قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَـٰبٌ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 71
Translations
Say, "Shall we invoke instead of Allāh that which neither benefits us nor harms us and be turned back on our heels after Allāh has guided us? [We would then be] like one whom the devils enticed [to wander] upon the earth confused, [while] he has companions inviting him to guidance, [calling], 'Come to us.'" Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allāh is the [only] guidance; and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.
Transliteration
Qul andoAAu min dooni Allahi ma la yanfaoona wa la yadurruna wa nuradd oala aoqabina baAAda ith hadana Allahu kaalladhee istahwathu alshshayateenu fee alardi hayrana lahu ashabun yadoononahu ila alhuda itina qul inna huda Allahi huwa alhuda wa omirna linuslima lirabbi alAAalameena
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the polytheists' practice of invoking idols alongside Allah by presenting a powerful rhetorical question: Should we call upon deities that can neither benefit nor harm us, thereby turning back from Allah's guidance? The ayah compares such backsliding to a person bewitched by devils, wandering confused on earth while companions call him to guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this serves as a logical argument against shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing that true guidance comes exclusively from Allah, and that submission to the Lord of all creation is the only rational path.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-An'am, which addresses the central theme of tawhid (monotheism) against the polytheistic practices of Meccan pagans. The surah systematically refutes idolatry and false doctrines prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia. This particular ayah responds directly to those who rejected monotheism and advocated returning to ancestral idol worship.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (#2877) about the Devil's declaration that he will lead people astray except the sincere slaves of Allah relates thematically to the mention of Satan's deception in this ayah. Additionally, numerous hadiths emphasize the principle that 'there is no compulsion in religion' (2:256), contrasting with the confusion described here.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that abandoning divine guidance for false deities—whether literal idols or metaphorical ones (wealth, status, desires)—is both logically indefensible and spiritually catastrophic. Modern readers should reflect on what 'false deities' they might be invoking besides Allah and recommit to His guidance as the sole source of true benefit and protection.