Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:31
سُورَةُ الزُّخۡرُفِ · Meccan · Verse 31 of 89
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ
Translation
and they said, ‘Why was this Quran not sent down to a distinguished man, from either of the two cities?’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 31, captures a telling moment of rejection from the idolaters of Quraish regarding the Quran. They challenged the Prophet Muhammad's prophethood with specific demands, revealed beautifully through the precise words chosen by Allah.
Their Challenge: "Why Not?"
The verse begins with their statement: "وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانُ" (And they said, "Why was this Qur'an not revealed..."). The Arabic word "lāwlā" (لَوْلَا) here is more than just a question asking "why not?" As Ibn Ashur explains, it's used as a rhetorical device to express their certainty that something *should have happened* but did not, implying that Muhammad's prophethood was impossible in their eyes. It conveyed a sense of strong disapproval and a hidden rejection of the divine choice. They weren't genuinely seeking an answer; they were declaring their predetermined judgment, a "why not" that really meant "it should never have been this way."
Defining "Great Man"
Their core objection revolved around the phrase "عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ" (to a great man from the two towns). The term "عَظِيمٍ" (great) is key. For them, a "great man" meant someone with worldly prestige, wealth, and high social standing, as noted by al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi. They couldn't fathom that a person lacking such material advantages, like the Prophet Muhammad, could be chosen for such a monumental task. They held up their own human standards of "greatness" based on power and status, completely missing the divine wisdom behind Allah's selection of His messengers. They even had specific individuals in mind, such as Walid bin al-Mughirah from Mecca or Urwah bin Mas'ud al-Thaqafi from Ta'if, whom they considered "great" by their measures.
The "Two Towns"
The mention of "ٱلْقَرْيَتَيْنِ" (the two towns) refers to Mecca and Ta'if, the two most prominent cities in their region. This detail highlights their narrow, regional perspective. They believed divine revelation, if it were truly from Allah, would naturally descend upon someone from the most influential families in these powerful commercial and social hubs. This underscores their material worldview and their inability to see beyond local, worldly hierarchies when it came to a universal message from the Lord of all worlds.
The precise wording of this verse therefore unveils the deep-seated arrogance and materialistic criteria of those who opposed the Prophet. It shows how their worldly definitions of "greatness" blinded them to the true source of honor and authority: Allah's own choosing.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:31 is discussed in 12 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:31 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.