إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْثَـٰنًا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۖ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ 17
Translations
You only worship, besides Allāh, idols, and you produce a falsehood. Indeed, those you worship besides Allāh do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allāh provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned."
Transliteration
Innama ta'budūna min dūnillāhi awthānan wa takhluqūna ifkā. Innal-ladhīna ta'budūna min dūnillāhi lā yamlikūna lakum rizqan fabtaghū 'indallāhi ar-rizqa wa'budūhu washkurū lah. Ilayhi turja'ūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns idolatry, exposing the futility of worshipping idols alongside or instead of Allah. The idolaters are reminded that their false gods possess no power to provide sustenance, and they themselves fabricate lies about these deities. The ayah concludes with a direct call to seek provision only from Allah, worship Him alone, and be grateful, as all will ultimately return to Him for judgment.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early period of Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) mission when polytheism was rampant among the Quraysh. This ayah directly addresses the Meccan idolaters' attachment to their idols (such as Al-Lāt, Al-'Uzzā, and Manāt) and their fabrication of false doctrines to justify their practices. The surah uses the metaphor of the spider's web to illustrate the weakness of these false beliefs.
Related Hadiths
1) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best supplication is asking for provision (du'ā' for rizq)' - a thematic connection emphasizing reliance on Allah for sustenance. 2) 'Whoever seeks provision from sources other than Allah, Allah will make him dependent upon those sources' - narrated with similar meanings in various hadith collections, reinforcing the message that only Allah truly provides.
Themes
Key Lesson
True security and sustenance come exclusively from Allah; therefore, believers must direct all worship and supplication to Him alone and trust in His provision rather than seeking support from created things. Gratitude for Allah's blessings and recognition of His sovereignty form the foundation of a meaningful spiritual life.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرْتَ بِٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلًا
His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?
ذَٰلِكَ مِمَّآ أَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ ۗ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتُلْقَىٰ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَّدْحُورًا
That is from what your Lord has revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], of wisdom. And, [O mankind], do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity, lest you be thrown into Hell, blamed and banished.
وَٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُوا۟ لَهُمْ عِزًّا
And they have taken besides Allāh [false] deities that they would be for them [a source of] honor.
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Exalted is He who created all pairs - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.