وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ 61
Translations
If you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Then how are they deluded?
Transliteration
Wa-la'in sa'altahum man khalaqa al-samawati wa-al-arda wa-sakhkhara al-shams wa-al-qamar la-yaqulunna Allah fa-anna yu'fakun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a powerful rhetorical argument: when the polytheists are asked who created the heavens and earth and subjugated the sun and moon, they readily acknowledge 'Allah'—yet despite this acknowledgment of Allah's creative power, they turn away from worshipping Him alone and associate partners with Him in worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as exposing the logical contradiction and cognitive dissonance of the disbelievers, who admit Allah's supreme power over creation while denying His exclusive right to worship. The ayah demonstrates that their rejection of monotheism stems not from intellectual ignorance but from willful deviation and turning away from truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-'Ankabut, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who acknowledged Allah as the ultimate Creator yet refused to abandon idolatry. The ayah is part of a series of rhetorical questions (29:61-63) designed to highlight the absurdity of the pagan Meccan position and challenge their logical consistency regarding belief in Allah's creative power.
Related Hadiths
The concept reflects hadith principles found in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that every child is born upon the fitrah (natural inclination toward monotheism), relating to the innate human knowledge of Allah's existence and power. Additionally, Surah Ad-Dhariyat (51:21) and related commentary in Sahih Bukhari discuss how creation testifies to Allah's existence, a theme central to this ayah's argument.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that denying Allah's oneness is not a matter of intellectual incapacity but of spiritual corruption and deliberate deviation from known truth; believers should reflect on the logical coherence of their faith and ensure their actions align with their acknowledgment of Allah's supreme lordship and deserve exclusive devotion.
Related Ayahs
وَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِىٓءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ ۖ إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ كَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْغَـٰبِرِينَ
And when Our messengers [i.e., angels] came to Lot, he was distressed for them and felt for them great discomfort. They said, "Fear not, nor grieve. Indeed, we will save you and your family, except your wife; she is to be of those who remain behind.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ ٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ أَجْرَهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob and placed in his descendants prophethood and scripture. And We gave him his reward in this world, and indeed, he is in the Hereafter among the righteous.
فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ ٱقْتُلُوهُ أَوْ حَرِّقُوهُ فَأَنجَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
And the answer of his [i.e., Abraham's] people was not but that they said, "Kill him or burn him," but Allāh saved him from the fire. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
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.