waqālū aālihatunā khayrun am huwa mā ḍarabūhu laka illā jadalan bal hum qawmun khaṣimūna
Translation
And they said, "Are our gods better, or is he?"1444 They did not present it [i.e., the comparison] except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
Verse 58 of Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:58), a Meccan surah, is in juz 25, on page 493 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 58
Al-Mukhtasar
And they say, “Are our deities better or is Jesus better?” Ibn Al-Ziba‘rā and others did not draw up this comparison in love of hope in reaching the truth, rather in love of argumentation. They are a nation quarrelsome in nature.
and they said, “Are Our gods better or he23?” They only mentioned him to you for the sake of argument. They are indeed a contentious people.
Notes
[23] i.e., Jesus.
And say: "Are our âlihah (gods) better or is he [‘Îsâ (Jesus)]?" They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people. (See V. 21:98-101)
And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk.
And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people.
And they say: Are our gods better, or is he? They do not set it forth to you save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people.
And they have said, "Are our gods more charitable, or rather he? In no way have they struck (the similitude) to you except in dispute; no indeed, (but) they are a people, (who are) constant adversaries.
