Sura-43 [Az Zukhruf Mecca 63]
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.
Yuksel’s version
43:31 They said, "If only this Quran was sent down to a great man from the two towns!"
43:32 Is it they who assign your Lord's mercy? We have assigned their shares in this worldly life, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that they would take one another in service. The mercy from your Lord is far better than what they amass.
Pickthall’s version
Is it they who apportion thy Lord's mercy? We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world, and raised some of them above others in rank that some of them may take labour from others; and the mercy of thy Lord is better than (the wealth) that they amass.
Wahiduddin Khan’s version
Is it they who apportion the mercy of your Lord? It is We who distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world, and raise some of them above others in rank, so that they may take one another into service; and the mercy of your Lord is better than [the wealth] which they amass.
Others’ versions
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Will they distribute the mercy of your Lord? We distribute among them their livelihood in the life of this world, and We j have exalted some of them above others in degrees, that some of them may take others in subjection; and the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass. |
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Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass. |
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Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass. |
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Would they divide the mercy of thy Lord? It is We Who divided out among them their livelihood in this present life. Exalted are some of them above some others in degree so that some take to themselves others in their bondage. And the mercy of thy Lord is better than what they gather. |
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Are they dividing up your Lord´s mercy? We divide up their livelihood among them during worldly life, and raise some of them higher in rank than others so that some of them may take advantage of the labor of others. Your Lord´s mercy is better than what they are collecting. |
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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. |
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Is it they who assign your Lord's mercy We have assigned their shares in this worldly life, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that they would take one another in service. The mercy from your Lord is far better than that which they amass. |
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Are they the ones who share out your Lord’s grace? We are the ones who give them their share of livelihood in this world and We have raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service: your Lord’s grace is better than anything they accumulate. |
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Shall they apportion their Lord's mercy? It is We Who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the War, and raised some of them over others in degrees, so that one of them may take another as a serf; and the mercy of thy Lord is better than that which they amass. |
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Are they the ones who dispense the favour of your Lord? It is He who apportions the means of livelihood among them in this world, and raises some in position over the others to make some others submissive. The favours of your Lord are better than what they amass. |
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Is it, then, they who allocate the mercy of your Lord? We have allocated their livelihood among them in the life of the dunya and raised some of them above others in rank so that some of them are subservient to others. But the mercy of your Lord is better than anything they amass. |
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Is it they who distribute the mercy of your Lord (so that they may appoint whom they wish as Messenger to receive the Book)? (Moreover, how do they presume to value some above others only because of their wealth or status, when) it is also We Who distribute their means of livelihood among them in the life of this world, and raise some of them above others in degree, so that they may avail themselves of one another’s help? But your Lord’s mercy (in particular Prophethood) is better than what they amass (in this life). |
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[[Asad’s note - 28 I.e., Mecca and Ta'if - implying that if it were really a divine revelation it would have been bestowed on a person of "great standing", and not on Muhammad, who had neither wealth nor a position of eminence in his native city. ]]
