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Surah 43. Az-Zukhruf

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43:41
فَإِمَّا نَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ فَإِنَّا مِنْهُم مُّنتَقِمُونَ Faimm a na th habanna bika fainn a minhum muntaqimoon a
But whether We do [or do not] take thee away [ere thy message prevails] - verily, We shall inflict Our retribution on them;
  - Mohammad Asad
We shall surely inflict retribution on them, whether We take you away from this world,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Even if We take you away 'from this world', We will surely inflict punishment upon them.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And if We take thee away, We surely shall take vengeance on them;
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Even if We take thee away We shall be sure to exact retribution from them. 4645
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. viii. 30: "how the Unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home)". They were always plotting against the holy Prophet in his Makkan period. But even if their plots had succeeded against human beings, they could not defeat Allah's Plan, nor escape the just punishment of their deeds. Cf. also x. 46, and n. 1438.

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43:42
أَوْ نُرِيَنَّكَ ٱلَّذِى وَعَدْنَـٰهُمْ فَإِنَّا عَلَيْهِم مُّقْتَدِرُونَ Aw nuriyannaka alla th ee waAAadn a hum fainn a AAalayhim muqtadiroon a
and whether We show thee [or do not show thee in this world] the fulfilment of what We have promised them - verily, We have full power over them!
  - Mohammad Asad
or let you see their end, which We have promised them: surely We have full power over them.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Or if We show you what We threaten them with, We certainly have full power over them.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Or (if) We show thee that wherewith We threaten them; for lo! We have complete command of them.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Or We shall show thee that (accomplished) which We have promised them: for verily We shall prevail over them.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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43:43
فَٱسْتَمْسِكْ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ Fa i stamsik bi a lla th ee oo h iya ilayka innaka AAal a s ir at in mustaqeem in
So hold fast to all that has been revealed to thee: for, behold, thou art on a straight way;
  - Mohammad Asad
Therefore, hold fast to this Qur'an which is reveled to you, surely you are on the Right Way.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So hold firmly to what has been revealed to you 'O Prophet'. You are truly on the Straight Path.
  - Mustafa Khattab
So hold thou fast to that which is inspired in thee. Lo! thou art on a right path.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee: verily thou art on Straight Way. 4646
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Let the wicked rage, say what they like, or do their worst: the prophet of Allah is encouraged to go forward steadfastly in the Light given him, for he is on a Path that leads straight to Allah.

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43:44
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ ۖ وَسَوْفَ تُسْـَٔلُونَ Wainnahu la th ikrun laka waliqawmika wasawfa tusaloon a
and, verily, this [revelation] shall indeed become [a source of] eminence for thee and thy people:36 but in time you all will be called to account [for what you have done with it].37
  - Mohammad Asad

For the above rendering of dhikr as "[a source of] eminence", see first half of note [13] on 21:10 .

The meaning is that on the Day of Judgment all prophets will be asked, metaphorically, as to what response they received from their people (cf. 5:109 ), and those who professed to follow them will be called to account for the spiritual and social use they made - or did not make - of the revelation conveyed to them: and thus, the "eminence" promised to the followers of Muhammad will depend on their actual behaviour and not on their mere profession of faith.

In fact this Qur'an is a reminder for you and your people; and you shall soon be questioned about it.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Surely this 'Quran' is a glory for you and your people. And you will 'all' be questioned 'about it'.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And lo! it is in truth a Reminder for thee and for thy folk; and ye will be questioned.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
The (Qur'an) is indeed the Message for thee and for thy people; and soon shall ye (all) be brought to account. 4647
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Zikrun: Message, Remembrance, Cause of remembrance, Memorial. Title for remembrance to posterity. Thus two meanings emerge, not necessarily mutually exclusive. (1) The Qur-an brings a Message of Truth and Guidance to the Prophet, and his people; (2) the revelation of the Qur-an raises the rank of the Prophet, and the people among whom, and in whose language, it was promulgated, making them worthy of remembrance in the world's history for all time. But the honour also carried its responsibilities. All who hear it must give an account of how far they profit by it spiritually.

