مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ 74
Translations
They have not appraised Allāh with true appraisal. Indeed, Allāh is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
Transliteration
Ma qadarullaha haqqa qadrihi, inna allaha laqawiyyun aziiz
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes that people have failed to recognize and honor Allah's true majesty and greatness as befits His divine nature. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this refers to those who associate partners with Allah or diminish His attributes through their disbelief and denial. The ayah concludes by affirming that Allah alone possesses infinite power (Qawiyy) and might (Aziiz), emphasizing that no creature can diminish or challenge His supremacy.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Hajj's discussion of shirk (polytheism) and the disbelievers' rejection of monotheism. It directly addresses the Meccan polytheists who failed to comprehend Allah's absolute power and instead created false deities, thereby failing to give Allah His rightful due in worship and recognition.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, for Allah has said in Surah Al-Hajj: "They did not estimate Allah with an estimation due to Him"' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet emphasizes knowing Allah's names and attributes as a means of proper reverence.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims must continuously reflect upon and honor Allah's infinite greatness, recognizing that no human conception can fully encompass His majesty, and that true faith requires acknowledging His complete power over all creation. This awareness should inspire humility, awe, and unwavering devotion in our relationship with the Divine.
Related Ayahs
يَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُۥ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُۥ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ ٱلْبَعِيدُ
He invokes instead of Allāh that which neither harms him nor benefits him. That is what is the extreme error.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَـٰنٍ مَّرِيدٍ
And of the people is he who disputes about Allāh without knowledge and follows every rebellious devil.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩
Do you not see [i.e., know] that to Allāh prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allāh humiliates - for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allāh does what He wills.
حُنَفَآءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ ٱلطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِى بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ
Inclining [only] to Allāh, not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allāh - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.