Surah Az-Zukhruf (The Gold Adornments): Verse 33

Issues in the Verse

Indeed, Allah (Exalted is He) responded to the objection raised by the disbelievers, which was based on preferring the wealthy over the poor for a third reason. Allah clarified that the benefits and delights of this worldly life are insignificant and base in His sight. He demonstrated their insignificance by saying: "And were it not that people would be one community [of disbelievers]..."

The meaning is: Were it not for the fear that people would incline toward disbelief if they saw the disbeliever enjoying abundance in wealth and provision, Allah would have given them more means of enjoyment. These means include:

1. Making the ceilings of their houses from silver.
2. Making their stairways (ascents) also from silver, upon which they would ascend.
3. Making the doors of their houses from silver, and couches (thrones) upon which they would recline.

Then, Allah said: "...and gold." This has two interpretations:

1. It means actual gold.
2. It means adornment/decoration, as evidenced by His saying: "Until, when the earth has taken on its beauty and has been adorned..." (Yunus: 24).

If the first interpretation is taken, the meaning is: "And We would have given them much gold along with that." If the second interpretation is taken, it means: "We would give them great adornment on every door."

Then, Allah clarified that all of this is merely the "enjoyment of the life of this world." It is called mata'a (enjoyment/provision) because a person enjoys it briefly, and then it immediately passes away. However, the Hereafter is permanent and everlasting, and it is with Allah (Exalted and Majestic) and within His decree for the pious—those who turn away from loving the world and turn toward loving the Master.

The essence of the response is that those ignorant people thought that a wealthy man was more deserving of the prophetic office than Muhammad (peace be upon him) because of his poverty. Allah clarified that wealth and status are base things in Allah's sight, and they are honors that perish. Therefore, attaining them does not bring true honor. And Allah knows best.

Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr recited "suqufan" (سُقُفًا) with a fatḥa (a-vowel) on the sīn and sukūn (stillness) on the qāf, using the singular form to imply the genus, just as in His saying: "...then the roof fell upon them from above them." (An-Nahl: 26).

The rest recited "suqufun" (سُقُفًا) in the plural form. They differed regarding this plural:

1. It is said to be the plural of saqf (ceiling), like ruhn (pledge) and ruhun (plural of pledge). Abu Ubayd said there is no third form for it.
2. It is said that suquf is the plural of saqīf (a less common form), like ruhn and ruhūn, or zubur and zubūr (plural of scripture). Thus, it is a plural of the plural.

The phrase is: "...for those who disbelieve in the Most Merciful—We will make for their houses..."

The word "li-buyūtihim" (for their houses) is an apposition (badal ishtimāl) for the phrase "li-man yakfur" (for those who disbelieve).

The author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned that "ma'ārij" (مَعَارِج) was read as "ma'ārīj" (مَعَارِيج). Ma'ārij is like ma'raj (a place of ascent), or it is a collective noun for mi'rāj (ascent), which are the means of ascent to high dwellings, like steps and ladders, upon which they would appear (ascend).

Regarding the accusative case (نَصْب) of "wa-zukhrufan" (and gold/adornment), there are two opinions:

1. It is accusative because of an implied verb: "We will make for their houses ceilings of silver, and We will make for them gold/adornment."
2. It is accusative because it is coordinated with mi'rājan (stairways) which is in the accusative case (implied by min): "ceilings of silver and stairways of silver, and gold/adornment." The khāfiḍ (preposition) was omitted, causing it to be in the accusative case.

As for the statement "And indeed, all of that is but enjoyment of the life of this world," the reciters differed:

• 'Āṣim and Hamzah recited "lammā" (لَمَّا) with a shaddah (doubling) on the mīm.
• The rest recited it with a takhfīf (lightening), i.e., "lamā" (لَمَا).

Regarding Hamzah's recitation with the shaddah, he treated lammā as having the meaning of illā (except/but). Sībawayh narrated: "I adjure you by Allah, lammā you do it," meaning, "You must do it." This reading is supported by the reading in Ubayy's copy of the Qur'an: "And that is not but enjoyment of the life of this world," which indicates that lammā means illā.

As for the recitation with takhfīf (lightening), Al-Wāḥidī said the mā is superfluous, and the meaning is: "It is but enjoyment of the life of this world." Abū al-Ḥasan said the correct reading is with takhfīf because lammā meaning illā is not known (in that form). Al-Kisā'ī narrated that he said: "I do not know the rationale for the doubling (tashdīd)."