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43:45
وَسْـَٔلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ Wa i sal man arsaln a min qablika min rusulin a ajaAAaln a min dooni a l rra h m a ni a lihatan yuAAbadoon a
Yet [above all else,] ask any of Our apostles whom We sent forth before thy time38 whether We have ever allowed that deities other than the Most Gracious be worshipped!
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e.. "look into the earlier revelations and ask thyself".

Ask those of Our Rasools whom We sent before you if We ever appointed other gods to be worshipped besides the Compassionate Allah?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Ask 'the followers of' the messengers that We already sent before you if We 'ever' appointed 'other' gods to be worshipped besides the Most Compassionate.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before thee: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped beside the Beneficent?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And question thou Our apostles whom We sent before thee; did We appoint any deities other than (Allah) Most Gracious to be worshipped? 4648
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That is, by examining their Message, and asking the learned among their real followers. It will be found that no Religion really teaches the worship of other than Allah.

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43:46
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَقَالَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ Walaqad arsaln a moos a bi a y a tin a il a firAAawna wamalaihi faq a la innee rasoolu rabbi alAA a lameen a
THUS, INDEED,39 have We sent Moses with Our messages unto Pharaoh and his great ones; and he said: "Behold, I am an apostle of the Sustainer of all the worlds!"
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in pursuance of the principle, referred to above, that it is not permissible to worship anyone or anything but God.

We sent Musa with Our signs to Fir'on and his chiefs. He said to them: "I am a Rasool of the Rabb of the worlds."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Indeed, We sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, and he said: 'I am a messenger of the Lord of all worlds.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And verily We sent Moses with Our revelations unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, and he said: I am a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
We did send Moses aforetime with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his Chiefs: he said "I am an apostle of the Lord of the Worlds." 4649
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For the story of Moses in detail, see vii. 103-137, but especially vii. 104, 130- 136.

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43:47
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَضْحَكُونَ Falamm a j a ahum bi a y a tin a i tha hum minh a ya dh akoon a
But as soon as he came before them with Our [miraculous] signs,40 lo! they derided them,
  - Mohammad Asad

See note [94] on the last sentence of 6:109 .

When he showed them Our signs, they laughed at those signs.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
But as soon as he came to them with Our signs, they laughed at them,
  - Mustafa Khattab
But when he brought them Our tokens, behold! they laughed at them.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But when he came to them with Our Signs behold they ridiculed them. 4650
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For the mockery of Moses and his Signs see xvii. 101; also below, xliii. 49, 52-53.

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43:48
وَمَا نُرِيهِم مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ إِلَّا هِىَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أُخْتِهَا ۖ وَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِٱلْعَذَابِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ Wam a nureehim min a yatin ill a hiya akbaru min okhtih a waakha th n a hum bi a lAAa tha bi laAAallahum yarjiAAoon a
although each sign that We showed them was weightier than the preceding one: and [each time] We took them to task through suffering, so that they might return [to Us].41
  - Mohammad Asad

The concept of "returning" to God implies that the instinctive ability to perceive His existence is inherent in human nature as such, and that man's "turning away" from God is only a consequence of spiritual degeneration, and not an original tendency or predisposition: cf. {7:172-173}. The "suffering" ('adhab) mentioned above relates to the plagues with which the recalcitrant Egyptians were struck (see 7:130 ff.).

Yet We showed them sign after sign each greater than the one preceding it and We afflicted them with the scourge, so that they might return to the Right Way.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
although every sign We showed them was greater than the one before.1 Ultimately, We seized them with torments so that they might return 'to the Right Path'.2
  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the hand and the staff (see 20:17-22).

 The torments were: famine, shortage of crops, floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood (see 7:130-133).

And every token that We showed them was greater than its sister (token), and we grasped them with the torment, that haply they might turn again.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
We showed them Sign after Sign each greater than its fellow and We seized them with Punishment in order that they might turn (to Us). 4651
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Moses showed them nine Clear Signs: see n. 1091 to vii. 133; also xvii. 101. Each one of them in its own setting and circumstances was greater than any of its "Sister" Signs. The object was if possible to reclaim as many Egyptians as possible from their defiance of Allah.

