وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِۦ سُلْطَـٰنًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۗ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ 71
Translations
And they worship besides Allāh that for which He has not sent down authority and that of which they have no knowledge. And there will not be for the wrongdoers any helper.
Transliteration
Wa ya'budūna min dūnillāhi mā lam yunazzil bihi sulṭānan wa mā laysa lahum bihi 'ilm, wa mā lilẓẓālimīna min nāṣīr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the practice of worshipping idols and false deities without any divine authority or knowledge. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the ayah emphasizes that polytheists worship beings and objects that Allah has not sanctioned with any proof (sulṭān), and they do so without knowledge ('ilm), making their worship baseless and irrational. The concluding statement "there is no helper for the wrongdoers" serves as a solemn warning that those who persist in shirk (polytheism) will face divine retribution with no one to aid them.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Hajj, which addresses various aspects of the pilgrimage and monotheism. The broader context of the surah deals with refuting polytheistic practices and establishing the oneness of Allah. This particular ayah reflects the Medinan period's continued engagement with idolaters and those who had adopted false beliefs, highlighting the irrationality of polytheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire.' (Sahih Bukhari 1477). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah in worship.' (Sahih Bukhari 2654)
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true worship must be based on divine guidance (Revelation) and sound knowledge, not mere conjecture, custom, or blind following of ancestors. For contemporary Muslims, it serves as a reminder to scrutinize their beliefs and practices against the Quran and Sunnah, ensuring they worship Allah alone with understanding and sincerity.