Az-Zukhruf 43:60
The Ornaments of Gold · Juz 25 · Page 493
وَلَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلۡنَا مِنكُم مَّلَٰٓئِكَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَخۡلُفُونَ ٦٠
And if We willed, We could have made [instead] of you angels succeeding [one another]1 on the earth.
1 translator’s note
- Or "succeeding [you]." ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 43:60
وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَائِكَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ (and if we will, We may create angels from you who succeed you on the earth...43:60) This is in reply to the gravely mistaken conclusion drawn by Christians from the miraculous birth of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) without a father as a result of which they attributed godhead to him, and started worshipping him. Allah Ta ala states to controvert their argument that Sayyidna 'Isa's (علیہ السلام) birth was merely a demonstration of His power, and He has the power to do even more supernatural things like creating Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) without father and mother. And if He wills, He may do as unprecedented things as causing angels to be born out of human beings.
Page 493
43:48
وَمَا نُرِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٍ إِلَّا هِيَ أَكۡبَرُ مِنۡ أُخۡتِهَاۖ وَأَخَذۡنَٰهُم بِٱلۡعَذَابِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٤٨
And We showed them not a sign except that it was greater than its sister, and We seized them with affliction that perhaps they might return [to faith].
43:49
وَقَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَ ٱلسَّاحِرُ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهۡتَدُونَ ٤٩
And they said [to Moses], "O magician, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. Indeed, we will be guided."
43:50
فَلَمَّا كَشَفۡنَا عَنۡهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابَ إِذَا هُمۡ يَنكُثُونَ ٥٠
But when We removed from them the affliction, at once they broke their word.
43:51
وَنَادَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِي قَوۡمِهِۦ قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَلَيۡسَ لِي مُلۡكُ مِصۡرَ وَهَٰذِهِ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِيٓۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٥١
And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?
43:52
أَمۡ أَنَا۠ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي هُوَ مَهِينٞ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ ٥٢
Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?1
1 translator’s note
- That was true previous to his appointment as a prophet, at which time Allāh corrected his speech impediment. ↩
43:53
فَلَوۡلَآ أُلۡقِيَ عَلَيۡهِ أَسۡوِرَةٞ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ مَعَهُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ مُقۡتَرِنِينَ ٥٣
Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"
43:54
فَٱسۡتَخَفَّ قَوۡمَهُۥ فَأَطَاعُوهُۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمٗا فَٰسِقِينَ ٥٤
So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of Allāh].
43:55
فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ ٥٥
And when they angered Us, We took retribution from them and drowned them all.
43:56
فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ سَلَفٗا وَمَثَلٗا لِّلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٥٦
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
43:57
۞ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوۡمُكَ مِنۡهُ يَصِدُّونَ ٥٧
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example,1 immediately your people laughed aloud.
1 translator’s note
- Of a creation of Allāh which is being worshipped along with Him. ↩
43:58
وَقَالُوٓاْ ءَأَٰلِهَتُنَا خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ هُوَۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلَۢاۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٌ خَصِمُونَ ٥٨
And they said, "Are our gods better, or is he?"1 They did not present it [i.e., the comparison] except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
1 translator’s note
- Implying that they must all be the same. ↩
43:59
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبۡدٌ أَنۡعَمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ مَثَلٗا لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٥٩
He [i.e., Jesus] was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.
43:60
وَلَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلۡنَا مِنكُم مَّلَٰٓئِكَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَخۡلُفُونَ ٦٠
And if We willed, We could have made [instead] of you angels succeeding [one another]1 on the earth.
1 translator’s note
- Or "succeeding [you]." ↩