Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment — Verse 6

43:6 · az-Zukhruf

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وَكَمۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن نَّبِیࣲّ فِی ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ ۝٦
wakam arsalnā min nabiyyin fī l-awalīn
Ornaments of Gold, Luxury, The Embellishment / az-Zukhruf (43:6)
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Abdel Haleem

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We have sent many a prophet to earlier peopl
wakam arsalnā min nabiyyin fī l-awalīn

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Tafsir Commentary

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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)
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
And how many a prophet did We send among the ancients!
Kashani Tafsir
How many a prophet We sent among the ancients, but a prophet never came to them except that they mocked him. This is a marvelous business. Whenever there is talk of friends, He joins it to the story of the estranged. Whenever He shows gentleness and generosity, He puts it next to severity and harsh- ness. Wherever there is a reality, He creates a metaphor to scatter dust on the reality. Wherever there is an argument, He mixes it with ambiguity to scratch the face of the argument. Wherever there is knowledge, He brings forth ignorance to struggle with the ruling power of the knowledge. Wherever there is tawḤīd, He brings forth associationism to travel the path of quarreling with tawḤīd. For every friend, He creates a thousand enemies. For everyone sincerely truthful, He brings a hundred thousand heretics. Wherever there is a mosque, He builds a church in front of it. Wherever there is a monastery, there is a tavern; wherever a turban, a sash of unbelief; wherever an attestation, a disavowal; wherever a worshiper, someone ignorant; wherever a friend, an enemy; wherever someone truthful, someone ungodly. He has filled from east to west with adornment and blessings, and in every blessing He has prepared a tribulation and trial. “Among the hardships of this world is the harm of almond candy and the benefit of myrobalan.” The poor, incapable Ad- amite! He stays bewildered in the midst of this work and does not have the gall to say a word. He suffers iniquity from those moon-like faces and does not have the gall to sigh, His face is like a mirror and a sigh would ruin it. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The Adamite has three states with which he is busy: obedience, by which he profits; disobedience, which he regrets; and heedlessness, by which he loses. What counsel is more beautiful than the Qur'an? Who is more lovingly kind as a counselor than the Patron? What capital is vaster than faith? What is more profitable than commerce with God? Is it that the Adamite is content to be in loss and approves of severance? Has when whatever is to arrive for him arrives.” This is the attribute of that people concerning whom the Exalted Lord says,
Kashani Tafsir
How many a prophet We sent among the ancients, but a prophet never came to them except that they mocked him. This is a marvelous business. Whenever there is talk of friends, He joins it to the story of the estranged. Whenever He shows gentleness and generosity, He puts it next to severity and harsh- ness. Wherever there is a reality, He creates a metaphor to scatter dust on the reality. Wherever there is an argument, He mixes it with ambiguity to scratch the face of the argument. Wherever there is knowledge, He brings forth ignorance to struggle with the ruling power of the knowledge. Wherever there is tawḤīd, He brings forth associationism to travel the path of quarreling with tawḤīd. For every friend, He creates a thousand enemies. For everyone sincerely truthful, He brings a hundred thousand heretics. Wherever there is a mosque, He builds a church in front of it. Wherever there is a monastery, there is a tavern; wherever a turban, a sash of unbelief; wherever an attestation, a disavowal; wherever a worshiper, someone ignorant; wherever a friend, an enemy; wherever someone truthful, someone ungodly. He has filled from east to west with adornment and blessings, and in every blessing He has prepared a tribulation and trial. “Among the hardships of this world is the harm of almond candy and the benefit of myrobalan.” The poor, incapable Ad- amite! He stays bewildered in the midst of this work and does not have the gall to say a word. He suffers iniquity from those moon-like faces and does not have the gall to sigh, His face is like a mirror and a sigh would ruin it. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The Adamite has three states with which he is busy: obedience, by which he profits; disobedience, which he regrets; and heedlessness, by which he loses. What counsel is more beautiful than the Qur'an? Who is more lovingly kind as a counselor than the Patron? What capital is vaster than faith? What is more profitable than commerce with God? Is it that the Adamite is content to be in loss and approves of severance? Has when whatever is to arrive for him arrives.” This is the attribute of that people concerning whom the Exalted Lord says,
Al-Qushairi Tafsir
How many a prophet We sent among the ancients, but a prophet never came to them except that they mocked him. This is a marvelous business. Whenever there is talk of friends, He joins it to the story of the estranged. Whenever He shows gentleness and generosity, He puts it next to severity and harsh- ness. Wherever there is a reality, He creates a metaphor to scatter dust on the reality. Wherever there is an argument, He mixes it with ambiguity to scratch the face of the argument. Wherever there is knowledge, He brings forth ignorance to struggle with the ruling power of the knowledge. Wherever there is tawḤīd, He brings forth associationism to travel the path of quarreling with tawḤīd. For every friend, He creates a thousand enemies. For everyone sincerely truthful, He brings a hundred thousand heretics. Wherever there is a mosque, He builds a church in front of it. Wherever there is a monastery, there is a tavern; wherever a turban, a sash of unbelief; wherever an attestation, a disavowal; wherever a worshiper, someone ignorant; wherever a friend, an enemy; wherever someone truthful, someone ungodly. He has filled from east to west with adornment and blessings, and in every blessing He has prepared a tribulation and trial. “Among the hardships of this world is the harm of almond candy and the benefit of myrobalan.” The poor, incapable Ad- amite! He stays bewildered in the midst of this work and does not have the gall to say a word. He suffers iniquity from those moon-like faces and does not have the gall to sigh, His face is like a mirror and a sigh would ruin it. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The Adamite has three states with which he is busy: obedience, by which he profits; disobedience, which he regrets; and heedlessness, by which he loses. What counsel is more beautiful than the Qur'an? Who is more lovingly kind as a counselor than the Patron? What capital is vaster than faith? What is more profitable than commerce with God? Is it that the Adamite is content to be in loss and approves of severance? Has when whatever is to arrive for him arrives.” This is the attribute of that people concerning whom the Exalted Lord says,
Al-Qushairi Tafsir
How many a prophet We sent among the ancients, but a prophet never came to them except that they mocked him. This is a marvelous business. Whenever there is talk of friends, He joins it to the story of the estranged. Whenever He shows gentleness and generosity, He puts it next to severity and harsh- ness. Wherever there is a reality, He creates a metaphor to scatter dust on the reality. Wherever there is an argument, He mixes it with ambiguity to scratch the face of the argument. Wherever there is knowledge, He brings forth ignorance to struggle with the ruling power of the knowledge. Wherever there is tawḤīd, He brings forth associationism to travel the path of quarreling with tawḤīd. For every friend, He creates a thousand enemies. For everyone sincerely truthful, He brings a hundred thousand heretics. Wherever there is a mosque, He builds a church in front of it. Wherever there is a monastery, there is a tavern; wherever a turban, a sash of unbelief; wherever an attestation, a disavowal; wherever a worshiper, someone ignorant; wherever a friend, an enemy; wherever someone truthful, someone ungodly. He has filled from east to west with adornment and blessings, and in every blessing He has prepared a tribulation and trial. “Among the hardships of this world is the harm of almond candy and the benefit of myrobalan.” The poor, incapable Ad- amite! He stays bewildered in the midst of this work and does not have the gall to say a word. He suffers iniquity from those moon-like faces and does not have the gall to sigh, His face is like a mirror and a sigh would ruin it. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The Adamite has three states with which he is busy: obedience, by which he profits; disobedience, which he regrets; and heedlessness, by which he loses. What counsel is more beautiful than the Qur'an? Who is more lovingly kind as a counselor than the Patron? What capital is vaster than faith? What is more profitable than commerce with God? Is it that the Adamite is content to be in loss and approves of severance? Has when whatever is to arrive for him arrives.” This is the attribute of that people concerning whom the Exalted Lord says,
Kashf Al-Asrar Tafsir
How many a prophet We sent among the ancients, but a prophet never came to them except that they mocked him.This is a marvelous business. Whenever there is talk of friends, He joins it to the story of the estranged. Whenever He shows gentleness and generosity, He puts it next to severity and harsh- ness. Wherever there is a reality, He creates a metaphor to scatter dust on the reality. Wherever there is an argument, He mixes it with ambiguity to scratch the face of the argument. Wherever there is knowledge, He brings forth ignorance to struggle with the ruling power of the knowledge. Wherever there is tawḤīd, He brings forth associationism to travel the path of quarreling with tawḤīd. For every friend, He creates a thousand enemies. For everyone sincerely truthful, He brings a hundred thousand heretics. Wherever there is a mosque, He builds a church in front of it. Wherever there is a monastery, there is a tavern; wherever a turban, a sash of unbelief; wherever an attestation, a disavowal; wherever a worshiper, someone ignorant; wherever a friend, an enemy; wherever someone truthful, someone ungodly. He has filled from east to west with adornment and blessings, and in every blessing He has prepared a tribulation and trial. �Among the hardships of this world is the harm of almond candy and the benefit of myrobalan.� The poor, incapable Ad- amite! He stays bewildered in the midst of this work and does not have the gall to say a word.He suffers iniquity from those moon-like faces and does not have the gall to sigh,His face is like a mirrorand a sigh would ruin it.The Pir of the Tariqah said, �The Adamite has three states with which he is busy: obedience, by which he profits; disobedience, which he regrets; and heedlessness, by which he loses. What counsel is more beautiful than the Qur'an? Who is more lovingly kind as a counselor than the Patron? What capital is vaster than faith? What is more profitable than commerce with God? Is it that the Adamite is content to be in loss and approves of severance? Has when whatever is to arrive for him arrives.� This is the attribute of that people concerning whom the Exalted Lord says,
Tafsir Muyassar
كثيرًا من الأنبياء أرسلنا في القرون الأولى التي مضت قبل قومك أيها النبي. وما يأتيهم من نبي إلا كانوا به يستهزئون كاستهزاء قومك بك، فأهلكنا مَن كذَّبوا رسلنا، وكانوا أشد قوة وبأسًا من قومك يا محمد، ومضت عقوبة الأولين بأن أهلِكوا؛ بسبب كفرهم وطغيانهم واستهزائهم بأنبيائهم. وفي هذا تسلية للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
أى في شيع الأولين.
Tafsir Al Wasit
ثم سلى - سبحانه - نبيه - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عن مكرهم فقال : ( وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن نَّبِيٍّ فِي الأولين ) و ( كَمْ ) هنا خبرية لإِفادة كثرة الأنبياء والمرسلين وهى مفعول مقدم لأرسلنا . وقوله ( مِن نَّبِيٍّ ) تمييز لها .أى : ما أكثر الرسل الذين أرسلناهم فى الأمم الأولين لهدايتهم ، فكان موقف أكثر هؤلاء الأمم من رسلهم . يدل على إعراضهم عنهم ، وتكذيبهم لهم ، فاصبر - أيها الرسول الكريم - على أذى قومك ، كما صبر الذين من قبلك .
Tafsir al-Tabari
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ فِي الأَوَّلِينَ (6)يقول تعالى ذكره: (وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ) يا محمد في القرون الأولين الذين مضوا قبل قرنك الذي بعثت فيه كما أرسلناك في قومك من قريش.
