وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَكُمْ وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَنصُرُونَ 197
Translations
And those you call upon besides Him are unable to help you, nor can they help themselves."
Transliteration
Wa alladhīna tad'ūna min dūnihī lā yastati'ūna nasrakum wa lā anfusahum yansurūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the worship of idols and false deities by emphasizing their complete powerlessness to aid their worshippers or even themselves. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah is demonstrating the futility of polytheistic practices—those beings invoked besides Allah cannot provide any help or protection, nor can they defend themselves from harm. The rhetorical structure serves as a powerful logical argument against shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing Allah's exclusive right to worship as the only true source of power and aid.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period of Surah Al-A'raf, which comprehensively addresses arguments against idolatry and polytheism. The surah presents multiple rational and theological refutations of the pagan Arab practice of invoking idols and saints. This particular verse is part of a broader section (7:194-198) where Allah systematically proves the helplessness of false objects of worship, directly addressing the Meccan polytheists' justifications for their religious practices.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 'The best word is the word of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, the hadith emphasizing tawhīd (monotheism) appears throughout the Sunnah, such as in Sunan At-Tirmidhi where the Prophet emphasized that 'Whoever dies knowing that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah will enter Paradise.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that seeking help, protection, or intercession from anything other than Allah is fundamentally futile and misguided. For modern Muslims, it reinforces the principle that absolute trust (tawakkul) and reliance should be placed only in Allah, and that true strength and security come from monotheistic faith rather than from materialistic or superstitious associations with false powers.