إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ ۖ فَٱدْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ 194
Translations
Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allāh are servants [i.e., creations] like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina tad'una min duni Allah 'ibadun amthalukum, fad'uhum falyastajeebu lakum in kuntum sadiqeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah challenges the polytheists by exposing the futility of invoking idols and false deities, asserting that these objects of worship are merely servants like themselves—powerless creations unable to respond. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse is a logical refutation of shirk (associating partners with Allah), as the idols' inability to answer calls proves their worthlessness as objects of devotion. The challenge 'if you are truthful' invites the disbelievers to test their gods and witness their silence, thereby confirming that only Allah possesses the power to hear and respond.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-A'raf, a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the Prophet ﷺ faced intense opposition from Meccan polytheists who worshipped idols. The verse directly addresses the core theological dispute of that era—the validity of idol worship versus monotheistic devotion to Allah alone. It uses rational argumentation to demonstrate the absurdity of seeking help from lifeless objects.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding the call of the disbelievers to their idols: 'Indeed, those to whom you call besides Allah are servants like you' (a direct reference to this ayah's meaning). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet ﷺ emphasized that 'There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah' and that calling upon anything else is futile.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true reliance and supplication should be directed exclusively toward Allah, as all other entities—whether idols, saints, or created beings—lack the power to help or respond. For contemporary Muslims, it serves as a reminder to scrutinize the object of their devotion and to recognize that only Allah possesses the attributes of being All-Hearing and All-Responding, thereby strengthening conviction in authentic monotheism.