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43:49
وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَ ٱلسَّاحِرُ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهْتَدُونَ Waq a loo y a ayyuh a a l s ah iru odAAu lan a rabbaka bim a AAahida AAindaka innan a lamuhtadoon a
And [every time] they exclaimed: "O thou sorcerer! Pray for us to thy Sustainer on the strength of the covenant [of prophethood] which He has made with thee: for, verily, we shall now follow the right way!"
  - Mohammad Asad
Each time they were seized by a scourge, they requested Musa: "O magician! Pray to your Rabb for us by virtue of the covenant He has made with you; we shall surely accept your guidance."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'Then' they pleaded, 'O 'mighty' magician! Pray to your Lord on our behalf, by virtue of the covenant He made with you.1 We will certainly accept guidance.'
  - Mustafa Khattab

 See 7:134.

And they said: O wizard; Entreat thy Lord for us by the pact that He hath made with thee. Lo! we verily will walk aright.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And they said "O thou Sorcerer! invoke thy Lord for us according to His covenant with thee; for We shall truly accept guidance." 4652
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This speech is half a mockery, and half a ruse. In spite of their unbelief, they had fear in their minds, and in order to stop the plagues, one after another, they promised to obey Allah, and when the particular plague was removed, they again became obdurate. See vii. 133-135.

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43:50
فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابَ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ Falamm a kashafn a AAanhumu alAAa tha ba i tha hum yankuthoon a
But whenever We removed the suffering from them, lo! they would break their word.
  - Mohammad Asad
But each time We lifted the scourge from them, they broke their pledge.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
But as soon as We removed the torments from them, they broke their promise.
  - Mustafa Khattab
But when We eased them of the torment, behold! they broke their word.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
But when We removed the Penalty from them behold they broke their word.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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43:51
وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِى قَوْمِهِۦ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِى مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَـٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِىٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ Wan a d a firAAawnu fee qawmihi q a la y a qawmi alaysa lee mulku mi s ra wah ath ihi alanh a ru tajree min ta h tee afal a tub s iroon a
And Pharaoh issued a call to his people, saying: "O my people! Does not the dominion over Egypt belong to me, since all these running waters flow at my feet?42 Can you not, then, see [that I am your lord supreme]?
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "beneath me", i.e., "at my command": a reference to the imposing irrigation system originating in the Nile and controlled by royal power.

One day Fir'on made a proclamation among his people: "O my people! Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? Are not these rivers flowing beneath me? Can you not see?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Pharaoh called out to his people, boasting, 'O my people! Am I not sovereign over Egypt as well as 'all' these streams1 flowing at my feet? Can you not see?
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Branches of the Nile.

And Pharaoh caused a proclamation to be made among his people saying: O my people! Is not mine the sovereignty of Egypt and these rivers flowing under me? Can ye not then discern?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people saying: "O my people! does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me (witness) these streams flowing underneath my (palace)? What! see ye not then? 4653
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The waw here in Arabic is the Waw haliya: the abundant streams from the Nile flowing beneath his palace being evidence of his power, prosperity, and sovereignty. The Nile made (and makes) Egypt, and the myth of the god Osiris was a compound of the myths of the Nile and the sun. The Pharaoh, therefore, as commanding the Nile, commanded the gods who personified Egypt. He boasted of water, and he perished in water,-a fitting punishment!

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43:52
أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ Am an a khayrun min h atha alla th ee huwa maheenun wal a yak a du yubeen u
Am I not better than this contemptible man who can hardly make his meaning clear?43
  - Mohammad Asad

An allusion to the impediment in speech from which Moses suffered (cf. {20:27-28} and the corresponding note [17]), or perhaps to the contents of his message, which to Pharaoh appeared unconvincing.

Am I not better than this despicable wretch, who can hardly express himself clearly?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Am I not better than this nobody who can hardly express himself?1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Moses used to have a speech impediment. But when he became a prophet he prayed to Allah to help him speak clearly, and his prayer was answered (see 20:25-36).

I am surely better than this fellow, who is despicable, and can hardly make (his meaning) plain!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"Am I not better than this (Moses) who is a contemptible wretch and can scarcely express himself clearly? 4654
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Being a despised Israelite in any case, and having further an impediment in his speech. See xx. 27, and notes 2552-53.

