Surah al-Zukhruf, a Makkan surah. (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Ha-Mim. By the clear Book. Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Quran so that you may understand. And indeed, it is, in the Mother of the Book with Us, exalted and full of wisdom.” (1–4)

“Ha-Mim. By the clear Book”: He swears by the Book which makes plain the path of guidance from the path of misguidance, and makes clear the provisions of the Sacred Law that the community needs.

“Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Quran so that you may understand.” His saying, “We have made it,” means: We have rendered the recitation of this Book Arabic. It is also said that it means: We have made it clear; or: We have named it; or: We have described it. Thus one says, “So-and-so made Zayd the most learned of people,” meaning that he described him as such. This is like His saying, “They have made the angels, who are servants of the Most Compassionate, female” (al-Zukhruf 19); and His saying, “They made the Quran into portions” (al-Hijr 91); and His saying, “Have you made the providing of water to the pilgrims...” (al-Tawbah 19). All of these carry the sense of description and naming.

“And indeed, it,” meaning the Quran, “is in the Mother of the Book”: that is, in the Preserved Tablet. Qatadah said: “The Mother of the Book is the source of the Book, and the mother of everything is its source.” Ibn Abbas said: “The first thing Allah created was the Pen, and He commanded it to write what He intended to create; thus the Book is with Him.” (2) He then recited, “And indeed, it is, in the Mother of the Book with Us.” Thus, the Quran is established with Allah in the Preserved Tablet, as He says: “Rather, it is a glorious Quran, inscribed on a Preserved Tablet” (al-Buruj 21).

“Exalted and full of wisdom.” Qatadah said: He informs of its rank and nobility; that is, if you, people of Makkah, reject the Quran, then with Us it is exalted, lofty, noble, and safeguarded against falsehood.