SURAH (43) A-ZUKHRUF (AYA 1 to 20)

Sura (43) AZ-ZUKHRUF (Gold Adornment) Aya 1 to 89 in 7 Section

Revealed in Makka

SECTION 1

The Book rendered into an Arabic reading, so that

people may understand

the Book rendered into an Arabic Reading (i.e., Qur’an) so that the people may understand it---As the earth is quickened once again after it is dead, likewise will ALLAH (SWT), effect the resurrection of the dead for the Day of Judgment.

حم {43:1}

[Q43:1] Haa-Meeem 
[Q43:1] Ha Mim.

[Q43:1] Haa, Miim.

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah 2:1.

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(43:1) Ha’. Mim.

وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ {43:2}

[Q43:2] Wal Kitaabil Mubeen, 
[Q43:2] I swear by the Book that makes things clear:

[Q43:2] Demi Kitab Al-Quran yang menyatakan kebenaran.

Refer to the commentary of Anam 4:59; Zumar 39:1 and 2; Ha Mim: 2 to 4; Ali Imran 3:7; Ya Sin 36:2 to 6; Rad 13:39.

THE QUR’AN REVEALED TO THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) WAS A COMPLETE BOOK, THEREFORE IT IS A FALSE STATEMENT IF SAID THAT HIS FOLLOWERS COLLECTED THE VERSES REVEALED TO HIM AND MADE A BOOK.

µ  Refer to the commentary of Waqi-ah 56:77 to 79 and Buruj 85:21 and 22 for the preserved tablet, the source or foundation of revelation, the essence of ALLAH (SWT)'s eternal laws. Also refer to the summary of al Fatihah, Baqarah 2:2.

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(43:2) By the Clear Book;

إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ {43:3}

[Q43:3] Innaa ja'alnaahu Quraanan 'Arabiyyal la'allakum ta’qiloon. 
[Q43:3] Surely We have made it an Arabic Quran that you may understand.

[Q43:3] Sesungguhnya Kami jadikan Kitab itu sebagai Quran yang diturunkan dengan bahasa Arab, supaya kamu (menggunakan akal) memahaminya.

The Holy Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language SO THAT the people to whom it was first conveyed might understand the truth fully AND THEN convey the same to mankind in the other parts of the world.

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(43:3) verily We have made it an Arabic Qur’an that you may understand. *1

*1 The object of taking an oath by the Qur'an is to impress this fact: "We are the Author of this Book and not Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace)," and the attribute of the Qur'an chosen for the oath is that it is a "lucid Book". To swear by the Qur'an itself with this attribute in order to impress that the Qur'an is Divine Word by itself implies this: "O people, this is an open Book before you. Read it intelligently. Its clear and un-ambiguous themes, its language and literary style, its teaching which distinguishes the truth from falsehood, all arc testifying to the fact that none but the Lord of the Universe could be its Author. "Then the sentence: '"We have made it an Arabic Qur'an so that you may understand it" has two meanings: (1) "It is not in any foreign tongue but in your own language; therefore, you can have no difficulty in assessing its value and worth. Had it been in a non-Arabic language, you could have offered the excuse that you could not determine its being Divine, or otherwise, for you did not understand it. But you cannot offer this excuse about this Arabic Qur'an. Its each word is clear to you: its each passage and discourse, both in language and in theme, is plain for you. Now you may see it for yourself whether this could be the word of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) or of some other Arab." (2) "We have sent this Book in Arabic because We are addressing the Arabs, who can only understand an Arabic Qur'an. The person who disregards this expressly rational ground for sending down the Qur'an in Arabic and regards it as the word of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) instead of Divine Word only because Muhammad's mother tongue is also Arabic, commits a grave injustice. "(To understand this second meaning, please see Surah Ha-Mim As-Sajdah: 44 and its E.N.'s). 

وَإِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ {43:4}

[Q43:4] Wa innahoo feee Ummil Kitaabi Ladainaa la'aliyyun hakeem. 
[Q43:4] And surely it is in the original of the Book with Us, truly elevated, full of wisdom.

[Q43:4] Dan sesungguhnya Al-Quran itu dalam Ibu Suratan di sisi Kami sangat tinggi (kemuliaannya), lagi amat banyak mengandungi hikmat-hikmat dan kebenaran yang tetap kukuh.

v   ‘Ummul Kitab’ the Mother Book, i.e., the Secured Tablet from which gets out all knowledge---see verse 56:77-79.