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43:53
فَلَوْلَآ أُلْقِىَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ Falawl a olqiya AAalayhi aswiratun min th ahabin aw j a a maAAahu almal a ikatu muqtarineen a
"And then - why have no golden armlets been bestowed on him?44 - or why have no angels come together with him?"
  - Mohammad Asad

In ancient Egypt, golden armless and necklaces were regarded as princely insignia (cf. Genesis xii, 42), or at least as evidence of high social dignity. This is apparently an echo of the pagan objection to Muhammad, mentioned in verse {31} above: "Why was not this Qur'an bestowed from on high on some great man of the two cities?" The same is the case with the subsequent reference to the "absence of angels".

If he is really a Rasool then Why have no gold bracelets been given to him, or angels sent down to accompany him?"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Why then have no golden bracelets 'of kingship' been granted to him or angels come with him as escorts!'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Why, then, have armlets of gold not been set upon him, or angels sent along with him?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"Then why are not gold bracelets bestowed on him or (why) come (not) with him angels accompanying him in procession?" 4655
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Gold bracelets and gold chains were possibly among the insignia of royalty. In any case they betokened wealth, and the materialists judge a man's worth by his wealth and his following and equipage. So Pharaoh wanted to see Moses, if he had any position in the spiritual kingdom, invested with gold bracelets, and followed by a great train of angels as his Knight-companions! The same kind of proofs were demanded by the materialist Quraish of our holy Prophet. These were puerilities, but such puerilities go down with the crowd. Barring a few Egyptians who believed in Allah and in the Message of Moses, the rest of Pharaoh's entourage followed Pharaoh in his pursuit of revenge, and were drowned in the Red Sea.

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43:54
فَٱسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُۥ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا فَـٰسِقِينَ Fa i stakhaffa qawmahu faa ta AAoohu innahum k a noo qawman f a siqeen a
Thus he incited his people to levity, and they obeyed him: for, behold, they were people depraved!
  - Mohammad Asad
Thus did he incite his people and they obeyed him; surely they were a nation of transgressors.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And so he fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were truly a rebellious people.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Thus he persuaded his people to make light (of Moses), and they obeyed him. Lo! they were a wanton folk.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Thus did he make fools of his people and they obeyed him: Truly were they a people rebellious (against Allah).
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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43:55
فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَـٰهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ Falamm a a safoon a intaqamn a minhum faaghraqn a hum ajmaAAeen a
But when they continued to challenge Us, We inflicted Our retribution on them, and drowned them all:
  - Mohammad Asad
At last when they provoked Us, We inflicted retribution on them and drowned them all,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So when they enraged Us, We inflicted punishment upon them, drowning them all.
  - Mustafa Khattab
So, when they angered Us, We punished them and drowned them every one.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
When at length they provoked Us We exacted retribution from them and We drowned them all 4656 4657
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah is patient, and gives many and many opportunities to the most hardened sinners for repentance. But at length comes a time when His justice is provoked, and the inevitable punishment follows.

Cf. vii. 136.

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43:56
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْـَٔاخِرِينَ FajaAAaln a hum salafan wamathalan lil a khireen a
and so We made them a thing of the past, and an example to those who would come after them.
  - Mohammad Asad
and made them a lesson and an example for the later generations.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And We made them an example and a lesson for those after them.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And We made them a thing past, and an example for those after (them).
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And We made them (a people) of the Past and an Example to later ages. 4658
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Pharaoh and his hosts were blotted out, and became as a tale of the past. Their story is an instructive warning and example to future generations.

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43:57
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ Walamm a d uriba ibnu maryama mathalan i tha qawmuka minhu ya s iddoon a
NOW WHENEVER [the nature of] the son of Mary is set forth as an example, [O Muhammad,] lo! thy people raise an outcry on this score,
  - Mohammad Asad
When Maryam's son Isa (Jesus) is quoted as an example, your people raise a clamor at it,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
When the son of Mary was cited as an example 'in argument', your people 'O Prophet' broke into 'joyful' applause.1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 When 21:98 was revealed, warning the polytheists that all false gods will be in Hell, ’Abdullâh ibn Az-Ziba’ra, a poet who always attacked Islam, argued with the Prophet (ﷺ) that if what the verse says is true, then Jesus will be in Hell as well! The polytheists, who were present, laughed in agreement with this argument. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied that the verse was talking exclusively about idols, adding that Jesus himself did not ask anyone to worship him. Verse 21:101 was later revealed in support of the Prophet’s argument. Eventually, ’Abdullâh accepted Islam.

