Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:58
And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ (43:58) — "And they said: are our gods better, or he? They only put this forward to you to dispute; nay, they are a contentious people."
The Exalted — praised be His mention — says: and the polytheists (mushrikīn) among your people, O Muḥammad, said: are our gods whom we worship better? Or Muḥammad — so that we should worship Muḥammad and abandon our gods?
And it was mentioned that in the reading of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb this reads: "Are our gods better, or this one?"
* Mention of the narration concerning that: Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, that in the reading of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb it stands: "And they said: are our gods better, or this one?" — by which they mean Muḥammad ﷺ.
And others said: nay, by this was meant: are our gods better, or ʿĪsā?
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word: وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ, he said: they disputed with him and said: he claims that everyone who is worshipped besides Allah is in the Fire; well then, we are content that our gods should be in the company of ʿĪsā, ʿUzayr, and the angels — these are all worshipped besides Allah. He said: then Allah sent down the exoneration of ʿĪsā.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: are our gods better?, he said: these worshipped ʿĪsā, and we worship the angels.
And His word: They only put this forward to you to dispute; nay, they are a contentious people... up to will be inheritors upon the earth (43:60). And the statement of the Exalted — praised be His mention: They only put this forward to you to dispute, the Exalted says: they did not put forward this likeness-image to you, O Muḥammad, nor utter this word against you, except out of contentiousness and disputation by which they dispute with you. nay, they are a contentious people, He — praised be His laudation — says: these polytheists among your people, O Muḥammad, do not seek the truth by their disputing through which they dispute with you. nay, they are a contentious people, they seek dispute by means of falsehood.
And it was mentioned concerning the Prophet ﷺ that he said: "No people have strayed from the truth without contentiousness being given to them."
* Mention of the narration concerning that: Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Yaʿlā related to us, saying: al-Ḥajjāj ibn Dīnār related to us, on the authority of Abū Ghālib, on the authority of Abū Umāma, he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "No people have strayed after a guidance upon which they were without contentiousness being given to them", and he read: They only put this forward to you to dispute... the verse.
Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Kindī and Abū Kurayb related to me, both of them saying: Muḥammad ibn Bishr related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj ibn Dīnār related to us, on the authority of Abū Umāma: "that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to the people while they were disputing about the Qurʾān, and he became greatly angered, until it was as though vinegar had been poured over his face. Then he ﷺ said: 'Do not strike the Book of Allah, one part of it against another, for no people have ever strayed without contentiousness being given to them.' Then he recited: They only put this forward to you to dispute; nay, they are a contentious people."
