إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ 42
Translations
Indeed, Allāh knows whatever thing they call upon other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Transliteration
Inna Allaha ya'lamu ma yad'una min dūnihi min shay'in wa huwa al-'Azīzu al-Hakīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah has complete knowledge of all that the polytheists call upon besides Him, whether idols, false deities, or fabricated intermediaries. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this knowledge encompasses not only the names and natures of these false objects of worship, but also the futility and falsehood inherent in associating partners with Allah. The ayah concludes with divine attributes—Al-'Aziz (The Mighty) and Al-Hakim (The Wise)—establishing that Allah alone possesses absolute power and wisdom to judge such shirk (polytheism) and guide His servants aright.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-'Ankabut is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of intense polytheistic opposition to the Prophet Muhammad's message. This ayah contextualizes the broader theme of the surah: despite the Meccans' devotion to their idols and false gods, Allah's knowledge is all-encompassing, and His dominion is absolute. The ayah directly addresses the spiritual blindness of idol-worship prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies while calling upon a partner with Allah will meet Him as a mushrik (polytheist)' (Sahih Bukhari). This hadith reinforces the gravity of shirk emphasized in this ayah. Additionally, 'There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing' (Quran 42:11) complements the divine attributes mentioned here.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that no act of worship to false deities escapes Allah's knowledge, and that sincere believers should trust in Allah's absolute wisdom and power rather than seeking intercession through intermediaries. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that hidden intentions and actions are known to Allah, encouraging accountability and sincere devotion exclusively to the One True God.
Related Ayahs
وَعَادًا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَقَد تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُم مِّن مَّسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ
And [We destroyed] ʿAad and Thamūd, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception.
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
And if you asked them, "Who sends down rain from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "Praise to Allāh"; but most of them do not reason.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا ءَامِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ ٱلنَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ ۚ أَفَبِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَكْفُرُونَ
Have they not seen that We made [Makkah] a safe sanctuary, while people are being taken away all around them? Then in falsehood do they believe, and in the favor of Allāh they disbelieve?
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُۥٓ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allāh or denies the truth when it has come to him? Is there not in Hell a [sufficient] residence for the disbelievers?