Surah Zukhruf ayat 32 Tafsir Quran 43:32

﴿أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۚ وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ۗ وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ﴾
[ الزخرف: 32]

43:32 Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank] that they may make use of one another for service. But the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.

Is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord? the mercy being prophethood. We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world making some of them wealthy and others poor and raised some of them in wealth above others by degrees so that some of them who are wealthy may take others who are poor in service disposed to work for them in return for a wage the final yā’ in sukhriyyā is attributive; a variant reading has sikhriyyan; and the mercy of your Lord that is Paradise is better than what they amass in this world.

Do they distribute or apportion the grace of Allah your Creator and His mercy to whom they please! It is We Who have apportioned their livelihood among them here and allotted their sharas authoritatively that they have no choice .We promoted and exalted in rank, honour, estimation, development, power and wealth, some above others and arranged them in grades so that they render obedience and service to one another and minister to the comfort of each other. But to be a recipient of the mercy and efficacious grace of Allah. your Creator, outweighs all that you may accumulate or treasure up in life

Ibrahim's Declaration of Tawhid Here Allah tells us about His servant, Messenger and close Friend, the leader of the monotheists and the father of all subsequent Prophets, from whom Quraysh were descended and claimed to have taken their religion.
He disowned his father's and his people's worship of idols and said: وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَهِيمُ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ - إِلاَّ الَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ ( "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him Who created me; and verily, He will guide me." And he made it a Word lasting among his offspring, ) The Word means the worship of Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and the denunciation of all gods apart from Him, i.e., La ilaha illallah.
He left this word as an example to be followed by those of his progeny who were guided by Allah. لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ( that they may turn back. ) means, come back to this word.
`Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others commented on the Ayah: وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ ( And he made it a Word lasting among his offspring, ) "This means, La ilaha illallah, and there are still those among his offspring who say it." A similar view was narrated from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn Zayd said, "The word of Islam," which refers to the same thing suggested by the group. How the People of Makkah turned away from the Messenger and opposed Him, and His Response Allah further says: بَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَـؤُلاَءِ ( Nay, but I gave to these ) means, the idolators, وَءَابَآءَهُمْ ( and their fathers ) means, they lived a long life in their misguidance. حَتَّى جَآءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ ( till there came to them the truth, and a Messenger making things clear. ) means, his message is clear and his warning is clear. وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ قَالُواْ هَـذَا سِحْرٌ وَإِنَّا بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ ( And when the truth came to them, they said: "This is magic, and we disbelieve therein." ) means, they were arrogant and stubborn, and they pushed him away out of disbelief, envy and transgression. وَقَالُواْ ( And they say ) means, objecting to that which Allah has revealed to him, لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ( Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns ) meaning, why was this Qur'an not revealed to some man who was great and prominent in their eyes, from the two towns, i.e., Makkah and At-Ta'if This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, `Ikrimah, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.
Several scholars of Tafsir stated that by this, the Quraysh meant Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah and `Urwah bin Mas`ud Ath-Thaqafi.
The apparent meaning is that what they meant was a great man from either of the two towns.
Allah responded to their rejection by saying: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ( Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord ) meaning, the matter has nothing to do with them; it is for Allah to decide.
Allah knows best where to direct His Message, and He does not reveal it except to the one who is the purest in heart and soul, and of the noblest descent.
Then Allah points out that He differentiates among His creation in terms of what He gives them of wealth, provision, intellect, understanding and other visible and hidden strengths: نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ( It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, ) لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضاً سُخْرِيّاً ( so that some may employ others in their work. ) It was said that this means that some employ others in their work, because one needs the other, and vice versa.
This was the view of As-Suddi and others. وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ( But the mercy of your Lord is better than which they amass. ) means, the mercy of Allah towards His creation is better for them than the wealth and conveniences of this world which they possess. Wealth is not a Sign of Divine Pleasure وَلَوْلاَ أَن يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَحِدَةً ( And were it not that mankind would have become of one community, ) means, `were it not for the fact that many ignorant people would think that Our giving them wealth was a sign that We love the person to whom We give it, and thus they would have agreed upon disbelief for the sake of wealth.' This is the view of Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِالرَّحْمَـنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفاً مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ ( We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses, and elevators ) means, ladders and staircases of silver.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others. عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ ( whereby they ascend, ) means, go up.
And their houses would have doors, i.e., locks on their doors, وَسُرُراً عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِئُونَ ( and thrones on which they could recline, ) means, all of that would be made of silver. وَزُخْرُفاً ( And adornments ) means, and gold.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. وَإِن كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ( Yet all this would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. ) means, all that belongs to this transient world which is insignificant before Allah.
He hastens their reward for good deeds in the form of luxuries in this world, so that when they reach the Hereafter, they will have no good merits with Allah for which they may be rewarded, as was reported in the Sahih Hadith.
It was reported in another Hadith:
«لَوْ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا تَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى مِنْهَا كَافِرًا شَرْبَةَ مَاء»
( If this world were worth a gnat's wing before Allah, He would not give a disbeliever a drink of water. ) Al-Baghawi narrated its chain of narration. وَالاٌّخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ( And the Hereafter with your Lord is (only ) for those who have Taqwa.) means, it is exclusively for them, and no one else will share it with them.
When `Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, visited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in seclusion, when he was keeping away from his wives, and he saw him resting on a rough mat which had left marks on his side, his eyes filled with tears and he said, "O Messenger of Allah, look at this Chosroes and this Caesar with all that they have, and you are the best of Allah's creation.
" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reclining, but he sat up and said:
«أَوَ فِي شَكَ أَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ؟»
( Are you in doubt, O son of Al-Khattab ) Then he said:
«أُولئِكَ قَوْمٌ عُجِّلَتْ لَهُمْ طَـيِّـبَاتُهُمْ فِي حَيَاتِهِمُ الدُّنْيَا»
( Those are people for whom the enjoyments are hastened in this world. ) According to another report:
«أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَــكُونَ لَهُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَنَا الْاخِرَة»
( Does it not please you that this world is for them and the Hereafter is for us ) In as the Two Sahihs and elsewhere, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لَا تَشْرَبُوا فِي آنِيَةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ، وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا فِي صِحَافِهَا، فَإِنَّهَا لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَنَا فِي الْاخِرَة»
( Do not drink from vessels of gold and silver, and do not eat from plates of the same, for these things are for them in this world and for us in the Hereafter. ) Allah has granted these things to them in this world because it is insignificant, as was reported by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah via Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa`d, who said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«لَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا تَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى مِنْهَا كَافِرًا شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ أَبَدًا»
n( If this world were worth a gnat's wing before Allah, He would never give a disbeliever a drink of water. )" At-Tirmidhi said: "Hasan Sahih."

