43. Surah Zukhruf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٣١﴾

43: 31. Also, they say:

"Why is not this Qur'án sent down to some leading man in either of the two (Chief) cities?"

C4634. The world judges by its own low standards. From a worldly point of view, the holy Prophet was poor and an orphan. Why, they thought, should he be so richly endowed in spiritual knowledge and power? If such a gift had to come to a man among them, it was the right (they foolishly said) of one of the chiefs in either the sacred city of Makkah, or the fertile garden-city of Taif!

أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ...

43: 32. Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord?

C4635. That is, spiritual gifts, those connected with Revelation. What audacity or folly in them to claim to divide or distribute them among themselves?

They may think they are distributing the good things of this world among themselves. In a sense that may be true, even here, their own power and initiative are very limited. Even here it is Allah's Will on which all depends. In His wisdom Allah allows some to grow in power or riches, and command work from others, and various relative gradations are established. Men scramble for these good things of this world, but they are of no value compared to the spiritual gifts.

...نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...

It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world:

...وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُم بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا...

and We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others.

...وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾

But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass.

Asad’s Version:

43:31

And they say, too, "Why was not this Qur'an bestowed from on high on some great man of the two cities?" 28

(43:32)

But is it they who distribute thy Sustainer's grace? [Nay, as] it is We who distribute their means of livelihood among them in the life of this world, and raise some of them by degrees above others, to the end that they might avail themselves of one another's help - [so, too, it is We who bestow gifts of the spirit upon whomever We will] : and this thy Sustainer's grace is better than all [the worldly wealth] that they may amass.

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