The Mu'tazilites argued that the verse indicates that Allah did not grant people worldly blessings because doing so would lead them to disbelief. Therefore, Allah refrains from doing so in order not to lead them to disbelief. This implies several rulings:

1. If He refrains from doing what leads them to disbelief, then it is more appropriate for Him not to create disbelief in them in the first place.
2. It is established that the action of the agent replaces the removal of an excuse or impediment ('udhr or 'illah). Since Allah clarified that He did not grant these blessings to remove an excuse from them, this indicates that it is obligatory upon Allah to perform every action that is a luṭf (act of kindness/grace) calling them to faith. Thus, this verse, from this perspective, indicates the obligation upon Allah to perform luṭf.
3. This verse proves that Allah only does what He does and refrains from what He refrains from for a wisdom and benefit (ḥikmah and maṣlaḥah). This indicates that the rulings and actions of Allah are conditioned by benefits and causes.

If one asks: Since Allah clarified that if He opened the doors of blessings to the disbeliever, it would cause people to unite in disbelief, why did He not do that for the Muslims so that people would unite in Islam?

The answer is: In that scenario, people would have united in Islam only for the sake of worldly gain. This faith would be the faith of the hypocrites. Therefore, it was more appropriate to restrict worldly matters for the Muslims so that whoever enters Islam does so only by following the evidence and seeking the pleasure of Allah. In that case, their reward is magnified for this very reason.

Then Allah said: "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful, We appoint for him a devil, and he becomes his inseparable companion."

This serves as a warning regarding the afflictions of the world. Whoever attains wealth and status becomes like one who is blind to the remembrance of Allah. Whoever becomes like that, his companions become the straying and misleading devils. This explains the connection between this statement and the preceding verses.

The author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned that "ya'sh" (يَعْش) was read with a ḍammah (u-vowel) on the shīn and with a fatḥa (a-vowel) on the shīn. The difference is:

• If an affliction occurs in his sight, it is called ʿushiya (he became blind).
• If he looks with the look of a blind person without having an affliction, it is called ʿashā (he looked with a blind man's gaze).

The parallel is ʿarija (he became lame) if he has the affliction, and ʿarja (he walked with a lame gait) if he walks like a lame person without being lame. Al-Ḥuṭay'ah said:

"Whenever you come to him, you look toward the light of his fire with a blind man's gaze," meaning, you look with the gaze of the blind due to the weakness of your sight from the intensity of the fuel and the vastness of the light.

It was also read as "ya'shū" (يَعْشُو) treating man (whoever) as a relative pronoun whose meaning is not conditional. In this case, the following verb "naqīḍu" (We appoint) should be in the indicative mood (rafʿ).

The meaning of the reading with fatḥa (يَعْشَ) is: "Whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Merciful, which is the Qur'an," like His saying: "...deaf, dumb, blind..." (Al-Baqarah: 18).

As for the reading with ḍammah (يَعْشُ), the meaning is: "Whoever pretends to be heedless of His remembrance," meaning he knows it is the truth but feigns ignorance and blindness, like His saying: "...and they denied them, while their souls were certain of them..." (An-Naml: 14).

Regarding "We appoint for him a devil," Muqātil said: "We join a devil to him," and "and he becomes his inseparable companion."

Then Allah said: "And indeed, they [the devils] deter them from the way..." meaning the devils deter them from the path of guidance and truth. The pronoun is pluralized for the human and the devils because the statement "Whoever turns away... We appoint for him a devil" implies plurality, even though the wording is singular.

"...and they think that they are guided." Meaning, the devils deter the disbelievers from the path, and those disbelievers think they are guided. Then He returned to the singular form, saying: "Until, when he comes to Us," meaning the disbeliever. It was also read as "jā'ānā" (they both come to Us), referring to the disbeliever and his devil.

It is narrated that when the disbeliever is resurrected on the Day of Judgment, his devil will take hold of his hand and will not leave him until Allah casts them both into the Fire. This is why He says: "He will say, 'Oh, I wish there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts!'"

The intended meaning of "the distance of the two Easts" (bu'd al-mashriqayn) is: "Oh, I wish there was a distance between me and you in the greatest possible sense."