(43:32) Is it they who distribute the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who have distributed their livelihood among them in the life of this world, and have raised some above others in rank that some of them may harness others to their service. *31 Your Lord's Mercy is better than all the treasures that they hoard. *32

Do they distribute the mercy of your meaning

*31) This is the answer to their objection, which briefly mentions many important things: First, it asks: " Since when Dave these people become responsible for distributing the mercy of your Lord ? Is it for them to decide whom Allah should favour with His mercy and whom He should not ? ( Here, by Allah's mercy is implied His general mercy from which everyone has a share ).

Second, Allah says: 'Prophethood is a great blessing: We have even kept the distribution of the common means of life in the world in Our own hand, and have not entrusted it to anyone else.
We create someone beautiful and another ugly, someone with a sweet voice and another with a harsh voice, someone robust and strong and another weak and frail, someone intelligent and another dull, someone with a strong memory and another forgetful, some with healthy limbs and another a cripple, or blind or deaf and dumb, someone in a rich family and another among the poor, someone in an advanced country and another in a backward community.
No one can do anything about this destiny concerning birth.
One is compelled to be what We have made him.
And it is in no one's power to avert the impact one's circumstances of birth have on one's destiny.
Then it is We our self Who arc distributing provisions, power, honor, fame, wealth, government, etc.
among men.
No one can degrade the one whom We have blessed with good fortune, and no one can save from ruin the one whom We have afflicted with misfortune.
All plans and schemes of man become ineffective against Our decrees.
In this universal Divine System, therefore, how can these people decide as to whom should the Master of the unive rse make His Prophet and whom He should not?
Thirdly, "An abiding principle that We have kept in view in this Divine System is that everything should not be given to one and the same person, or everything should not be given to everybody.
If you look around carefully, you will see that great differences exist between the people in every respect.
We have given one thing to one person but deprived him of another, and given the same to another one.
This is based on the wisdom that no human being should become independent of others, but everyone should remain dependent on the other in one way or the other.
Now if would be foolish on your part to think that We should have given the Prophet hood also to the same person whom We had blessed with wealth and nobility.
Likewise, will you also say that wisdom, knowledge, wealth, beauty, power, authority and alI other excellences should be assembled in one and the same person, and the one who has not been given one thing, should not be given anything else?"
*32) "Your Lord's mercy" : the Prophet hood.
It means: "Your leaders and chiefs whom you regard as big people because of their wealth and dignity and chief ship, arc not worthy of this wealth, which has been given to Muhammad bin 'Abdullah ( upon whom be Allah's peace ).
This wealth is far superior to that and for this the criterion is different.
If you think that every noble and rich man is worthy of becoming a prophet, it would only show your own thinking.
Why do you expect Allah to be so ignorant and simple?"
 

