Az-Zukhruf 43:12
The Ornaments of Gold · Juz 25 · Page 490
وَٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مَا تَرۡكَبُونَ ١٢
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 43:9–12
In every period, the majority of people have admitted, that the Creator and Lord of the Universe is God, and that it is He who has provided them with the wherewithal for the sustenance of life. To bring the Universe into existence and to make every provision for life on the earth are such gigantic tasks that it is impossible to attribute their undertaking to anyone except the one and only God. This assertion calls for man to devote his attention to God above all; his life should be a God-oriented life. But man sets himself other goals; he places entities other than God at the centre of his attention. Almighty God has revealed the realities through His prophets. In addition to that, He has created the world in such a way that it has become the practical illustration, or analogy of hidden realities. For instance, it is a fact that human beings will be resurrected after death—a fact shown at the level of vegetation again and again. It is seen by man every year that the land becomes dry and dead. Then there are rains and the land is again covered with lush greenery. This phenomenon points to the fact that man will be brought to life again after death. Another special feature of the present world is that it is most wonderfully favourable to human existence. Everything here has been created in such a way that it can be used by man for his own purposes as he wishes. This blessing demands that a feeling of gratitude should develop in man. Whenever he happens to use anything in God’s world, he should spontaneously bow his head before God and words of acknowledgement and prayer should fall from his lips.
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43:11
وَٱلَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءَۢ بِقَدَرٖ فَأَنشَرۡنَا بِهِۦ بَلۡدَةٗ مَّيۡتٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخۡرَجُونَ ١١
And who sends down rain from the sky in measured amounts, and We revive thereby a dead land - thus will you be brought forth -
43:12
وَٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مَا تَرۡكَبُونَ ١٢
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
43:13
لِتَسۡتَوُۥاْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِۦ ثُمَّ تَذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ رَبِّكُمۡ إِذَا ٱسۡتَوَيۡتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَتَقُولُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُۥ مُقۡرِنِينَ ١٣
That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them and say, "Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have [otherwise] subdued it.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "made it a companion" or "made it compatible." ↩
43:14
وَإِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ ١٤
And indeed we, to our Lord, will [surely] return."
43:15
وَجَعَلُواْ لَهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ جُزۡءًاۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَكَفُورٞ مُّبِينٌ ١٥
But they have attributed to Him from His servants a portion.1 Indeed, man is clearly ungrateful.
1 translator’s note
- By claiming that He (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has a son or daughters, as it is said that a child is part of his parent. This concept is totally incompatible with Allāh's unity and exclusiveness. ↩
43:16
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخۡلُقُ بَنَاتٖ وَأَصۡفَىٰكُم بِٱلۡبَنِينَ ١٦
Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] sons?
43:17
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مَثَلٗا ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدّٗا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ١٧
And when one of them is given good tidings of that which he attributes to the Most Merciful in comparison [i.e., a daughter], his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
43:18
أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُاْ فِي ٱلۡحِلۡيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡخِصَامِ غَيۡرُ مُبِينٖ ١٨
So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident1 [attributed to Allāh]?
1 translator’s note
- Not "obvious" or "distinct" in an argument. Or not "seen," i.e., absent from battles. The reference is to a daughter. ↩
43:19
وَجَعَلُواْ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عِبَٰدُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ إِنَٰثًاۚ أَشَهِدُواْ خَلۡقَهُمۡۚ سَتُكۡتَبُ شَهَٰدَتُهُمۡ وَيُسۡـَٔلُونَ ١٩
And they described the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, as females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned.
43:20
وَقَالُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدۡنَٰهُمۗ مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَخۡرُصُونَ ٢٠
And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have of that no knowledge. They are not but misjudging.
43:21
أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسۡتَمۡسِكُونَ ٢١
Or have We given them a book before it [i.e., the Qur’ān] to which they are adhering?
43:22
بَلۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ٢٢
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."