The Opening Chapter is also called the ‘Ummul Kitab’ for it contains in essence, the whole matter of the Holy Qur’an in a nutshell, i.e., the Original Source of the Holy Qur’an. It also means that THE ORIGINAL OF THIS HOLY BOOK IS SECURED AND NONE CAN EVER MAKE IT EXTINCT.

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(43:4) Indeed it is transcribed in the Original Book with Us; *2 sublime and full of wisdom. *3

*2 "Umm al-Kitab": the "Original Book": the Book from which all the Books sent down to the Prophets have been derived. In Surah AI-Waqi`ah the same thing has been described as Kitab-um-Maknun (the hidden and preserved Book) and in Surah AI-Buruj 22 as Lauh-i Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet), that is, the Tablet whose writing cannot be effaced, which is secure from every kind of interference. By saying that the Qur'an is inscribed in Umm al-Kitab, attention has been drawn to an important truth. Different Books had been revealed by Allah in different ages to different Prophets for the guidance of different nations in different languages, but aII these Books invited mankind to one and the same Faith: they regarded one and the same thing as the Truth; they presented one and the same criterion of good and evil; they propounded the same principles of morality and civilization; in short, they brought one and the same Din (Religion). The reason was that their source and origin was the same, only words were different; they had the same meaning and theme which is inscribed in a Source Book with Allah, and whenever there was a need, He raised a Prophet and sent down the same meaning and subject-matter clothed in a particular diction according to the environment and occasion. Had Allah willed to raise the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be His peace) in another nation instead of the Arabs, He would have sent down the same Qur'an in the language of that nation. In it the meaning and content would have been expressed according to the environments and conditions of the people and land; the words would have been different and the language also different but the teaching and guidance the same basically, and it would be the same Qur'an though not the Arabic Qur'an. This same thing has been expressed in Surah Ash-Shu`ara, thus: "This (Book) has been revealed by the Lord of the worlds. The trustworthy Spirit has come down with it upon your heart so that you may become one of those who are (appointed by God) to warn (the people) in plain Arabic language; and this is also contained in the scriptures of the former peoples." (vv. 192-196). (For explanation, see Ash-Shu`ara: 192196 and the E.N.'s on it).
*3 This sentence is related both to Kitab-i mubin and to Umm al-Kitab. Thus, it is in praise of boththe Qur'an and the Original Book from which the Qur'an has been derived. This praise is meant to impress the fact that if a person dces not recognize the true worth of this Book and dces not benefit from its wise teachings because of his own folly, it would be his own misfortune. If someone tried to degrade it and found fault with it, it would be his own meanness. It cannot become worthless on account of someone's lack of appreciation of it, and its wisdom cannot be eclipsed by anyone's throwing dust at it. This is by itself a glorious Book, which stands exalted by its matchless teaching, miraculous eloquence, faultless wisdom and the sublime personality of its great Author. Therefore, none can succeed in minimizing its value and worth. In verse 44 below the Quraish in particular and the Arabs in general have been told that the revelation of the Book for which they are showing such lack of appreciation had provided them a unique opportunity of honour, which if they lost, would subject them to a severe accountability before God. (Please see E.N. 39 below). 

أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنْكُمُ الذِّكْرَ صَفْحًا أَنْ كُنْتُمْ قَوْمًا مُسْرِفِينَ {43:5}

[Q43:5] Afanadribu 'ankumuz Zikra safhan an kuntum qawmam musrifeen.
[Q43:5] What! Shall We then turn away the reminder from you altogether because you are an extravagant people?

[Q43:5] Patutkah Kami membiarkan kamu dengan mengenepikan dan menjauhkan peringatan Al-Quran daripada kamu, kerana kamu telah menjadi kaum yang melampau buruk keadaannya? (Tidak! Kami tidak akan biarkan, bahkan Kami tetap mengingatkan kamu, samada kamu mahu menerimanya atau sebaliknya). 

IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIS MERCY ALLAH (SWT) would be justified in withdrawing OR discontinuing the light which shows the right path, BECAUSE a large number of ungrateful people in every age belie His messengers and reject His guidance, BUT FOR THE FEW WHO SEEK THE TRUTH HE DOES NOT WITHHOLD HIS GUIDANCE.

