Tafsir of Surah Az-Zukhruf - Verse 45

The Shaytan is the Companion of the One Who turns away from Ar-Rahman

وَمَن يَعْشُ

(And whosoever Ya`shu (turns away blindly)) means, whoever willfully ignores and turns away

عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ

(from the remembrance of the Most Gracious,) Al-`Asha (the root of Ya`sh) refers to weakness of vision; what is meant here is weakness of insight.

نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ

(We appoint for him Shaytan to be a Qarin (a companion) to him.) This is like the Ayat:

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى

(And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has been shown clearly to him) (4:115),

فَلَمَّا زَاغُواْ أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ

(So when they turned away, Allah turned their hearts away) (61:5), and

وَقَيَّضْنَا لَهُمْ قُرَنَآءَ فَزَيَّنُواْ لَهُم مَّا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ

(And We have assigned for them intimate companions, who have made fair seeming to them, what was before them and what was behind them) (41:25). Allah says here:

وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَنَا

(And verily, they hinder them from the path, but they think that they are guided aright! Until, when he comes to Us,) meaning, for this person who willfully neglects true guidance, We send to him a Shaytan to lead him astray and show him the path to Hell. When he comes before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, he will complain about the Shaytan who was appointed to accompany him.

قَالَ يلَيْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ بُعْدَ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ فَبِئْسَ الْقَرِينُ

(he says, "Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts -- a worst companion (indeed)!") Some of them recited it; (حَتْى إِذَا جَاءَانَا) (Till, when they both come to Us.) referring to the companion Shaytan and the one whom he accompanies. Then Allah says:

وَلَن يَنفَعَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ إِذ ظَّلَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ فِى الْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ

(It will profit you not this Day as you did wrong, (and) that you will be sharers in the punishment.) means, `your being together in the Fire will not help you in the slightest, and you will both partake of the painful punishment.' Allah says:

أَفَأَنتَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ أَوْ تَهْدِى الْعُمْىَ وَمَن كَانَ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ

Can you make the deaf to hear, or can you guide the blind or him who is in manifest error؟ means, `that is not up to you. All you have to do is convey the Message, but you do not have to guide them. Allah guides whomsoever He wills and sends astray whomsoever He wills, and He is Wise and Just in doing so.'

Allah's Vengeance upon the Enemies of His Messenger will surely come to pass

Allah further says:

فَإِمَّا نَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ فَإِنَّا مِنْهُم مُّنتَقِمُونَ

(And even if We take you away, We shall indeed take vengeance on them.) means, `We will inevitably wreak vengeance upon them and punish them, even if you pass away.'

أَوْ نُرِيَنَّكَ الَّذِى وَعَدْنَـهُمْ فَإِنَّا عَلَيْهِمْ مُّقْتَدِرُونَ

(Or (if) We show you that wherewith We threaten them, then verily, We have perfect command over them.) means, `We are able to do both,' but Allah will not take His Messenger (in death) until He gives him the joy of seeing his enemies brought low and gives him power and authority over them and their wealth. This was the view of As-Suddi and was the opinion favored by Ibn Jarir.

Encouragement to adhere to the Qur'an

Allah then says;

فَاسْتَمْسِكْ بِالَّذِى أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

(So hold you fast to that which is revealed to you. Verily, you are on the straight path.) means, hold fast to the Qur'an which has been sent down to your heart, for it is truth and what it leads to is truth that shows the way to the straight path that leads to Gardens of Delight and eternal, everlasting goodness.

وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ

(And verily, this is a Dhikr for you and your people,) It was said that this means, `it is an honor for you and your people;' this was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. This means that it is an honor for them in that it was revealed in their language, so they are the people who have the best understanding of it among mankind and hence are obliged to be the most steadfast in adhering to its commandments. This is how the best of them were, the first immigrants and those who emulated them and followed them. It was also said that the meaning of the phrase;

وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ

(And verily, this is indeed a Dhikr for you and your people,) was that `it was sent to remind you and your people.' The fact that they are singled out does not exclude others. This is like the Ayat:

لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَـباً فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

(Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind) a Book in which there is Dhikrukum (your Reminder). Will you not then understand) (21:10)

وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الاٌّقْرَبِينَ

(And warn your tribe of near kindred) (26:214)

وَسَوْفَ تُسْـَلُونَ

(and you will be questioned.) means, `about this Qur'an, and how you acted upon it and what your response to it was.'

وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ

(And ask whom We sent before you of Our Messengers: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious") means, `all the Messengers called their people to the same as that to which you are calling mankind, namely the worship of Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and they forbade the worship of idols and false gods.' This is like the Ayah:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ

(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities.") (16:36) Mujahid said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud recited it: (وَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ (مِنْ) رُسُلِنَا) (And ask those whom We sent before you of Our Messengers.) This was narrated by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi from Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him. Yet this appears to be an explanation rather than an alternate version of recitation. And Allah knows best.

وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْ‌سَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّ‌سُلِنَا (And ask Our messengers whom We sent before you...43:45) A question may arise here: Since all the earlier prophets (علیہم السلام) had expired at the time of the revelation of this verse, how could the Holy Prophet t ask any question from his predecessors? Some exegetes have taken the verse in the sense that if, as a miracle, Allah Ta` ala arranges for the Holy Prophet ﷺ to meet the earlier prophets (علیہم السلام) ، then he should ask them about it. And it is well-established that the Holy Prophet t met all the preceding prophets (علیہم السلام) during the Night of Ascension. ` Allamah Qurtubi quotes some narrations according to which the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked them this very thing after leading them in the prayers; but we could not discover the source of these narrations. Most exegetes have, therefore, explained that the verse does not mean to ask the prophets verbally. What is meant by the verse is to consult the divine Scriptures revealed to the earlier prophets, and to ask their learned scholars. And the scriptures of the prophets of Bani Isra'il which are available now, despite so many distortions, contain teachings about 'tauhid' (Oneness of Allah) and condemnation of 'shirk' (associating others with Allah) even today. For example, some excerpts from the Bible are quoted below:

Teachings about Oneness in the Scriptures of the earlier prophets (علیہم السلام)

Here are two quotations from the Scriptures claimed by Jews and Christians to be the 'Pentateuch' or 'Torah':

"The Lord has shown you this, to prove to you that he alone is God and that there is no other." (Deuteronomy, 4:35)

and

"Israel, remember this! The Lord-and the Lord alone-is our God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart." (Deuteronomy, 6:4)

The scripture of Shi` ya (علیہ السلام) (known as Isaiah) says,

"I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god." (Isaiah, 45:5, 6)

The books claimed by the Christians to be the Gospels contain this statement of Sayyidna Masih (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ):

"Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark, 12:29, Matthew 22:36)

It is narrated that once Sayyidna Masih (علیہ السلام) (Jesus Christ) said the following words during a supplication:

"And eternal life means knowing you, the only true God, and knowing Jesus Christ, whom you sent." (Yuhanna 17:3)[ 1]

[ 1] These excerpts are taken from Good News Bible, Today's English Version, Published by the Bible Societies in 1976. (Muhammad Tagi Usmani)

Let a man close his eyes and he will see nothing. Let him close his ears and he will hear nothing. Let him close his mind and he will understand nothing. It is futile to offer guidance or advice to such a person, especially if the reason he has suspended his thinking processes is that he wants to tread the path of his desires, for desire draws a veil over the mind which the truth cannot penetrate. Nevertheless, the preacher of the Truth has to continue the work of his mission at all events, irrespective of the attitude of his audience, until the last stage of the completion of arguments is reached. Though the preacher of Truth is a human being, Truth per se is the concern of God. After denying the preacher of Truth, a man thinks that he has saved himself from being affected by the Truth, but at that very moment he comes within God’s striking distance. If a man came to know of this secret, he would tremble before ignoring the preacher of Truth, because he would realise that ignoring him amounted to ignoring the Truth itself and ignoring the Truth amounted to ignoring God Himself.