There is a difference of opinion regarding the interpretation of "the distance of the two Easts":

1. The Majority Opinion: The intended meaning is the distance between the East and the West. Arabs customarily name two opposite things by the name of one of them. Al-Farazdaq said:

   "We have our two moons and the rising stars," meaning the Sun and the Moon. They also call Kufa and Basra "the two Basras," dawn and afternoon "the two afternoons," Abu Bakr and Umar "the two Umars," and water and dates "the two blacks."

2. The Astronomers' View: Those knowledgeable in astronomy say that the movement from East to West is the movement of the greatest sphere (the celestial sphere), while the movement from West to East is the movement of the fixed stars and the epicycles of the planets (excluding the Moon). If this is the case, then East and West are each an mashriq (rising point) relative to something else. Thus, applying the term mashriq to either direction is factually correct.

3. The Summer/Winter Solstice View: They say it refers to the rising point of summer and the rising point of winter, between which there is a great distance. I find this view weak because the purpose of the statement "Oh, I wish there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts" is to exaggerate the distance. This exaggeration is achieved by mentioning a distance that cannot be exceeded by any other distance. The distance between the summer rising point and the winter rising point is not like that, so interpreting the text this way is unlikely.

4. The Sun/Moon Movement View: Sensory evidence shows that the daily motion occurs by the sun rising from the East and setting in the West. As for the Moon, it appears at the beginning of the month in the West and continuously advances toward the East. This indicates that the rising point of the Moon's movement is the West. If this is established, the side called the East is the rising point of the Sun, but it is the setting point of the Moon. Conversely, the side called the West is the rising point of the Moon, but it is the setting point of the Sun. Under this interpretation, it is correct to call the East and West "the two Easts." Perhaps this view is closer to matching the wording and observing the intended meaning than the others. And Allah knows best.

Then Allah said: "How wretched a companion!" meaning the disbeliever says to that devil, "Oh, I wish there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts! How wretched a companion you are!"

This covers the interpretation of the words. The purpose of this discourse is to belittle the world and clarify the great harms inherent in wealth and status. This is because the abundance of wealth and status makes a person like one who is blind to the remembrance of Allah. Whoever becomes like that becomes a companion of the devil, and whoever becomes like that strays from the path of guidance and truth, remaining the devil's companion in this world and in the Hereafter. Companionship with the devil is a state that brings severe harm in the Hereafter, to the extent that the disbeliever says: "Oh, I wish there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts! How wretched a companion you are!"

Thus, it is established by what we have mentioned that the abundance of wealth and status leads to complete deficiency and deprivation in religion and the world. Once this is clear, it becomes evident that those who said: "Why was this Qur'an not sent down to a great man from the two towns?" (Az-Zukhruf: 31) spoke false words and an invalid objection.

Then Allah said: "And it will not benefit you today, since you wronged, that you are partners in punishment."

The word "innakum" (that you are) is in the nominative case (rafʿ) as the subject. Meaning: "It will not benefit you today that you are partners in punishment." The reason is that people say, "When a calamity is general, it is bearable." Al-Khansā' said in this regard:

"And were it not for the multitude of mourners around me for my brothers, I would have killed myself. But they do not weep like my brother, yet I console myself through emulation."

Allah clarified that sharing in that punishment does not bring relief, as it might have in the world. The reasons for this are:

1. That punishment is severe, so each person's preoccupation with himself distracts him from the state of the other, thus the partnership brings no lightness.
2. If a group shares in punishment, each one might help his companion to the extent he is able, resulting in some relief. This is impossible in the Hereafter.
3. Sitting with one's companion provides various forms of solace. Allah clarified that even though the devil is a companion, sitting with him in the Hereafter does not bring solace or lighten the burden of accountability.

In the book of Ibn Mujāhid, concerning Ibn 'Āmir, it is narrated that he recited "idh ẓalamtum annakum" (since you wronged that you are) with a kasra (i-vowel) on the alif of anna, while the rest recited it with a fatḥa (a-vowel) on the alif. And Allah knows best.

Verses 34–40

"Can you then make the deaf hear, or guide the blind, or guide one who is in manifest error? But if We take you away, then We shall certainly exact retribution from them. Or We shall show you that which We have promised them; for indeed, We are powerful over them. So hold fast to that which has been revealed to you; indeed, you are upon a straight path. And indeed, it is a reminder for you and your people, and soon you will be questioned. And ask those whom We sent before you of Our messengers: Did We appoint besides the Most Merciful any deities to be worshipped?"