فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوكُم بِمَا تَقُولُونَ فَمَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ صَرْفًا وَلَا نَصْرًا ۚ وَمَن يَظْلِم مِّنكُمْ نُذِقْهُ عَذَابًا كَبِيرًا 19
Translations
So they will deny you, [disbelievers], in what you say, and you cannot avert [punishment] or [find] help. And whoever commits injustice among you - We will make him taste a great punishment.
Transliteration
Faqad kadhabookum bima taqooloon fama tastateewoon sarfan wa la nasran wa man yazlim minkum nudhiqhu adhaban kabira
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses those who associate partners with Allah, declaring that their false gods have rejected their claims and pleas, rendering them powerless to avert punishment or provide assistance. The verse concludes with a warning that whoever commits injustice (dhulm) among them will taste severe torment, emphasizing that divine justice is inescapable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this serves as a stark reminder of the futility of shirk (polytheism) and the certainty of Allah's punishment for those who persist in wrongdoing.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Furqan's broader discussion of the disbelievers' arguments and false beliefs. The passage follows Allah's description of how the idolaters invoke their false deities on the Day of Judgment, only to be rejected. This thematic section emphasizes the powerlessness of idols and the ultimate vindication of monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to Hadith Qudsi where Allah says He will reject the intercession of those who associated partners with Him. Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (ﷺ) warned that 'whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire,' reinforcing the severity mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that reliance on anything other than Allah is futile and that every soul is accountable for its actions before the Divine. Modern believers should reflect on ensuring their worship is directed solely to Allah and that their deeds are rooted in righteousness, as no false support or intermediary will benefit them on the Day of Judgment.
Related Ayahs
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَا يَضُرُّهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلْكَافِرُ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ ظَهِيرًا
But they worship rather than Allāh that which does not benefit them or harm them, and the disbeliever is ever, against his Lord, an assistant [to Satan].
ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ فَضَلُّوا۟ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا
Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way.
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِٱللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا۟ كِرَامًا
And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًا ۩
And when it is said to them, "Prostrate to the Most Merciful," they say, "And what is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate to that which you order us?" And it increases them in aversion.