ﲺ ﲻ ﲼ ﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﳂ ﳃ ﳄ ﳅ ﳆ ﳇ ﳈ ﳉ ﳊ ﳋ ﳌ ﳍ ﳎ
Allah presents an example: a slave owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah! But most of them do not know.
Tafsir
Verse range: 39:29
It is known that after God extensively explained the warning to the disbelievers, He followed it up by mentioning a parable that indicates the corruption of their doctrine and the ugliness of their path, saying: {God sets forth a parable}.
In this verse, there are several issues:
The term al-mutashākisūn (the disputing/contentious ones) refers to those who are difficult and conflicting. It is said: shakasa, yashkusu, shukūsan or shaksan if someone is difficult. A difficult man is called rajulun shakis. Tashākasa means they became difficult toward one another.
Al-Layth said: At-tashākusu means contention and disagreement. It is also said that the night and day are mutashākisān, meaning they are opposites; when one comes, the other departs.
The phrase {partners} (shurakā’) in this context is connected to the verb, similar to saying ishtarakū fīhi (they shared in it).
Ibn Kathir and Abu ‘Amr recited it as {sāliman} (with an alif and a kasra on the lām). It is said: salima fa-huwa sālim (he was safe, so he is safe).
The rest of the reciters read it as {saliman} (with a fatḥa on the sīn and lām without an alif). It is also read with a fatḥa on the sīn and a kasra on the sīn with a sukūn on the ‘ayn.
The phrase {to a man} (li-rajulin) means "possessing freedom from partnership," derived from the saying: salimat lahu ad-ḍay‘ah (the estate was delivered to him purely).
It was also read with the nominative case (raf‘) as an initial subject: "And there is a safe man belonging to a man."
The intended meaning of the statement is: Set forth a parable for your people and tell them what they say concerning a slave who has several partners among whom there is disagreement and contention. Each one claims that the slave is his servant, so they pull him in their various needs, and he is bewildered about his situation. Whenever he pleases one of them, the others become angry. If he needs something from them, each one refers him to another. Thus, he remains confused, not knowing whose satisfaction he should seek first, and who will help him with his needs. Because of this, he endures constant torment and perpetual fatigue.
Then consider another man who has only one master whom he serves with sincerity, and that master helps him with his affairs. Which of these two slaves is in a better state and more praiseworthy in his condition?
The intended meaning is a representation of the state of one who affirms multiple gods. Those deities are often in conflict and vying for dominance, as God Almighty says: {If there were therein any deities other than God, there would have been ruin in both} (Al-Anbiyā’: 22), and {and some of them would have overpowered others} (Al-Mu’minūn: 91).
Consequently, the polytheist remains bewildered and astray, not knowing which of these gods to worship, upon whose lordship to rely, from whom to seek sustenance, and from whom to seek support. His concern is divided, and his heart is scattered.
As for the one who affirms only one God, he is steadfast in what he is commanded, knowing what pleases God and what angers Him. Thus, the condition of this person is closer to righteousness than the condition of the first.
This is an exquisitely beautiful parable used to condemn polytheism and praise monotheism.
If it is asked: This example does not apply to the worship of idols because they are inanimate objects, and there is no contention or dispute among them.
We reply: The worshippers of idols are themselves divided. Some say these idols are representations of the seven planets. In reality, they are worshipping the seven planets. Furthermore, these people assert that there is contention and dispute among these planets—do you not see how they say Saturn is the greatest misfortune (an-naḥs al-a‘ẓam) and Jupiter is the greatest good fortune (as-sa‘d al-a‘ẓam)?
Among them are those who say these idols are representations of the celestial spirits (al-arwāḥ al-falakiyyah). Those who hold this view claim that every type of event in this world is related to one of the heavenly spirits. In that case, contention and dispute arise among those spirits, and the parable becomes perfectly applicable.
Among them are those who say these idols are representations of deceased scholars and ascetics. They worship these statues so that those scholars and ascetics may become their intercessors with God. Each sect among these worshippers claims that the truthful one is the man who follows their specific religion, and all others are falsehood. Under this interpretation as well, the parable applies. Thus, it is established that this parable corresponds to the intended meaning.
As for God’s saying: {Are they equal, by way of example?} The meaning is: Are they equal in their attributes (ṣifah)? The word {by way of example} (mathalan) is in the accusative case (naṣb) as a specification (tamyīz). It means: Are their attributes and states equal? The specification is limited to one word to indicate the category (al-jins). It was also read as mathalayn (two examples).
Then God said: {Praise be to God} (Al-ḥamdu lillāh). This means that since the assertion of partners and equals has been invalidated, and it has been established that there is no god but Him, the One, the Unique, the True God, it is established that praise belongs to Him and no one else.
Then He followed this by saying: {But most of them do not know}. Meaning, they do not know that praise belongs to Him and no one else, and that the only one worthy of worship is God and none other.
Another interpretation is that after these clear proofs and manifest signs were presented, He said: Praise be to God for the attainment of these proofs and the manifestation of these signs, even if most people did not recognize them or grasp them.
When God completed these proofs, He said: {Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die}. The meaning is that even if these people do not pay attention to these overwhelming proofs due to the dominance of greed and envy in the world, do not worry, O Muhammad, because you will die, and they too will die. Then you will all be resurrected on the Day of Judgment and will dispute before God Almighty. The True Judge will rule between you, giving everyone what is rightfully theirs. At that time, the truthful will be distinguished from the false, and the sincere from the heretic. This is the purpose of the verse.
God’s saying: {Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die} means that you and they, even if you are alive now, are counted among the dead, because everything whose coming is certain is indeed coming.
Then the Almighty explained another type of their reprehensible actions: that they deny the truth and add to that the denial of the truthful speaker.
Their denial is that they attributed a son and partners to God. As for their persistence in denying the truthful ones, it is because they deny Muhammad (peace be upon him) after the decisive proof of his truthfulness in claiming prophethood has been established.
Then He followed this with a warning: {Is not in Hell a lodging for the disbelievers?} Some people rely on this verse to declare those who dissent on definitive matters of faith as disbelievers, because the dissenter on all definitive issues is a liar in his statement and a denier of the doctrine which is the truth; therefore, he must fall under this warning.
{And who brings the truth and believes in it—those are the righteous.} {They will have whatever they wish with their Lord. That is the recompense of the doers of good.} {That God may expiate from them the worst of what they did and reward them according to the best of what they used to do.} {Is not God sufficient for His Servant? And they threaten you with those besides Him. And whoever God leaves astray - for him there is no guide.} {And whoever God guides - for him there is no misguider. Is not God Exalted in Might and Owner of Vengeance?}
