[Mughal]

Surah 43 AL-ZUKHRUF-The valuable foundation that inspires and motivates mankind to live in peace and prosper

This surah is named AL-ZUKHRUF from root ZAA, KHAA, RAA and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that has value because it is pure or beautiful or solid or serves its stated purpose. This root has other meanings as well eg gold, luxury, adornment, decoration, jewellery, flowery talk, deceitful words, land covered with flowers etc etc.

This surah is named AL-ZUKHRUF because the Quran talks about foundation for mankind that is valuable for their survival and progress as well as unity, peace and prosperity.

Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,

1] HAA MEEM.

2] This book which makes clearly distinct the difference between ways of life is evidence

3] that We have revealed it as the Arabic Quran so that you the mankind could learn things properly to become a sensible people.

4] Because it is the very foundation of the law that originates from Us as the ultimate authority that is based upon wisdom.

5] How could We withhold of you the mankind this guidance and leave you in ignorance because you are a people who have been robbing each other of human dignity and livelihood?

6] Do you ever stop and think how many messengers have We sent among the people of old long before you?

7] Despite that whenever a prophet came to them from Us the chiefs and their supporters took him for a joke.

8] So We let them destroy themselves even though they had more power over their masses than these people, that is how We let the mindset, attitude and behaviour of people of old be a lesson for the generations to come.

9] However if you ask these people, who has created the heavens and the earth? They are sure to say, the mighty one who makes things obvious for mankind has created them.

10] Yes, the One Who has made the earth a temporary resting place for you and let therein be many routes for you so that you may find your ways for going about your daily life.

The earth is a temporary aboard not because it will become destroyed soon or that people keep on dying but because this is a training place for mankind to prepare themselves for travelling and spreading throughout the universe. As explained already that divine plan for mankind is vast about which people are not yet aware. People have yet to learn that paradise and hell is on this earth in this life that people have and once they have become the people they ought to as per divine plan then they will find many new things that will make their lives worth living for. In short there is no end to human development and growth as a species. The same is true about all living things that will make human existence possible as well as enrich human lives.

11] The One Who sends down rain from the heaven in due measure and thereby brings to life the dead land, that is how through His motivating revelation you will be brought forth from the earth to travel and spread throughout the universe.

12] The One Who has created all living things as supporters for each other and made for you the ships and living animals upon which you rely for your survival

13] so that you could firmly establish yourselves in the world on their backs and strive hard to benefit from provisions of your Creator and Sustainer in the universe and when you are firmly established in the world you admit to the fact that strive hard to manifest His glory the set-up systems and laws in the universe Who has given us the mankind the abilities to subject all these things to our use otherwise we could not have brought them under our control to benefit from them,

In Arabic idiom and in other languages as well the idea expressed by riding on something is about help in survival. Our survival is due to other things which helped us so far throughout our existence. It is not only about riding on donkeys and horses.

14] therefore to guidance of our Creator and Sustainer we all should turn.

15] Yet there are people who take some of His human creatures as His partners in sovereignty of the universe. Surely such of the mankind are manifest misusers of Our provided things.

The whole Quran is keep telling us again and again not to live by rule of each other because all manmade rules make one man slave of another. Allah did not create people for enslaving each other but for supporting each other in a brotherhood of humanity to grow and develop to a degree that we become managers of the universe for our own benefit thereby we end up appreciating our Creator and Sustainer.

16] What! Has He the right to provide bases for what He has created or has He given you the mankind the right to come up with bases yourselves?

17] This is why when any of them is delivered the good news regarding which such a one attributes to the Master of the universe the likes, his goal becomes lost on him so he becomes filled with rage.

18] Do they ascribe to Allah as partner in sovereignty of the universe such a weak thing as a human being which they the mankind raise upon false foundation by giving it false reputation due to which it cannot argue its case against Us clearly and successfully?

Man according to Allah is his ultimate creature yet in no way he can complete with or rival his creator. So when man tries to establish his rule in the kingdom of Allah for which he is has no right he is stepping a bit too far therefore he is reminded through arguments that he should stay within his set limits and not try to be God.

19] They also regard Our dead messengers who dedicated their lives to mission of the Master of the universe as objects of worship. Are they witnesses to their character? Their false claims about them have consequences so they will be made to face the outcome of their actions.

Religious people have spread all sorts of falsehood about divine messengers and missionaries in the world due to which we see so many people running to fraudsters for help in their problems of daily life thinking that is what Allah has told them and that is all due to false interpretations of scriptures. Allah never told any people to run to rulers, priests and money lenders for solutions of their daily problems because he condemns their very existence and set up. Again and again he tells mankind these are fraudsters who take of them fruits of their hard works to enjoy themselves through various tricks they have invented to fool masses. The Quran exposes them and their tricks again and again. All scriptures tell their followers about imposters and fraudsters warning them against it yet due to lack of interest in learning the masses are continuously conned by them on daily basis. In order to save themselves people must learn things or keep on suffering for their own wrong mindsets, attitudes and behaviours. In a world based upon personal gains none is trustable other than the one who is guided by Allah because such a person lives for betterment of others. One can say that all people claim they are working for betterment of others eg rulers, priests, money lenders, scientists and educators but a tree can judged by its fruit. If people are truly benefitting humanity then humanity ought to be getting better and better day by day but if instead day by day we see our world deteriorating then surely people are not going about their daily lives as they ought to. As explained already we cannot have better world so long there are people who sit idle or people who exploit others for their personal gains. Only when all people work as much as they are truly capable of doing that we can expect our world to become a blissful kingdom otherwise it can only and only be a place full of terrible suffering as some use and abuse others.

20] They say, had it not been the decision of the Master of the universe that we take them as objects of our worship then we could not have taken them as objects for our worship. However about all this they have not bothered to learn so they have invented lies to give themselves excuses to escape their responsibilities and obligations towards each other.

People including so called holy men tell lies to gain respect in lives of masses only and only to trick them for personal gains. The gap between rich and poor is so wide in the world that one can only and only be a very stupid person not to see connection between ignorance, idleness, exploitation and poverty. The system whereby mankind live in this world are nothing less than abusive. Here the Quran tells mankind watch out how rulers, priests and money lenders support each other against masses for exploitation. Priests tell masses that rulers are appointed by God so they are representers of God on erth for masses therefore they should not be disobeyed or God will not forgive this sin. Rulers tell masses you preists are men of God who should be given due respect otherwise God will not forgive this sin. Both together back money lenders by telling them God allows business for profit. Add all this together and see how ignorant masses are given a run around by all these vultures together and how they laugh at them having fun at their expense.

21] Or have they got a book from Us before this Quran to which they adhere as authority from Us on this matter?

22] No, not at all instead their only argument is that we found our forefathers practicing all this as a people so we are following them in their footsteps.

23] Still whenever We sent a warner before you to forewarn a people, its ruling elite argued that we found our forefathers practicing this tradition so we are going to continue in their footsteps.

24] Each warner asked his people, what if I bring you a better way of life than that upon which you found your forefathers will you start living your lives that way? They replied, we oppose the way of life with which you have been sent.

25] Consequently We let Our forewarned painful suffering befall them therefore see what was the end of those who opposed Our advised way of living their lives?

In verses like these Allah tells masses how they have been had yet they still accept words of those people who use and abuse them instead of their creator and sustainer. Allah is not against human traditions but bad traditions that are based upon wrong values and concepts that give people mindsets, attitudes and behaviours that are harmful and destructive for humanity. This is why when people blindly follow their mullahs and even their parents despite seeing things going in the wrong direction the Quran condemns them as worse than animals.

26] Also call to mind the time when Abraham said to father of his people and his people, I am free of serving rulers that you serve

27] instead of Him Who created me because He has recently guided me to the way of life that is proper.

28] Moreover he left this statement as an abiding precept among his descendants so that they too keep living by it.

29] However instead they strayed and remained in error even though We provided them and their forefathers with guidance and sustenance until there came to them guidance again and a messenger for the last time to explain it clearly.

30] But now when truth has come to them they say, this is falsehood so we oppose it.

31] They also say, why is this Quran not revealed to a man of great influence in these two great cities?

32] Have these men of great influence already brought about prosperity faithfully according to blissful program of your Creator and Sustainer? It is We Who granted them the means for their livelihood for living their lives properly in this world as a human community and that is why We let some rise above others by degrees for purpose of proper management of people and resources so that they fulfil their responsibilities towards each other for proper fulfilment of rights of all of them. It is because the blissful program of your Creator and Sustainer is better way of living for mankind instead of individuals hoarding things as personal gains by preventing each other from using them.

Ignorant people whenever they are told something to which they are not used they argue why not tell this to those who matter? They do not realise how dangerous it is for them to speak up against those who are in power without first preparing the ground work. It is masses who suffer and it is they who need to be educated first before the movement takes off and is able to take on the actual villains of humanity. The idea is to gather enough strength before confronting the enemy of humanity. According to the Quran Allah never told any person to do things in a silly way and get into trouble, which benefits enemies but damages and sets back the cause, so it is better for people to find out and plan things properly before starting out on missionary work.

This verse also tells about mentality of ignorant people how they look up to those whom they consider big people due to their ignorance. If a ruler or a priest or a rich person is visiting anywhere masses gather to greet them not realising that they are responsible for whatever wrong is happening anywhere in the world. If these people did not support use and abuse for personal gains then world will not be in state of such disarray and so many human beings throughout the world will not be living such terrible lives as they are. So the argument that why God did not choose as his messengers most influential people is answered by argument that look at the mindsets, attitudes and behaviours of these people and see what they have done for humanity as things are before telling Allah what he should be doing with them. If a people who are already in position of power yet fail to take mankind in the right direction where is sense in Allah choosing them as his agents? Allah does not discriminate between people but only on basis of their mindsets, attitudes and behaviours whether they go by his set up criterion or their own ambitions and desires that prove harmful and destructive for human community. Allah is only with those who work for the good of the mankind and who try their best to stop those who act against human community spirit ie the antisocial elements.

33] And had it not been the case that all influential people have joined together against masses against the advice of Allah, We will have given all people including those who have opposed the writ of Master of the universe such houses whose roofs and stairways by which they could go to upper chambers all made with silver

34] as well as the doors of their houses and couches upon which they recline,

35] along with ornaments of gold for decoration because all these things are nothing less than useful that bring satisfaction through beautifying life of this world for mankind. However it is the way of living life that is focused upon better future for mankind that can deliver all this for those who are consistent with guidance of their Creator and Sustainer.

36] Nonetheless any who turns away from the guidance of the Master of the universe, We find him closely linked and sucking up to the harmful and destructive leadership.

These verses leave one in no doubt that way of life proposed by Allah for mankind if followed by them faithfully could lead people to a kind of life whereby all people could end up in nice houses with nice people all around them that make life a real blessing. The ways of life adopted by people themselves could lead some to good life but at the expense of all others and when people see that happening the reaction is not far from coming and so world plunges into unending wars between those who have and those who have not. So divided humanity is very dangerous for itself and that is what various adopted way of life are doing to mankind this is why alternatives should found and quickly before it is too late.

37] That is how such friendships turn such people away from the proper way of life the while they think that they are being guided along the proper way of living their lives

38] till that like party is made to face results of its actions by Our set-up systems and laws when it says to its such friend, I wish that I had distanced myself from you as far as the opposite ends of the universe because you turned out to be a harmful and destructive friend.

39] Once people have brought themselves to point of no return, it is said to them by Our reminders, you have already done what you have done so realizing this now and fighting with each other after destroying yourselves is not going to avail you a bit because both of you share the same end.

40] Can you O messenger therefore make the deaf hear the words for guidance to proper path of life or make the blind see the proper way of life such as are clearly gone astray due to their own lack of learning and understanding things?

41] So We will have to let outcome of their own actions take its course about them regardless We let you pass away before it

42] or let you see their end as We have promised them, surely they are under control of Our set-up systems and laws.

43] However hold fast on to this Quran which is revealed to you because it is the proof that you are surely on the path of life that is properly founded.

44] Moreover this Quran is a lesson for you and your people to learn from and teach it to others because you are required to do so for the betterment of mankind.

45] Ask those who claim to follow Our messengers whom We sent before you if We ever allowed any people to live by rule of any other than Ourself, the Master of the universe?

46] This is why We sent Moses with Our lessons to Pharaoh and his chiefs so he said to them, I am a messenger of the Creator and Sustainer of the nations.

47] But when he conveyed them Our lessons, they laughed at them.

48] Yet We showed them evidence after evidence, each greater than the one preceding it and that is how We let outcomes of their actions take their course about them every time so that they could turn to the way of life that was proper for them.

49] However each time they were caught in troubles as per Our forewarnings due to results of their own actions they said to Moses, O man of secret knowledge! Consult your Master on our behalf by virtue of the agreement He has made with you to get us out of these troubles, if you will do that then we promise we will certainly accept your guidance.

50] But each time We led them out of their self created troubles, they went back on their agreements.

51] However one day Pharaoh delivered a speech among his people saying O my people! Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? Are not these flowing rivers under my control? Can you therefore not see the point I am making to you?

52] Am I not more powerful than this weakling Moses who has no such power in the land to manifest his will?

53] Why has he not been anointed with gold bracelets to rule like rest of kings nor royal soldiers sent with him to accompany him to establish his rule?

54] That is how he incited his people and they supported him. Surely they were a people who accepted the way of life based upon divisions in mankind.

55] However when they tripped Our set-up systems and laws by breaking down community spirit among people, We let painful suffering befall them so they all ended up destroyed by each other,

56] and that is why we made them a lesson for the generations to come.

In these verses it is made absolutely clear that Islam is ADDEEN not mazhab because dialogue between chiefs of a people in a place and any divine messenger was always about power struggle. Each party wanted to lead people to its own way of life to implement its program. However, in the end it were divine messengers who succeeded but not for long because each time they passed away their followers turned back to their old ways of living. Again messengers came and tried to warn the people and put them on the right path and again people went astray. The idea was that each time people were brought together in a brotherhood, they worked hard together and community became united, very peaceful, very progressive and very prosperous and then as more people entered the community and people in the community became slack and could not cope with new arrivals the community broke down and opportunists took over and brought back life based upon personal gains at the expense of life based upon community spirit. As some people gained in this way of life others lost and soon time came when community became very much divided to the extent of animosity and hatred and wars. This is how those who kept going back to divine message survived and those who did not ended up destroying each other. Same happened to people of Moses and people of Pharaoh respectively. The very same will keep on happening till people have learned how to live properly as good human community. This will only happen when humanity has educated itself properly because then it will realise the message of the Quran.

57] Behold! When leadership of community of Mariam is quoted as an example, your people turn away from it.

58] Moreover they say, are our rulers better or was he? They do this just to argue with you for sake of keeping divisions in the human community alive and that is because these people are a quarrelsome people.

59] The fact is, he was nothing less than Our loyal man who lived by Our blissful and dignifying program, constitution and law that We bestowed upon him and whom We made an exemplary leader for the Children of Israel to follow.

60] So if you the mankind had fully relied upon following Our program, constitution and law then We would have brought forth from among you administrators in the kingdom of the world to lead you in succession.

Story of Jesus is also brought in to tell people how to live as a proper community to be an example for other communities to learn from and follow. The leadership that was already there was based upon personal gains and Jesus proposed community life just like divine messengers before him. This way of life is hated by chiefs who are busy robbing their people of fruits of their labour. So any people in the world are trapped between rulers and priests or secularism and religion and the only way out for them is to unite on basis of actual scriptural teachings and bring down rulers and priests and those who back them up ie the money lenders and those who sell them to unsuspecting masses, the public relation managers. This divide is created deliberately by a tiny minority so that they could use and abuse the masses through their set-up social, political and economic mechanisms and traps. This is why the end result has to be education of masses by each other and creation of divine kingdom or a fight to the end between those who have and those who have not. This is the major clash between mankind that always happens every cycle of a several generations if people do not make changes in time that help avoid such clashes. The Quran predicts one or the other end destination for mankind depending upon the choices they make for their future as groups of people.

61] This is why Allah made known the coming of the time of the establishment of the kingdom based upon His guidance as well as the coming of the time of uprisings and upheavals so have no doubt about coming of such a time and follow My guidance because this is the proper way to bringing about the blissful kingdom.

62] Therefore let not the harmful and destructive leadership mislead you from this goal because such a leadership is your open enemy.

63] When Jesus came with clear evidences he said to his people, I have brought you wisdom to clarify for you some of those things about which you differ so that you could be consistent with guidance of Allah and with each other and support me for establishing the blissful kingdom.

64] Surely it is Allah Who is my creator and sustainer as well as yours therefore abide by His program, constitution and law. This is the properly founded way of life that leads mankind to blissful and dignified existence.

65] Despite these teachings the factions disagreed among themselves therefore doomed is future of such people as inflict harm and destruction upon each other whereby they bring upon themselves the period of painful suffering.

66] What are they waiting for other than the coming of the moment of doom that it should come upon them all of a sudden catching them unaware or unprepared?

67] When that period of time arrives even the intimate friends will become severe enemies to one another with the exception of those who are consistent with Our guidance and with each other.

68] O you who abide by My program, constitution and law there is nothing to worry about or to regret for you on that day,

69] so it will be said to those who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind according to Our set out goals and guidelines because they will have accepted to struggle for establishing peaceful and blissful existence.

70] Therefore enter the struggle for bringing about blissful kingdom, you and your colleagues for living your lives beautifully.

71] By serving discourses to them that are vastly valuable for opening up their minds and that is why they will be able to have everything that their being will desire and all that their eyes will delight in. That is how you will be able to bring about such kingdom to abide therein.

