Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)
Verse 1 - 4
Table of Contents
Section (juz’ 25)
Number of Verses: 89
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Except for Verse 45, the rest of the Verses of the Chapter were revealed in Mecca.
The title of the Chapter derives from Verse 35 in which the word
zukhruf (“gold, silver; adornments”)
is attested. Main issues discussed in the Chapter include: the Holy Qur’an and prophethood; opponents’ reaction against prophets; arguments substantiating Divine Unity, struggles against polytheism; partial narration of the legends of prophets; and a depiction of the Hereafter.
A point worthy of note is that seven consecutive Qur’anic Chapters, namely Ghafir, Fussilat, Shura, Zukhruf, Dukhan, Jathiya, and Ahqaf termed as Hawamim or Suwar Al Ha Mim, open with the detached letters Ha-Meem (HM).
Merits of the Recitation of the Chapter
Many sources on Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) and tradition (hadith) include Islamic traditions concerning many a merit for the recitation of the Chapter in question, an instance of which is a Prophetic tradition saying:
“One who recites Surah al-Zukhruf is among those who are thus addressed on the Day of Resurrection: ‘O My servants, you are to entertain neither fear nor grief on this day as you shall be admitted to Paradise1 provided that you act upon religious instructions.’”
Surah al-Zukhruf - Verses 1-4
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ حم (1) وَ الْكِتابِ الْمُبِينِ (2) إِنَّا جَعَلْناهُ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (3) وَ إِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتابِ لَدَيْنا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ (4)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1. Ha-Meem
2. By the illuminating Book [the Qur’an].
3. Indeed We have made it a Qur’an in the Arabic [tongue] that you may be able to understand [It].
4. And indeed It is in the Mother of the Book [the preserved tablet, lawh mahfus] with Us indeed exalted, full of wisdom, and firm on Its basis.
The characteristics of the Holy Qur’an as a Divinely Revealed Book include: manifest and illuminating (mubin); springing from Divine Omniscience (fi Umm al-Kitab); of immaterial origin (ladayna); Its form and content are exalted (‘aliy); Its contents are full of wisdom and firm on Its basis (hakim).
The word
qur’an (“book”) derives from the root q-r-’ (“recite, read”). ‘Arabi (“clear, manifest”) is taken from ‘Arab (“the Arabs”). The Arabic tongue is employed in the sense of clear and unambiguous language.
The Chapter in question as well as the following ones includes discussions by Qur’anic exegets concerning Ha-Meem to the effect that the detached letters constitute the title of the Chapters or they may serve as a reference to the Most Beautiful Divine Names e.g. the Praiseworthy (Hamid), the All-Glorious (Majid), the Compassionate (Hannan), the Benevolent (Mannan), the Protector (Hafis), and the Noble (Majid).
It is said that all the letters of alphabet opening a number of the Qur’anic Chapters apparently serve as codes between God Almighty and His Prophet (S) regarded as Qur’anic equivocal Verses (mutashabihat) the knowledge of which rests with God and those well rooted in knowledge (al-rasikhun fi ‘l-ilm) thus dropping the subject is more appropriate.
Waw (“by”)
is the word of oath which ad hoc makes a reference to the manifest Book, namely the Holy Qur’an, which is clear in terms of form and eloquence and is inimitable, i.e., producing the same form, meaning, and intricacies rests beyond human capacity.
A brief reflection on the form and content of Qur’anic Verses clearly indicates that the most eminent scholars fail to discover Its least intricacies even if they exert themselves assiduously; none the less Its injunctions and laws are manifest:
(“Indeed We have made it a Qur’an in the Arabic [tongue] that you may be able to understand [It]”).
The preceding clause is the apodosis of the oath which is ad hoc employed in the sense of taking an oath to the Qur’an Divinely Revealed by God Almighty to His Prophet (S) in the Arabic tongue so that the Arabs ponder on Its meaning and intricacies.
One of the grounds behind Revelation of the Holy Qur’an in the Arabic tongue is that it is the most eloquent and the most comprehensive language and eminent scholars bear testimony to the fact that it rests on comprehensive and precise rules possessing the capacity to convey the most intricate and significant points and issues.
Another reason is that according to the Holy Qur’an:
“And war your tribe of near kindred”2
as per which the Noble Prophet (S) was Divinely appointed to guide his kith and kin and since they were from the Quraysh tribe wo were speakers of the Arabic tongue, the Holy Qu’an was Revealed in it. However, there are other secrets known by experts.
The fourth Verse enumerates three more characteristics of the Holy Qur’an:
1. Prior to Its Revelation to the Noble Prophet (S), the Holy Qur’an had been recorded in the Mother of the Book, namely the Preserved Tablet (lawh mahfus), in Divine Presence.
2. It is the Most Elevated Book among all Divinely Revealed Books and it the Most Comprehensive Book abrogating preceding ones. It will serve as Divine Guidance to man to the Last Day without being abrogated by any other book.
3. The Holy Qur’an is full of wisdom, namely it provides man with wisdom. All Its injunctions and laws rest on reason and logic and Its Verses are consistent with intellectual proofs and arguments. Furthermore, it rests on the golden mean such that a brief reflection on It will suffice for the wise and scholars to acknowledge that It is Revealed by the Wise Originator of creation.