Surah Zukhruf ayat 45 Tafsir Quran 43:45

﴿وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ﴾
[ الزخرف: 45]

43:45 And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers; have We made besides the Most Merciful deities to be worshipped?

And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you Did We ever appoint besides the Compassionate One that is to say any other than Him gods to be worshipped? It is said that this is to be understood literally in other words that God gathered for him all the messengers on the Night of the Journey; but it is also said that this meant that he should ask any communities belonging to either of the two Peoples of the Scripture. According to one of the two opinions he never asked anyone since the point of this command to ask is to affirm to the idolaters of Quraysh that no messenger or scripture ever came from God with the command to worship any other than God.

And you just test critically the precepts of those whom We had sent before you, to see if We had ordained reverence and veneration to be paid to a being, or a power, or a deity besides Allah AL-Rahman

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.

(43:45) Ask all Our Messengers whom We sent before you whether We had appointed any deities beside the Merciful One to be worshipped. *40

And ask those We sent before you meaning

*40) " Ask the Messengers ": Find out from the Books brought by them.
Just as the meaning of: " If there arises any dispute among you about anything, refer it to Allah and His Prophet, " is not that the dispute should be taken before Allah and His Messenger, but that one should turn to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger for a decision, so " asking the .Messengers " also does not mean that one should approach all the Messengers who have left the world and ask them, but the right meaning is: " Discover what teachings the Messengers of Allah have left in the world as to which of them taught that another than Allah also is worthy of worship and service. "
 

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.

( And ask those of Our messengers ) such as Jesus, Moses and Abraham; this was on the night when he was taken up to heaven and he led in prayer 70 prophets, among whom were Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Allah commanded His Prophet, saying: ask them ( whom We sent before thee ) O Muhammad: ( Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped beside the Beneficent ) did We command that any other deity beside the Beneficent be worshipped? It is also said that this means: ask those unto whom We sent the messengers before you, i.e. the people of Book, did We appoint any other deities beside the Beneficent to be worshipped? And it is also said that this means: ask them, did the messengers bring anything other than the profession of Allah’s divine Oneness; the Prophet did not have to ask because he was certain that Allah did not appoint any other deities to be worshipped beside Him.

And ask (O Muhammad SAW) those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint aliha (gods) to be worshipped besides the Most Beneficent (Allah)?"

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