Ibrahim's Declaration of Tawhid Here Allah tells us about His servant, Messenger and close Friend, the leader of the monotheists and the father of all subsequent Prophets, from whom Quraysh were descended and claimed to have taken their religion.
He disowned his father's and his people's worship of idols and said: وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَهِيمُ لاًّبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ - إِلاَّ الَّذِى فَطَرَنِى فَإِنَّهُ سَيَهْدِينِ وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ ( "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, except Him Who created me; and verily, He will guide me." And he made it a Word lasting among his offspring, ) The Word means the worship of Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and the denunciation of all gods apart from Him, i.e., La ilaha illallah.
He left this word as an example to be followed by those of his progeny who were guided by Allah. لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ( that they may turn back. ) means, come back to this word.
`Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others commented on the Ayah: وَجَعَلَهَا كَلِمَةً بَـقِيَةً فِى عَقِبِهِ ( And he made it a Word lasting among his offspring, ) "This means, La ilaha illallah, and there are still those among his offspring who say it." A similar view was narrated from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn Zayd said, "The word of Islam," which refers to the same thing suggested by the group. How the People of Makkah turned away from the Messenger and opposed Him, and His Response Allah further says: بَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَـؤُلاَءِ ( Nay, but I gave to these ) means, the idolators, وَءَابَآءَهُمْ ( and their fathers ) means, they lived a long life in their misguidance. حَتَّى جَآءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ ( till there came to them the truth, and a Messenger making things clear. ) means, his message is clear and his warning is clear. وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ قَالُواْ هَـذَا سِحْرٌ وَإِنَّا بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ ( And when the truth came to them, they said: "This is magic, and we disbelieve therein." ) means, they were arrogant and stubborn, and they pushed him away out of disbelief, envy and transgression. وَقَالُواْ ( And they say ) means, objecting to that which Allah has revealed to him, لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ( Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns ) meaning, why was this Qur'an not revealed to some man who was great and prominent in their eyes, from the two towns, i.e., Makkah and At-Ta'if This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, `Ikrimah, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.
Several scholars of Tafsir stated that by this, the Quraysh meant Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah and `Urwah bin Mas`ud Ath-Thaqafi.
The apparent meaning is that what they meant was a great man from either of the two towns.
Allah responded to their rejection by saying: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ ( Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord ) meaning, the matter has nothing to do with them; it is for Allah to decide.
Allah knows best where to direct His Message, and He does not reveal it except to the one who is the purest in heart and soul, and of the noblest descent.
Then Allah points out that He differentiates among His creation in terms of what He gives them of wealth, provision, intellect, understanding and other visible and hidden strengths: نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ( It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, ) لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضاً سُخْرِيّاً ( so that some may employ others in their work. ) It was said that this means that some employ others in their work, because one needs the other, and vice versa.
This was the view of As-Suddi and others. وَرَحْمَةُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ( But the mercy of your Lord is better than which they amass. ) means, the mercy of Allah towards His creation is better for them than the wealth and conveniences of this world which they possess. Wealth is not a Sign of Divine Pleasure وَلَوْلاَ أَن يَكُونَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَحِدَةً ( And were it not that mankind would have become of one community, ) means, `were it not for the fact that many ignorant people would think that Our giving them wealth was a sign that We love the person to whom We give it, and thus they would have agreed upon disbelief for the sake of wealth.' This is the view of Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. لَّجَعَلْنَا لِمَن يَكْفُرُ بِالرَّحْمَـنِ لِبُيُوتِهِمْ سُقُفاً مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَمَعَارِجَ ( We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses, and elevators ) means, ladders and staircases of silver.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others. عَلَيْهَا يَظْهَرُونَ ( whereby they ascend, ) means, go up.
