فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ 17
Translations
Then let him call his associates;
Transliteration
Fal-yad'u nadiyahu
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the disbeliever (specifically Abu Jahl, according to classical tafsir) to call upon his assembly or people for help, implying that they will be of no avail to him on the Day of Judgment. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this is a challenge to the arrogant disbeliever, emphasizing the futility of relying on worldly support when facing divine punishment. The ayah underscores that no human ally or gathering can intercede or protect one from Allah's justice.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes Surah Al-'Alaq in the context of warnings to those who reject faith and persist in arrogance. It specifically addresses the opposition faced by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Meccan leaders like Abu Jahl, who relied on their social status and tribal support to resist the message of Islam. The surah uses this as a rhetorical challenge to expose the emptiness of their earthly power.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous traditions about Abu Jahl's opposition to the Prophet and his eventual fate at Badr, demonstrating the fulfillment of such warnings. The broader theme relates to hadiths on the powerlessness of wealth and lineage on the Day of Judgment (e.g., Tirmidhi on the severing of family ties in the afterlife).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that no amount of social status, wealth, or worldly alliances will benefit a person who turns away from truth and divine guidance. In modern times, it reminds us to prioritize our relationship with Allah over dependence on human networks, and to recognize that ultimate security comes only from submission to the Divine.
Related Ayahs
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ
Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Created man from a clinging substance.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩
No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allāh].
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -