The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 948
CH. 43 AZ-ZUKHRUF them, and drowned them all. 3677 57. And We made them a precedent, and an example for the coming generations. R. 6. PT. 25 أَجْمَعِينَ فَجَعَلْتُهُمْ سَلَفَا وَ مَثَلًا لِلْآخِرِينَ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ And when the son of Mary. 58 مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ is mentioned as an instance, lo! thy people raise a clamour thereat;3 3678 وَقَالُواء الِهَتُنَا خَيْر امْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ And they say, “Are our gods. 59 better, or he?' They mention not لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَضِمُونَ this to thee but for the sake of disputation. Nay, but they are a contentious people. 3677. Important Words: (they angered Us) is derived. i. e أسف عليه asifa). They say) أسف from he grieved intensely over it; he was angry with him. (āsafahū) means, he angered him, he grieved him, he made him to grieve or lament (Lane & Aqrab). 3678. Important Words: صده عن كذا They say. صد from يصل (raise a clamour) is derived aorist (yaṣuddu) i. e. he hindered him from such a thing; he turned him away from it. aorist (yaşiddu) means, he raised a clamour; he cried (Aqrab). Commentary: The main theme of this Surah, as already mentioned, is the Unity of God. The Surah condemns idolatry in very strong terms. But in the case of Jesus who is also worshipped as God by Christians, it has made an not exception. Not only has it condemned him but has actually mentioned his name with great respect. This invidious distinction (as it appeared to the Quraish of Mecca) between Jesus and their idols cut them to the quick. The verse under 2862 comment refers to this mortification of the Quraish. The exception made in case of Jesus needed some explanation. The explanation is given in the verses that follow. similar, like, equal to another (6:39), The word signifying anything in the text, may also signify that the verse, besides the meaning given when the people of the Holy Prophet-the Muslims- are told that another person who would be like Jesus and would be his counterpart would be raised from among them to regenerate them and restore their lost spiritual glory, they, instead of being