And their houses would have doors, i.e., locks on their doors, وَسُرُراً عَلَيْهَا يَتَّكِئُونَ ( and thrones on which they could recline, ) means, all of that would be made of silver. وَزُخْرُفاً ( And adornments ) means, and gold.
This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. وَإِن كُلُّ ذَلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَـعُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ( Yet all this would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. ) means, all that belongs to this transient world which is insignificant before Allah.
He hastens their reward for good deeds in the form of luxuries in this world, so that when they reach the Hereafter, they will have no good merits with Allah for which they may be rewarded, as was reported in the Sahih Hadith.
It was reported in another Hadith: «لَوْ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا تَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى مِنْهَا كَافِرًا شَرْبَةَ مَاء» ( If this world were worth a gnat's wing before Allah, He would not give a disbeliever a drink of water. ) Al-Baghawi narrated its chain of narration. وَالاٌّخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ( And the Hereafter with your Lord is (only ) for those who have Taqwa.) means, it is exclusively for them, and no one else will share it with them.
When `Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, visited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in seclusion, when he was keeping away from his wives, and he saw him resting on a rough mat which had left marks on his side, his eyes filled with tears and he said, "O Messenger of Allah, look at this Chosroes and this Caesar with all that they have, and you are the best of Allah's creation.
" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reclining, but he sat up and said: «أَوَ فِي شَكَ أَنْتَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ؟» ( Are you in doubt, O son of Al-Khattab ) Then he said: «أُولئِكَ قَوْمٌ عُجِّلَتْ لَهُمْ طَـيِّـبَاتُهُمْ فِي حَيَاتِهِمُ الدُّنْيَا» ( Those are people for whom the enjoyments are hastened in this world. ) According to another report: «أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَــكُونَ لَهُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَنَا الْاخِرَة» ( Does it not please you that this world is for them and the Hereafter is for us ) In as the Two Sahihs and elsewhere, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «لَا تَشْرَبُوا فِي آنِيَةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ، وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا فِي صِحَافِهَا، فَإِنَّهَا لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَنَا فِي الْاخِرَة» ( Do not drink from vessels of gold and silver, and do not eat from plates of the same, for these things are for them in this world and for us in the Hereafter. ) Allah has granted these things to them in this world because it is insignificant, as was reported by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah via Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa`d, who said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «لَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا تَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى مِنْهَا كَافِرًا شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ أَبَدًا» n( If this world were worth a gnat's wing before Allah, He would never give a disbeliever a drink of water. )" At-Tirmidhi said: "Hasan Sahih."

( Is it they who apportion their Lord’s mercy ) i.e. your Lord’s prophethood and Scriptures, such that they give it to whoever they will? ( We have apportioned among them their livelihood ) their wealth and children ( in the life of the world, and raised some of them above others in rank ) and We raised the merits of some above others in relation to wealth and offspring ( that some of them may take labour from others ) that some may use others in the capacity of servants and slaves; ( and the mercy of thy Lord ) i.e. prophethood and Scripture; and it is also said that this means: Paradise for the believers ( is better than (the wealth ) that they amass) is better than what the disbelievers amass of wealth and adornment in the life of the world.

Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work. But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad SAW) is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass.

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