religion (Ummah) is one religion) (23:52), and they said;
وَإِنَّا عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِم
(and we by their footsteps) means, behind them
مُّهْتَدُونَ
(We guide ourselves) This is their claim with no evidence. Then Allah points out that what these people say was already said by those who were like them among the nations of the past who disbelieved in the Messengers. Their hearts and their words are similar.
كَذَلِكَ مَآ أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ قَالُواْ سَـحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ - أَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَـغُونَ
(Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!" Have they transmitted this saying to these Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!) (51:52-53) And Allah says here:
وَكَذَلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ
(And similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps.") Then He says:
قُلْ
(Say) -- `O Muhammad, to these idolators --'
أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِأَهْدَى مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ
("Even if I bring you better guidance than that which you found your fathers following" They said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.") `Even if they were convinced of the truth of what you have brought to them, they will not follow it, because of their evil intentions and their arrogance towards the truth and its people.'
فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ
(So We took revenge on them) means, on the disbelieving nations, by inflicting various kinds of punishments, as Allah has described in the stories of those nations.
فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
(then see what was the end of those who denied) means, see what became of them, how they were destroyed and how Allah saved the believers.
Or have We brought them a scripture before that is before the Qur’ān that they should worship other than God so that they are holding fast to it? In other words this never happened.
أَحَضَروا خَلْق الملائكة، أم أعطيناهم كتابًا من قبل القرآن الذي أنزلناه، فهم به مستمسكون يعملون بما فيه، ويحتجون به عليك أيها الرسول؟
يقول تعالى منكرا على المشركين في عبادتهم غير الله بلا برهان ولا دليل ولا حجة "أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله " أي من قبل شركهم "فهم به مستمسكون" أي فيما هم فيه أي ليس الأمر كذلك كقوله عز وجل "أم أنزلنا عليهم سلطانا فهو يتكلم بما كانوا به مشركون" أي لم يكن ذلك.
وقوله - تعالى - : ( أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَاباً مِّن قَبْلِهِ فَهُم بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ ) إضراب عن نفى أن يكون لهم فيما ادعوه علم عن طريق العقل ، إلى إبطال أن يكون لهم علم من جهة النقل . و ( أَمْ ) بمعنى بل والهمزة . والاستفهام للإِنكار والتوبيخ ، أى : بل أأعطيناهم كتابا من قبل القرآن ، فيه ما يشهد بصحة أقوالهم فهم بهذالكتاب مستمسكون؟ كلا إننا لم نعطهم شيا من ذلك .
وقوله: ( أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَابًا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ ) يقول تعالى ذكره ما (3) آتينا هؤلاء المتخرّصين القائلين لو شاء الرحمن ما عبدنا الآلهة كتابا بحقيقة ما يقولون من ذلك, من قبل هذا القرآن الذي أنـزلناه إليك يا محمد.( فَهُمْ بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ ) يقول: فهم بذلك الكتاب الذي جاءهم من عندي من قبل هذا القرآن, مستمسكون يعملون به, ويدينون بما فيه, ويحتجون به عليك.----------------------الهوامش :(3) ما : ساقطة من المطبوعة .
( أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله ) أي من قبل القرآن بأن يعبدوا غير الله ( فهم به مستمسكون ) .
أَمْ آَتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَابًا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ فَهُمْ بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ (21)إضراب انتقالي ، عُطف على جملةِ { ما لهم بذلك من علم } [ الزخرف : 20 ] فبعد أن نفى أن يكون قولُهم { لو شاء الرحمان ما عبدناهم } [ الزخرف : 20 ] مستنداً إلى حجة العقل ، انتقل إلى نفي أن يكون مستنداً إلى حجة النقل عن إخبار العالِم بحقائق الأشياء التي هي من شؤونه .واجتلب للإضراب حرف { أم } دون ( بَل ) لما تؤذن به { أم } من استفهام بعدها ، وهو إنكاري . والمعنى : وما آتيناهم كتاباً من قبله . وضمير { من قبله } عائد إلى القرآن المذكور في أوّل السورة . وفي قوله : { وإنه في أم الكتاب لدينا لعليٌّ حكيمٌ } [ الزخرف : 4 ] . وفي هذا ثناء ثالث على القرآن ضمني لاقتضائه أن القرآن لا يأتي إلا بالحق الذي يُستمسك به .وهذا تمهيد للتخلص إلى قوله تعالى : { بل قالوا إنّا وجدنا آباءنا على أمةٍ } [ الزخرف : 22 ] .و { مِن } مزيدة لتوكيد معنى ( قبْل ) . والضمير المضاف إليه ( قَبْل ) ضمير القرآن ولم يتقدم له معاد في اللّفظ ولكنه ظاهر من دلالة قوله : { كتاباً } .و { مستمسكون } مبالغة في ( ممسكون ) يقال : أمسك بالشيء ، إذا شدّ عليه يده ، وهو مستعمل مجازاً في معنى الثبات على الشيء كقوله تعالى : { فاستمسك بالذي أوحي إليك } [ الزخرف : 43 ] .
ثم قال: { أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَابًا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ فَهُمْ بِهِ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ } يخبرهم بصحة أفعالهم، وصدق أقوالهم؟ ليس الأمر كذلك، فإن اللّه أرسل محمدا نذيرا إليهم، وهم لم يأتهم نذير غيره، أي: فلا عقل ولا نقل، وإذا انتفى الأمران، فلا ثَمَّ إلا الباطل.
قوله تعالى : أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله فهم به مستمسكون .هذا معادل لقوله : أشهدوا خلقهم والمعنى : أحضروا خلقهم أم آتيناهم كتابا من قبله ، أي : من قبل القرآن بما ادعوه ، فهم به متمسكون يعملون بما فيه .
A man may do whatever he wants in this world, because he has ample opportunities to do so. For this reason, people harbour the misunderstanding that whatever they do must be right. They argue that, had they been wrong, they would not have achieved success by adopting the course that they did. Arguments of this kind are generally advanced by those who belong to the well-to-do class. But this is a serious misunderstanding. In this world, indulgence in any kind of behaviour may make headway because of the freedom given to human beings during their period of trial. But in the world of the Hereafter, the testing period will be over and, therefore, this opportunity will no longer exist for anybody there. In every age, the religion of the prophets was opposed and most of all by ancestral religion. Ancestors assume the status of the ‘great’ ones in the estimation of nations. As compared to them, the prophet of their own days appears lowly in stature. It therefore becomes impossible for them to renounce the religion of their great men in favour of that of a lesser mortal. But it is on account of their denial of these ‘small’ men that these nations have had to face horrendous punishments.
أَوَمَن يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ (Is it that (Allah has chosen) those (as His offspring) who are grown up in ornaments,... 43:18). This tells us that use of ornaments and adornment in accordance with 'Shari'ah is permissible for women. As such, there is consensus on this issue, but at the same time the manner of speech indicates that getting so much involved in adornment that one is busy in it the whole day long, is not proper; it is not only a symptom of one's being short-sighted, but also a cause of it.
وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ (and who cannot express themselves in debate clearly - 18). This reflects the reality that a great majority of women do not have the same ability as men to express their feelings clearly. Therefore, if it comes to argumentation, it is difficult for them to prove their own contention and to refute the other's arguments in a clear manner. But this applies to the majority. If some women are eloquent in their speech and excel even men in this regard, it does not go against this verse, because the rule applies to the majority, and not to every single individual.
(Or have We given them any Scripture before) this Qur'an (so that they are holding fast thereto) so that they take such a belief from this Scripture?