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(43:5) Should We divert this Good Counsel from you because you are a people immersed in extravagance? *4

*4 In this one sentence the whole history that had taken place since the time the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) had proclaimed to be a Prophet till the revelation of these verses during the past few years has been compressed. THIS SENTENCE DEPICTS THE FOLLOWING PICTURE: A nation has been involved in ignorance, backwardness and depravity for centuries. Suddenly, Allah looks at it with favour. He raises in it an illustrious guide and sends down His own Word to take it out of the darkness of ignorance so that it is aroused from slumber, it gives up superstitions of ignorance and it becomes aware of the truth and adopts the right way of life. But the ignorant people of the nation and the tribal chiefs turn hostile to the guide, and try their utmost to defeat him and his mission. With the passage of time their hostility and mischief go on increasing; so much so that they make up their mind to kill him. AT THIS, IT IS BEING SAID: "Should We stop making any efforts to reform you because you are proving to be un-worthy people? Should We withhold sending down this Admonition, and leave you lying in the same wretched state in which you have been lying since centuries? Do you really think that should be the demand of Our Mercy? Have you ever considered what doom you would meet when you have turned down the bounty of Allah and persisted in falsehood after the truth has come before you?" 

وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ فِي الْأَوَّلِينَ {43:6}

[Q43:6] Wa kam arsalnaa min Nabiyyin fil awwaleen? 
[Q43:6] And how many a prophet have We sent among the ancients.

[Q43:6] Dan (ingatlah), berapa ramai Nabi-nabi yang kami telah utuskan kepada umat-umat yang terdahulu zamannya.

Refer to surah Araf, Yunus and Hud FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PEOPLE WHO BELIED AND REJECTED HIS MESSENGERS.

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(43:6) How many a Prophet did We send to the earlier peoples!

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ {43:7}

[Q43:7] Wa maa yaateehim min Nabiyyin illaa kaanoo bihee yasahzi‘oon. 
[Q43:7] And there came not to them a prophet but they mocked at him.

[Q43:7] Dan tidak ada seseorang Nabi pun yang datang kepada mereka, melainkan mereka mempersenda dan mengejek-ejeknya. 

(see commentary for verse 6)

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(43:7) Yet never did a Prophet come to them but they mocked him. *5

*5 That is, if such absurdity and senselessness had barred the sending of a Prophet or a Book, no Prophet would ever have come to any nation nor a Book sent to it.

فَأَهْلَكْنَا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشًا وَمَضَىٰ مَثَلُ الْأَوَّلِينَ {43:8}

[Q43:8] Fa ahlaknaaa ashadda minhum batshanw wa madaa masalul lawwaleen. 
[Q43:8] Then We destroyed those who were stronger than these in prowess, and the case of the ancients has gone before, 

[Q43:8] Lalu Kami binasakan orang-orang yang lebih kekuatannya (dan lebih kejam serangannya) daripada mereka dan telahpun disebutkan (berulang-ulang di dalam Al-Quran) tentang kisah-kisah dan misal perbandingan mengenai umat-umat yang telah lalu.

(see commentary for verse 6)

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(43:8) We utterly destroyed them although they were greater in might than these. The examples of ancient peoples have gone before. *6

*6 That is, the result of the senselessness of some particular people could not be that the entire mankind should be deprived of the guidance of the Prophethood and the Book, but its result always has been that the worshippers of falsehood who, being drunk with the pride of power, did not desist from mocking the Prophets, were ultimately destroyed. When Allah's wrath descended even the people, who possessed thousands of times greater power than that possessed by the puny chiefs of the Quraish, were crushed to annihilation like mosquitoes and fleas.

وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ الْعَزِيزُ الْعَلِيمُ {43:9}

[Q43:9] Wa la'in sa altahum man khalaqas samaawaati wal arda la yaqoolunna khalaqa hunnal 'Azeezul ‘Aleem; 
[Q43:9] And if you should ask them, Who created the heavens and the earth? They would most certainly say: The Mighty, the Knowing One, has created them;

[Q43:9] Dan demi sesungguhnya! Jika engkau (wahai Muhammad) bertanya kepada mereka (yang musyrik) itu: Siapakah yang menciptakan langit dan bumi? Sudah tentu mereka akan menjawab: Yang menciptakannya ialah ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Mengetahui.  

See commentary of Hijr 15:21; Ta Ha 20:53; Muminun 23:18 & 19; Ankabut 29:60 to 63; Luqman 31:25; Fatir 35:9 and Ya Sin 36:36 IT IS A CHALLENGING FACT that even if it be asked of the disbelievers as to who created the heaven and the earth, they could not help declaring it with perfect conviction at their heart saying it is ALLAH (SWT) Who has created them, i.e., the exclusive propriety of ALLAH (SWT) as the Creator of the Universe is such an undeniable fact that everyone in the world knows it, be he a believer in Him or a disbeliever even.

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(43:9) Yet if you were to ask them: “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will certainly say: “The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing has created them.”