72] Such will be the kingdom which you will inherit by virtue of struggling hard for it.

73] Therein you will have plenty of the fruits of your own labour that you will eat.

These verses explain what paradise is all about and what hell is all about. People can make their lives a blissful experience or a life full of regrets and painful suffering. Good life needs ideological basis which is provided by divine guidance and inspiration and motivation to get up and go which is also provided by divine message.

74] However those who commit crimes against each other will end up in terrible agony.

75] Their painful suffering will not be lightened by their continuous misdeeds so they will remain in despair in there.

76] It is not that We will inflict any harm or destruction upon them but that they themselves will be inflicting harms and destructions upon each other.

Again and again Allah tells people very clearly that when nation after nation falls it is not by will of Allah but because of their own victimisation of each other. A clear proof that there is no such thing as predestination in Islam in sense of Allah has already decided everything about everything and everyone. The proper concept is that Allah has set up measures or systems and laws and when people go against those set up systems and laws they suffer the consequences of their own actions which they carryout out of their own free choices. Allah does not tell people to victimise each other but they do it, why? If anything Allah keeps telling people don’t do it because you will suffer because of that as a result. This shows very clearly stupidity of mullahs and philosophers who are confused themselves and confuse others due to lack of understanding about the proper concepts the Quran explains including this concept of predestination.

When people keep on driving each other into bigger and bigger troubles the time comes when some people become masters of others and so make life hell for each other. This is when human dignity is totally lost both by dominant people as well as the submissive people. It is because anyone who tries to become master of other human beings by dominating them for undermining them is nothing more than an animal in form of a human. In fact such a person is far worse than animals. So are those who accept such domination of such people by acting as weaklings and spineless. Allah has not given any man power to dominate other human beings, it is because when masses join together they can fight off any tyrant at any time. So if anyone seems to be in total control of humanity it is only because mankind are not bothered about it. When they do, things change instantly. There are plenty of lessons in human history to which the Quran draws our attention. World cannot be run by tyrants and oppressors and suppressors permanently because it is not designed that way. The proof is changes that come about in the world every several generations of mankind. World is not created to stand still and each day either things get better or worse. However people should not let things get that far bad that some become masters of others making their life hell. Such tyrants ride on fears of people and they try to keep them in hell far as long as they can. This is why spreading of message of Allah is only assurance for mankind in this day and age to keep themselves away from life in hell. The life wherein a few turn rest of mankind into their slave labourers driving them day and night into harder and harder works thereby making their existence almost impossible. So terrible that they end up preferring death instead of life.

77] Due to harm and destruction inflicted upon them through hard labour the trapped people will cry to their taskmaster saying, O taskmaster! Could you request your lord on our behalf to ease our task for us? But he will say, no rather you are to continue doing what you are told to do.

78] Surely We brought to you the mankind the truth but most of you hate the truth.

79] What! Are they devising a plan to get rid of you O messenger! But We surely have a plan to save you from their conspiracies.

80] Do the rulers, priests and money lender think that We cannot take care of their secret plans through their private discussions? Of course We can that is why Our messengers are with them to plan better future for them.

81] Therefore proclaim O you the messenger to the mankind, the Master of this universe has no authorised successor to rule this universe on His behalf and I am foremost in abiding by His program, constitution and law.

82] Strive hard the set-up systems and laws to manifest glory of the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne of this Kingdom, Who is free of partners they ascribe to Him in His sovereignty of the universe.

83] So let them blunder and fool about until they face the day, which they have been promised.

84] That is the time when they will certainly come to realise the fact that it is Allah alone Who is ruler in the heavens and ruler in the earth, not those whom they have taken for their rulers in the earth. It is because He rules through wisdom which He makes obvious for mankind to see throughout the universe.

85] Firmly founded is He Himself and provides foundation for His creation and helps it grow and develop, to Him alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that lies in between them. With Him alone rests the right to make manifest the moment of establishment of His kingdom or upheavals that is why to His guidance alone should turn the mankind for their guidance.

86] Because those whom they take for rulers instead of Him, have no capability to intervene in the universe for their betterment but this truth is understood by those who are aware of the realities of the real world.

87] If you ask those who take for rulers other than Allah, who created them, they will say, Allah. How is it that they are then led away from this truth,

88] because Allah has heard the messenger say, O my Creator and Sustainer, these are such a people who do not commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind?

89] If that is the kind of people they are then leave them to themselves by letting them know what Islam is. They will soon come to know the truth when they will face the consequences of their actions based upon their adopted ways of life.