Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)

33. And were it not that mankind would have become of one community [of disbelievers], We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious [Allah], silver roofs for their houses and stairs whereby they ascend.

34. And for their houses, doors and thrones on which they could recline

35. And adornments of gold. Yet all this would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is [solely] for the pious.

Mundane embellishment is so valueless that God Almighty says in Verse 35 that He is prepared to accord abundant substance to disbelievers; nonetheless, people are easily deceived by them and if disbelievers be accorded such possessions, all people shall turn to disbelief.

Verse 33 is saying that disbelievers’ enjoyment of diverse mundane possessions will lead to all people’s inclination toward disbelief and error. In such case, God would have made for disbelievers houses with silver roofs.

“And were it not that mankind would have become of one community [of disbelievers], We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious [Allah], silver roofs for their houses and stairs whereby they ascend.”

The word ma’arij is used in the sense of stairs and ladders.

Some exegets maintain that silver stairs are meant herein and the word “silver” (fidda) is so clear that it is not reiterated; nonetheless, they do not apparently consider stairs as an indication of the significance of the houses, but it is not so, since numerous stairs indicate the splendor of the multi-storey construction; “and stairs whereby they ascend.”

The word:

saqf (“roofs”) is the plural of suqf and some lexicologists consider it to be the plural for of saqifa (“roofed place”), however the former meaning seems to be preferable.

Verse 34 adds:

“And for their houses, doors and thrones on which they could recline.”

The sentence may allude to silver doors and thrones since the word

“silver”

was employed in the preceding Verse but it is not reiterated herein.

It may also refer to numerous doors and thrones, with due consideration to the indefiniteness of

“doors and thrones”

mentioned herein to demonstrate significance, which indicate the glory of the palaces since modest houses do not require numerous doors and thrones.

Verse 35 further says:

“And adornments of gold,”

in other words, they were provided with embellishments of all kinds so that mundane and gaudy possessions, e.g. luxurious and multi-storey palaces with sliver roofs, doors and thrones and all kinds of adornments desired by mammon worshippers, be fully prepared for them.

However, they are all worldly possessions and the Hereafter belongs to the God fearing:

(“Yet all this would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is [solely] for the pious”).

The word zukhruf in its literal sense indicates any type of adornments and embellishments with stylized floral motifs but since gold is the main means of adornment, the word zukhruf is also applied to it. Muzakhraf indicates idle talk because of the gaudiness and embellishment applied to it.

In short, mundane possessions and luxuries are so valueless before God that they should solely fall into lowly people like disbelievers in Truth and had people of weak faith and mammon worshippers not been inclined toward disbelief and faithlessness, God Almighty would have solely accorded them to such disliked and outcast people so that everyone would know that mundane substance is not the measure of human dignity.

Indeed, there is not any allegory more eloquent than the one mentioned in the preceding Verses in order to shatter false values and change a society whose standards of people’s merits rest on the number of one’s camels, cash money, maids and servants, houses and mansions, and luxurious adornments such that the appointment of Muhammad (S) who was a poor orphan to prophethood was a source of astonishment.

The best thing to do is to shatter such baseless standards and replace them with human values of fearing God and piety, knowledge, sacrifice, and courage otherwise none of the superficial and transient reforms will be of no avail.

The same was carried out in the best manner by the Islamic faith, the Holy Qur’an, and the Messenger of God (S); as a consequence of which a society that was regarded as the most underdeveloped and superstitious societies flourished in a brief span of time.

It would be of interest to know that a Prophetic tradition complements the aforesaid plan:

“If the world had any value before God as little as the wings of a fly, God would not have provided disbelievers with water to drink.”1

The issue is eloquently expressed by ‘Ali (as), the Commander of the Faithful, in the Qasi’a Sermon.

Reproaches of the sinful and concupiscent world in Qur’anic Verses and the traditions narrated from the Prophet’s Household (as) are to found in tradition sources including: Nahj al-Balagha, Majlisi’s Bihar, Usul al-Kafi, Jami’ Ahadith al-Shi’a, Kanz al-Ummal, Saduq’s Amali, Mahajjat al-Bayda’, Ibn Abi ‘l-Hadid’s Commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, Mir’at al-Uqul, Ghazali’s Ihya’ al-Ulum, Mustadrak, Shaykh Mufid’s Amali, Wasa’il al-Shi’a, Riyad al-Salihin, Madinat al-Balagha, Warram’s Majmu’a (“Collection [of Traditions]”), Mishkat al-Anwar.

It is worthy of note that the Islamic Revolution is based on the revolution of values. As a consequence of losing the genuine values and because the values of the Age of Ignorance flourish anew among Muslims in modern times, they live in dire circumstances under the pressures of merciless and bloodthirsty enemies.

It is unfortunate that men are judged on the basis of worldly possessions. Knowledge, fear of God, and other virtues have been consigned to oblivion; they have sunk into mundane gaudy embellishments and have alienated themselves from the Islamic faith.

So long as the status quo is maintained, they have to pay dearly for their dire mistake. In such circumstances, they have to make drastic changes in the values preoccupying them in order to become prepared for Divine Favors being accorded to them

(“Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves [from evil to good],”2 ).