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ {43:10}

[Q43:10] Allazee ja'ala lakumul arda mahdanw wa ja'ala lakum feehaa subulal la'allakum tahtadoon; 
[Q43:10] He Who made the earth a resting-place for you, and made in it ways for you that you may go aright;

[Q43:10] (Dialah Tuhan) yang telah menjadikan bumi bagi kamu sebagai hamparan dan Ia telah mengadakan bagi kamu di bumi jalan-jalan lalu-lalang, supaya kamu mendapat petunjuk (ke arah yang dituju). 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(43:10) He it is Who made this earth for you a cradle *7 and made in it pathways *8 for you that you may find the way to your destination; *9

*7 At other places the earth has been described as a bed, but here as a cradle. That is, just as a child lies resting in its cradle, so is this great globe meant to be a place of rest for you, which is suspended in space, which is spinning on its axis at a speed of 1,000 miles an hour, which is revolving around the sun at a speed of 66,000 miles an hour. Its interior is so intensely hot that it can melt the stones and it manifests its power sometimes in the form of volcano eruptions. But, in spite of that, the Creator has made it so tranquil that one sleeps on it. in fill peace and there is no jerk whatever. One lives on it and does not at all feel that this globe is suspended and one is hanging from it with one's head pointing downward. One moves about on it with satisfaction and never thinks that one is riding on a vehicle moving faster than a bullet. You dig it at will and turn it inside out and beat it as you like to obtain your sustenance, whereas a little shaking of it in an earthquake makes you feel what a terrible giant it is, which Allah has subdued for you. (For further explanation, sec AI-Naml: 61 and E.N. 74 on it). 
*8 The passes in the mountains and the rivers in the hill and plain regions are the natural paths, which Allah has provided on the surface of the earth. Man has spread on, the earth by means of these. If the mountainous ranges had been created erect, without a crevice, and there had been no rivers and streams, man would have been confined to the same areas where he was born. Then, Allah through another grace has not made the whole surface of the earth uniform in nature, but has created different marks of distinction by means of which man recognizes different lands and feels the difference between one land and another. This is the second important means by which man became able to move about on the earth. This blessing can be appreciated by the one who has had a chance of going on a vast desert, where for thousands of milts the earth is without any landmarks and one does not know where one has reached and where one has to go.
*9 This sentence gives two meanings simultaneously: (1) "That by means of these natural paths and land-marks you may fmd your way and reach the place you want to reach: " and (2) "that you may obtain guidance from the observation of this craftsmanship of Allah Almighty: may reach the underlying reality and understand that this sysum of the earth is not functioning haphazardly, nor has been devised by many gods jointly, but there is one All-Wise Creator, Who has made these paths in the hills and on the plains in view of the needs and requirements of His creatures, and has given each region of the earth a different form in countless different ways by means of which man can distinguish one region from the other. 

وَالَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنْشَرْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ {43:11}

[Q43:11] Wallazee nazzala minas samaaa'i maaa'am biqadarin fa anshamaa bihee baldatam maitaa' kazaalika tukhra-joun; 
[Q43:11] And He Who sends down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We raise to life thereby a dead country, even thus shall you be brought forth;

[Q43:11] Dan (Dialah) yang menurunkan hujan dari menurut sukatan yang tertentu, lalu Kami hidupkan dengan hujan itu negeri yang kering tandus tanahnya. Sedemikian itulah pula kamu akan dikeluarkan (hidup semula dari kubur). 

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(43:11) He Who sent down water from the sky in a determined measure, *10 and thereby We revived a dead land: likewise will you be raised up (from the earth) *11 –

*10 That is, "For each region He has ordained an average measure of the rain, which falls year after year for long ages regularly. It does not happen that an area may have two inches of the rainfall one year and 200 inches of it the next year. Then He spreads the rainfall over different places in different times in such a way that it becomes beneficial on the whole for the products of the earth. And this is also His wisdom that He has deprived some parts of the earth of the rainfall almost wholly and turned them into dry, barren deserts, and in some other parts, He sometimes causes famines w occur and sometimes sends torrential rains so that man may know what a great blessing the rain and its general regularity is for the populated areas, and he may also remember that this sysum is under the control of another power, whose decrees cannot be changed by anyone. No one has the power that he may change the general average of the rainfall of a country, or effect a variation in its distribution over vast areas of the earth, or avert an impending storm, or attract the displeased clouds towards one's own land and compel them to rain." (For further explanation, see AI Hijr: 21-22, Al-Mu'minun: 18-20). 
*11 Here, the birth of vegetation in the earth by means of water has been presented as an argument for two things simultaneously: (1) That these things are happening by the power and wisdom of One God; no one else is His associate in these works; and (2) that there can be life after death, and it will be. (For further explanation. see An-Nahl: 65-67, Al-Hajj: 5-7, An-Naml: 60, Ar-Rum: 19, 24; Fatir: E.N. 19 and Ya Sin: E.N. 29). 

وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ {43:12}

[Q43:12] Wallazee khalaqal azwaaja kullahaa wa ja'ala lakum minal fulki wal-an'aami maa tarkaboon, 
[Q43:12] And He Who created pairs of all things, and made for you of the ships and the cattle what you ride on,

[Q43:12] Dan (Dialah) yang menciptakan sekalian makhluk yang berbagai jenisnya dan Ia mengadakan bagi kamu kapal-kapal dan binatang ternak yang kamu dapat mengenderainya,  

(see commentary for verse 9)

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(43:12) He Who created these pairs, *12 all of them, and provided you ships and cattle on which you ride,

*12 Pairs here does not imply only pairs of men and women among human beings and of males and females among animals and vegetation, but there are countless other things which the Creator has made as matching partners of each other and by whose coming together and combination new and ever new things come into being in the world. For example, among the elements, some can be combined with others and some cannot be. The combination of these which can combine is resulting into various compositions, e.g. the negative and positive charges in electricity are the matching partners of each other and their mutual attraction is causing wonderful things to happen in the world. If man considers the structure and the mutual relationships and the different forms of cooperation and the results of the combination of this and other countless pairs which Allah has created among countless of His creations. He cannot help testifying to the truth that this great workshop of the world is the creation of one and only one Almighty, AlI-Wise Designer, and is functioning only under His care and control, Only a man of mean intelligence could suppose that all this happened, and is happening, without a Wise Being, or there is the possibility in it of the agency and interference of more gods than one. 

لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ{43:13}

[Q43:13] Litastawoo 'alaa zuhoorihee summa tazkuroo ni'mata Rabbikum izastawaitum 'alaihi wa taqooloo Subhaanal lazee sakhkhara lana haaza wa maa kunnaa lahoo muqrineen, 
[Q43:13] That you may firmly sit on their backs, then remember the favor of your Lord when you are firmly seated thereon, and say: Glory be to Him Who made this subservient to us and we were not able to do it.

[Q43:13] Supaya kamu duduk tetap di atasnya; kemudian kamu mengingati nikmat Tuhan kamu apabila kamu duduk tetap di atasnya, serta kamu (bersyukur dengan) mengucapkan: Maha Suci Tuhan yang telah memudahkan kenderaan ini untuk kami, sedang kami sebelum itu tidak terdaya menguasainya

Istiwa refers to dominance, ability to tame or subdue the cattle.

PEOPLE OF UNDERSTANDING ATTRIBUTE ALL GOOD TO ITS TRUE AND ORIGINAL SOURCE--ALLAH (SWT).

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(43:13) so that when you are mounted upon them you may remember the bounty of your Lord, and say: “Glory be to Him Who has subjected this to Us whereas we did not have the strength to subdue it. *13

*13 That is, "Only man from among all the creatures of the earth was not given this power by Allah to use boats and ships and animals as conveyance so that he may be loaded on them like bags of grain and should never think as to who it is who created possibilities for him to run boats in the mighty oceans, and who created some animals of the countless kinds of animals, with a nature that they become his servants in spite of being far stronger than him in power, and he rides on them and drives them wherever he likes. To benefit by these blessings and to forget the Benefactor is a sign of the heart's becoming dead and the conscience's being insensitive. For when a man endowed with a living heart and a sensitive conscience will sit on these conveyances, he will be filled with the feelings of the blessings and with the gratitude for it, and will cry out: "Glorified is the Being Who subjected these things to me: Glorified is He from that another should be His associate in His Being and attributes and powers: Glorified is He and free from the weakness that He should become helpless of performing the functions of His Godhead by Himself and should stand in need of other associate gods: Glorified is He that I should make another an associate with Him in rendering thanks for these blessings."
The best practical commentary of the intention and meaning of this verse are the words that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) used to pronounce at the time he sat on the conveyance. Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Umar says that whenever the Holy Prophet sat on a conveyance for a journey, he would pronounce Allah-u Akbar thrice, then would recite this verse, and then pray: "O God, I implore You to grant me in this journey the grace of goodness and piety and such acts as may please You. O God, make the journey easy and roll up the long distance for us; O God, You alone are the Companion during the journey and Guardian of the family in ow absence. O God, take care of us during, the journey and our household in ow absence." (Musnad Ahmed, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Nasa'i, Darimi, Tirmidhi).
HADRAT 'ALI SAYS: Once the Holy Prophet put his foot in the stirrup with bismillah, and then, after riding, said: Al-,hamd-u lillah, subhan-alladhi sakhkhara lana hadha . . . . , then pronounced al-,hamd-u-lillah thrice, and Allah-u Akbar thrice; then said: Subhana-ka, la-ilaha ills anta, qad zalamtu nafsi fagh fir-li. Then he laughed. I asked: What made you laugh. O Messenger of Allah? He replied: When a servant says: Rabb-ighfir-li, Allah Almighty is very pleased with this. He says: My servant knows that there is none beside Me who can forgive sins." (Ahmed, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, and others)
Abu Mijlaz says: "Once I rode on my animal and recited this verse: Subhan-alladhi sakhkhara lane hadha . . . ; Hadrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Have you been commanded to say so? I said: What should I say then? He replied: Say, thank God, Who guided us to Islam: Thanks to Him, Whodid us a favour by sending Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace): Thanks to Him, Who admitted us into the best community that has been raised for the people; then recite this verse." (Ibn Jarir, Ahkam al-Qur'an by Jassas) 

وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ {43:14}

[Q43:14] Wa innaaa ilaa Rabbinaa lamunqaliboon. 
[Q43:14] And surely to our Lord we must return.

[Q43:14] Dan sesungguhnya kepada Tuhan kamilah, kami akan kembali!  

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(43:14) It is to our Lord that we shall eventually return.” *14

*14 That is, "While embarking on every journey one should remember that there is ahead a longer and final journey also. Besides there is the possibility in the use of every conveyance that an accident may turn that very journey into one's last journey; therefore, every time one should remember one's return to one's Lord so that if something untoward happens, one does not die unawares. Let us pause here for a while and consider the moral results of this teaching. Can one imagine that a person who while sitting on a conveyance starts his journey consciously with ill remembrance of Allah and his return and accountability before Him, would commit sins and injustices and tyrannies on the way? Can a person think or utter these words from his mouth when he intends to go to meet a prostitute, or to visit a club for the purpose of drinking and gambling? Can a ruler, or a government official, or a merchant who has stepped out of his house with such thoughts and such words at his lips, usurp the rights of others when he reaches his destination? Can a soldier utter these words while boarding his aircraft or tank when he goes out to shed blood of the innocent and deprive the weak of their freedom? If not, then this one thing alone is enough to bar every movement undertaken for the commission of a sin. 

وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا ۚ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُبِينٌ {43:15}

[Q43:15] Wa ja'aloo lahoo min 'ibaadihee juz'aa; innal insaana lakafoorum mubeen. 
[Q43:15] And they assign to Him a part of His servants; man, to be sure, is clearly ungrateful.

[Q43:15] Dan mereka (yang musyrik mempersekutukan ALLAH (SwT) dengan) menjadikan sebahagian dari hamba-hamba ALLAH (SwT) sebagai anak bagiNya. Sesungguhnya manusia (yang demikian sesatnya) sangat tidak mengenang budi, lagi nyata kufurnya.

AS A CONTRAST TO THE MEN OF UNDERSTANDING are the ungrateful blasphemous disbelievers who attribute human characteristics to the absolute Lord. It appears expedient to them to understand and present ALLAH (SWT) from the anthropomorphic point of view-conception or representation of ALLAH (SWT) as having the form, personality, or attributes of man: ascription of human characteristics to that which is infinite and absolute.

SO, NOTHING SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO ALLAH (SWT) SAVE THAT WHICH HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THE BOOK OR TO THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD).

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(43:15) Yet they have made some of His servants a part of Him. *15 Indeed man is most evidently thankless.

*15 "To make part of Allah" implies declaring a servant of Allah His offspring, for an offspring inevitably is homogeneous with and a part of the father's body, and regarding somebody as Allah's son or daughter means that he or she is being made a partner in Allah's Being. Besides, another form of making a creature a part of Allah is that it should be regarded as possessor of the attributes and powers as are specifically Allah's own, and it should be invoked under the same concept, or rites of worship performed before it, or its sanctities observed and regarded as imperative and binding, for in that case man divides divinity and providence between Allah and His servants and hands over a part of it to the servants. 

