أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا 57
Translations
Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.
Transliteration
Ulā'ika alladhīna yad'ūna yabtaghūna ilā rabbihimu al-wasīlata ayyuhum aqrabu wa yarjūna rahmatahu wa yakhāfūna 'adhābahu; inna 'adhāba rabbika kāna mahdūrā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those whom people invoke besides Allah—they themselves seek the means of approach to their Lord, competing to get closer to Him, hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as refuting the practice of intercession through intermediaries, demonstrating that even the greatest of creation seek closeness to Allah through their own obedience and righteous deeds, not through being invoked by others. The ayah establishes that all are equal before Allah in their need for His mercy and fear of His punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Isra's discussion of monotheism and rejecting polytheistic practices. It addresses the pre-Islamic Arabian custom of invoking saints, angels, and idols as intermediaries to reach Allah, clarifying that such beings themselves are servants dependent on Allah's mercy and subject to His judgment, thus invalidating their status as intercessors.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever dies invoking a partner with Allah will enter the Fire' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the intercession (shafā'ah) emphasizes that no one can intercede except by Allah's permission, reinforcing that closeness to Allah is through obedience, not through invoking intermediaries.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true closeness to Allah comes through personal obedience, sincere supplication, and righteous conduct—not through invoking saints or intermediaries. It reminds us that all creation, regardless of status, stands in need of Allah's mercy and stands accountable before Him, emphasizing the equality and directness of the servant-Lord relationship in Islam.