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wa-qīlihī yā-rabbi ʾinna hāʾulāʾi qawmun lā yuʾminūna
And his plaint: ‘My Lord! Indeed these are a people who will not have faith!’
— Ali Quli Qarai
43Az-ZukhrufالزخرفVerse 88 of 89
The Ornaments of Gold43. Az-Zukhrufالزخرف
al-Zukhruf
The Gold Ornaments
MeccanVerse 88 of 89
Surah al-Zukhruf - Verses 88 - 89
88. And Our Prophet says: “O Lord! Verily, these are a people who do not believe.
89. [Now that you have lost your hope to guide them to the Straight Path] then turn away from them and say: “Peace [unto you]! But they will come to know [what their recompense shall be].
Qilihi like qawlihi is an infinitive denoting “to say.” Confronting obdurate people, prophets seek refuge with God. They are asked to leave obdurate polytheists alone rather than enter into disputation with them lest they happen to be defeated. The blessed Verses in question reveal the Noble Prophet’s (S) complaint against the obdurate and insensible people. The Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) complains that he talked to them day and night and made attempts at bearing glad tidings and warnings.
He related the dire fate of the ancient peoples who refrained from believing in Divine Unity. He warned them against Divine Retribution and heartened them that if they turn away from error, they will be rewarded by Divine Bounties. In short, he did his level best to guide them to the Straight Path of the Islamic faith, but they were not affected by his words and they failed to believe in God. Now God knows best as what to do with them. The last Verse includes Divine Injunction to His Prophet (S) to leave them alone. He is reminded that turning away from them does not entail refusing to talk to them, violence, and aggression.
He is asked to say unto them:
The gentle word connotes neither friendship nor greeting, but it indicates separation and alienation. It resembles the gentle words mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:
The word peace ad hoc indicates indifference accompanied with dignity. In the mean time, he warns them with a meaningful sentence lest they imagine that the separation and farewell indicate that God has nothing to do with them. The Verse closes with the clause:
O Lord! Make our bonds with thee and your saints firmer day by day so that they may intercede on our behalf.
O Lord! Protect us from any kind of manifest and latent polytheism. Amen O Lord of the world!
Footnotes