And when the son of Mary is quoted as an example, behold! the folk laugh out,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example behold thy people raise a clamor there at (in ridicule)! 4659
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Jesus was a man, and a prophet to the Children of Israel, "though his own received him not." Some of the churches that were founded after him worshipped him as "God" and as "the son of God", as do the Trinitarian churches to the present day. The orthodox churches did so in the time of the holy Prophet. When the doctrine of Unity was renewed, and the false worship of others besides Allah was strictly prohibited, all false gods were condemned, e.g., at xxi. 98. The pagan Arabs looked upon Jesus as being in the same category as their false gods, and could not see why a foreign cult, or a foreign god, as they viewed him, should be considered better than their own gods or idols. There was no substance in this, but mere mockery, and verbal quibbling. Jesus was one of the greater prophets: he was not a god, nor was he responsible for the quibbling subtleties of the Athanasian Creed.

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43:58
وَقَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَـٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًۢا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ Waq a loo a a lihatun a khayrun am huwa m a d araboohu laka ill a jadalan bal hum qawmun kha s imoon a
and say, "Which is better - our deities or he?"45 [But] it is only in the spirit of dispute that they put this comparison before thee: yea, they are contentious folk!46
  - Mohammad Asad

Objecting to the Qur'anic condemnation of their idolatrous worship of angels - whom they describe here as "our deities" - the pagan Quraysh pointed to the parallel Christian worship of Jesus as "the son of God", and even as "God incarnate", and argued more or less thus: "The Qur'an states that Jesus was purely human - and yet the Christians, whom the same Qur'an describes as 'followers of earlier revelation' (ahl al-kitab), consider him divine. Hence, are we not rather justified in our worshipping angels, who are certainly superior to a mere human being?" The fallacy inherent in this "argument" is disposed of in the sequence.

Since the Qur'an condemns explicitly, and in many places, the deification of Jesus by the Christians, this unwarranted deification cannot be used as an argument in favour of the pagan worship of angels and, thus, against the Qur'an: in the words of Zamakhshari, such an argument amounts to "applying a false analogy to a false proposition" (qiyas basil bi-batil).

and say: "Are Our gods better or is he?" They cite this to you merely to provoke you. They are but a quarrelsome people.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They exclaimed, 'Which is better: our gods or Jesus?' They cite him only to argue. In fact, they are a people prone to dispute.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And they say " Are Our gods best or He?" This they set forth to thee only by way of disputation: yea they are a contentious people.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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43:59
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ In huwa ill a AAabdun anAAamn a AAalayhi wajaAAaln a hu mathalan libanee isr a eel a
[As for Jesus,] he was nothing but [a human being -] a servant [of Ours] whom We had graced [with prophethood], and whom We made an example for the children of Israel.
  - Mohammad Asad
He (Jesus) was no more than a mortal whom We favored and made an example to the children of Israel.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He was only a servant We showed favour to, and made as an example for the Children of Israel.
  - Mustafa Khattab
He is nothing but a slave on whom We bestowed favor, and We made him a pattern for the Children of Israel.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. 4660
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A reference to the limited mission of the prophet Jesus, whose Gospel to the Jews only survives in uncertain fragmentary forms.

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43:60
وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَـٰٓئِكَةً فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ Walaw nash a o lajaAAaln a minkum mal a ikatan fee alar d i yakhlufoon a
And had We so willed, [O you who worship angels,] We could indeed have made you into angels succeeding one another on earth!47
  - Mohammad Asad

Implying not only that Jesus was not a supernatural being, but that the angels, too, are mere created beings finite in their existence - as indicated by the phrase "succeeding one another" - and, therefore, utterly removed from the status of divinity (Baydawi).

Had it been Our will, We could create angels from you to succeed you in the earth.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Had We willed, We could have easily replaced you 'all' with angels,1 succeeding one another on earth.
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Or “We could have easily produced angels from you …”

And had We willed We could have set among you angels to be viceroys in the earth.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And if it were Our Will We could make angels from amongst you succeeding each other on the earth. 4661
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If it were said that the birth of Jesus without a father sets him above other prophets, the creation of angels without either father or mother would set them still higher, especially as angels do not eat and drink and are not subject to physical laws. But angels are not higher.

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