SECTION 2

Blind following of ancestors

Assingning issues to ALLAH (SWT)---Holding the Angles as female---Insisting upon blind following of the ancestors---The disbelievers retributed

أَمِ اتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ بَنَاتٍ وَأَصْفَاكُمْ بِالْبَنِينَ {43:16}

[Q43:16] Amit takhaza mimmaa yakhluqu banaatinw wa asfaakum bilbaneen. 
[Q43:16] What! Has He taken daughters to Himself of what He Himself creates and chosen you to have sons?

[Q43:16] Patutkah tuhan mengambil dari makhluk-makhluk yang diciptakanNya menjadi anak-anak perempuannya dan Dia mengutamakan kamu dengan anak-anak lelaki? 

See commentary of Nahl 16:57 to 62. TO ASCRIBE DAUGHTERS TO ALLAH (SWT) WAS PARTICULARLY ABOMINABLE AND BLASPHEMOUS because the pagans used to hold the female sex in contempt.

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(43:16) Has Allah taken for Himself daughters out of those whom He creates and has chosen you to have sons? *16

وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ مَثَلًا ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ {43:17}

[Q43:17] Wa izaa bushshira ahaduhum bimaa daraba lir Rahmaani masalan zalla wajhuhoo muswaddanw wa hua kazeem. 
[Q43:17] And when one of them is given news of that of which he sets up as a likeness for the Beneficent ALLAH (SWT), his face becomes black and he is full of rage.

[Q43:17] Padahal apabila diberitahu kepada salah seorang dari mereka dengan (berita bahawa dia beroleh anak perempuan seperti) yang dijadikannya sekutu yang sejenis dengan ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Pemurah, muramlah mukanya sepanjang hari (kerana menanggung dukacita), sedang dia menahan perasaan marahnya dalam hati. 

The disbelievers used to wince when a daughter was born to them AND hanker after sons. What they hated and were ashamed of for themselves they attributed to ALLAH (SWT).

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(43:17) (They believe so although when) any of them is given tidings of the birth of a female child the like of which he assigns to the Merciful One, his countenance darkens and he is choked with grief.

*16 Here, the folly of the polytheists of Arabia has been fully exposed. They said that the angels were the daughters of Allah. They had carved out their images as females, and these were their goddesses whom they worshipped. About this Allah says: In the first place, in spite of knowing and recognizing that the Creator of the earth and heavens is Allah and it is He Who has made this earth a cradle for you and it is He Who sends down the rain from the sky and it is He Who has created these animals for your service, yet you have taken others as gods beside Him, whereas those whom you serve as deities are not God but creatures of God. Then, further more, you have made some of the servants associates of Allah not only in His attributes but in His Being as well, and invented the creed that they were Allah's offspring. Then, not resting content with this, you assigned to Allah that kind of the offspring which you regard as disgraceful for your own selves: When a daughter is born in your house, your face grows dark, you feel distressed, and sometimes you bury her alive. This offspring you assign to Allah and reserve for yourselves the sons, whom you regard as a source of joy and pride. Even then you claim that you believe in Allah. 

أَوَمَنْ يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ {43:18}

[Q43:18] Awa mai yunashsha'u fil hilyati wa huwa fil khisaami ghairu Mubeen. 
[Q43:18] What! That which is made in ornaments and which in contention is unable to make plain speech!

[Q43:18] Patutkah (yang dikatakan anak ALLAH (SwT) itu jenis perempuan) yang biasanya dididik dan dibesarkan dalam perhiasan, sedang dia semasa berbantah dan bertikam lidah tidak dapat memberikan alasan yang jelas?

Refer to the commentary of Ta Ha 20:89 and Anbiya 21:66.

The description of those lifeless objects which were adorned with ornaments and could neither speak nor do anything refers to the idols the disbelievers used to worship.

*Some commentators say that this verse refers to women.

The universality of the statement made in this verse may lose its purport if applied to women BECAUSE there were and are many women who do not like ornaments nor display of female vanities, and very effective in arguments or presentation of a point of view.

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(43:18) Do they assign to Allah one who grows up amidst ornaments and is not well-versed in the art of disputation? *17