Tafseer Al-Baghawi
" وكم أرسلنا من نبي في الأولين "
Tafseer Tanwir al-Miqbas
وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ فِي الْأَوَّلِينَ (6) لما ذكر إسرافهم في الإعراض عن الإصغاء لدعوة القرآن وأعقبه بكلام موجه إلى الرّسول صلى الله عليه وسلم تسلية عما يلاقيه منهم في خلال الإعراض من الأذى والاستهزاء بتذكيره بأن حاله في ذلك حال الرّسل من قبله وسنةُ الله في الأمم ، ووعد للرّسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بالنصر على قومه بتذكيره بسنة الله في الأمم المكذّبة رسلَهم . وجعل للتسلية المقام الأول من هذا الكلام بقرينة العدل عن ضمير الخطاب إلى ضمير الغيبة في قوله : { فأهلكنا أشد منهم } كما سيأتي ، ويتضمن ذلك تعريضاً بزجرهم عن إسرافهم في الإعراض عن النظر في القرآن .فجملة { وكم أرسلنا من نبيء } معطوفة على جملة { إنا جعلناه قرآناً عربياً } [ الزخرف : 3 ] وما بعدها إلى هنا عطفَ القصة على القصة .و { كَم } اسم دال على عدد كثير مُبهم ، وموقع { كم } نصب بالمفعولية ل { أرسلنا } ، وهو ملتزَم تقديمه لأن أصله اسم استفهام فنقل من الاستفهام إلى الإخبار على سبيل الكناية .وشاع استعماله في ذلك حتى صار الإخبار بالكثرة معنى من معاني { كَم } . والداعي إلى اجتلاب اسم العدد الكثير أن كثرة وقوع هذا الحكم أدخلُ في زجرهم عن مثله وأدخل في تسلية الرّسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وتحصيل صبره ، لأن كثرة وقوعه تؤذن بأنه سنة لا تتخلف ، وذلك أزجر وأسلى .و { الأولين } جمع الأوَّل ، وهو هنا مستعمل في معنى الماضين السابقين كقوله تعالى : { ولقد ضَلّ قبلهم أكثر الأوَّلين } [ الصافات : 71 ] فإنّ الذين أهلكوا قد انقرضوا بقطع النظر عمن عسى أن يكون خَلَفَهم من الأمم .والاستثناء في قوله : { إلا كانوا به يستهزئون } استثناء من أحوال ، أي ما يأتيهم نبيء في حال من أحوالهم إلا يُقارن استهزاؤهم إتيان ذلك النبي إليهم .
Tafseer Al Saddi
يقول تعالى: إن هذه سنتنا في الخلق، أن لا نتركهم هملا، فكم { أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ فِي الْأَوَّلِينَ } يأمرونهم بعبادة اللّه وحده لا شريك له، ولم يزل التكذيب موجودا في الأمم.
Tafseer Al Qurtubi
قوله تعالى : وكم أرسلنا من نبي في الأولين ( كم ) هنا خبرية والمراد بها التكثير ، والمعنى ما أكثر ما أرسلنا من الأنبياء . كما قال : كم تركوا من جنات وعيون أي : ما أكثر ما [ ص: 60 ] تركوا .
Tazkirul Quran
Today there are countless people in the world who speak of previous prophets with reverence. In view of this, it appears very strange that these very prophets (including the Prophet Muhammad) were ridiculed and mocked by their contemporaries. The reason for this is not that the people of those days were savage and the people of today are civilized. It is simply due to a difference in the times. Today, after the lapse of centuries, every prophet is surrounded by an aura of historical glory. So, every superficial admirer of appearances recognises the prophet. But, to his contemporaries, the prophet appeared to be an ordinary person. At that time, in order to discover and recognise the reality of the prophetic position of a prophet, a deep insight was required to discover the reality and, undoubtedly, such insight has always been very rare in this world. However badly a preacher’s addressees may treat him, he unilaterally exercises patience and carries on the work of his mission, until the day comes when God’s will is made manifest on what future course he should take.
Ma'arif-ul-Quran
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.
Tanwir al-Miqbas min Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas
(How many a Prophet did We send) did We send before you, O Muhammad, (among the men of old) among bygone nations; We knew that they would not believe, but We nonetheless did not leave them without messengers and Scriptures!
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