*17 In other words, °You have assigned to AIlah the offspring that is by nature delicate, weak and frail, and adopted for yourselves the offspring that is bold, courageous and fearless."
This verse shows permissibility of the ornaments for the women, for Allah has mentioned the ornaments as a natural thing for them. The same is also confirmed by the Hadith. Imam Ahmad, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i have related on the authority of Hadrat `Ali that the Holy Prophet took silk in one hand and gold in the other and said that both were forbidden to be used in dress by the men of his Ummah. Tirmidhi and Nasa'i have related from Hadrat Abu Musa Ash`ari a tradition, saying that the Holy Prophet said: "Silk and gold have been forbidden for the men but made lawful for the women of my Ummah." `Allama Abu Bakr al-Jassas has discussed this question in his Ahkam ai-Qur'an and related the following traditions:
Hadrat 'A'ishah says: Once Usamah, son of Zaid bin Harithah, was hurt and started bleeding. The Holy Prophet loved him tike his own children. He sucked his blood and spat it out, and cheered him saying, "Had Usamah been a daughter we would have adorned him with ornaments! Had Usamah been a daughter, we would have dressed him in fine clothes!"
Hadrat Abu Musa Ash'ari has related that the Holy Prophet said: 'Wearing of silken clothes and ornaments of gold is unlawful for the men of my Unmah but lawful for the women. " . Hadrat 'Amr bin `As has related: `Once two women came before the Holy Prophet, and they were wearing bracelets of gold. He said: Would you like that Allah should make you wear bracelets of the fire instead of these? They replied that they would not. Thereupon he said: Pay their dues, i.e. the zakat due on them."
Hadrat `A'isha has stated that there is no harm in wearing the ornaments if the zakat due on them is paid.
Hadrat 'Umar wrote to Hadrat Abu Musa Ash'ari: Order the Muslim women who live in the areas under your administrative control that they should pay the zakat dues on their ornaments.
Imam Abu Hanifah has related the following traditions on the authority of 'Amr bin Dinar: Hadrat 'A'ishah had arranged ornaments of gold for her sisters and Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Umar for his daughters.
After citing all these traditions 'Allama Jassas writes: "The traditions that have been related from the Holy Prophet and the Companions about the permissibility and lawfulness of gold and silk for the women are better known and more common than those that are there about their unlawfulness, and the above  verse also points to their lawfulness. Then the practice of the Muslims also from the time of the Holy Prophet and his Companions till our time (i.e. till the latter part of the 4th century of hijrah) has been the same, and no one ever objected to it. In such matters, no objection can be admitted on the basis of the isolate reports (Akhbar ahab)." 

وَجَعَلُوا الْمَلَائِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ إِنَاثًا ۚ أَشَهِدُوا خَلْقَهُمْ ۚ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ وَيُسْأَلُونَ {43:19}

[Q43:19] Wa ja'alul malaaa'ikatal lazeena hum 'ibaadur Rahmaani inaasaa; a shahidoo khalaqhum; satuktabu shahaa datuhum wa yus‘aloon. 
[Q43:19] And they make the angels-- them who are the servants of the Beneficent ALLAH (SWT) -- female (divinities). What! Did they witness their creation? Their evidence shall be written down and they shall be questioned.

[Q43:19] Dan mereka pula menyifatkan malaikat yang juga menjadi hamba-hamba ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Pemurah itu jenis perempuan. Adakah mereka menyaksikan kejadian malaikat itu? Akan dituliskan kata-kata mereka (yang dusta itu) dan mereka akan ditanya kelak (serta akan menerima balasannya). 

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(43:19) They claim that angels, who are Allah’s chosen servants, *18 are females. Did they witness how their body is constituted? *19 Their testimony shall be written and they shall be called to account.

*18 That is, who are fret from this that they should be males or females. 
*19 Another translation can be: "were they present at the time of their creation?" 

وَقَالُوا لَوْ شَاءَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَاهُمْ ۗ مَا لَهُمْ بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ {43:20}

[Q43:20] Wa qaaloo law shaaa'ar Rahmaanu maa 'abadnaahum; maa lahum bizaalika min 'ilmin in hum illaa yakhrusoon. 
[Q43:20] And they say: If the Beneficent ALLAH (SWT) had pleased, we should never have worshipped them. They have no knowledge of this; they only lie.

[Q43:20] Dan mereka berkata: Kalaulah ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Pemurah menghendaki tentulah kami tidak menyembah malaikat itu. (Sebenarnya) mereka tidak mempunyai sesuatu pengetahuan pun mengenai kata-kata mereka (yang demikian), mereka hanyalah orang-orang yang berdusta! 

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(43:20) They say: “Had the Merciful One so willed, we would never have worshipped these deities.” *20 But they have no knowledge of the matter and are simply conjecturing.

*20 This was their reasoning from destiny to cover up their deviation and error, and this has been the argument of the wrong-doers in every age. They argued that their worshipping the angels became possible only because Allah allowed them to do so. Had He not willed so they could not have done it; and then it had been a practice with them for centuries and no torment from Allah had descended on them, which meant that Allah did not disapprove of their this practice.