وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا 18
Translations
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allāh, so do not invoke with Allāh anyone.
Transliteration
Wa anna al-masajida lillahi fa la tad'u ma'a Allahi ahada
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes that all mosques belong exclusively to Allah, and therefore one should not invoke or worship anyone alongside Him within these sacred spaces. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a prohibition against associating partners with Allah (shirk) in places of worship, reinforcing the concept of absolute monotheism (tawhid). The ayah serves as a reminder that mosques are sanctified for the worship of Allah alone, and any act of invocation directed toward other than Allah violates their sacred purpose.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Jinn is addressed to the jinn who believed in the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This ayah occurs within the context of the jinn's declaration of faith and their commitment to abandoning idolatry. The surrounding verses (72:16-18) emphasize the jinn's testimony that if they had remained steadfast on the straight path, they would have been granted abundance, reinforcing the theme of monotheistic commitment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The most grievous sin is that a slave associates partners with Allah, for Allah has created him and he invokes another alongside Him' (related in various hadith collections). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari emphasizes that mosques are the houses of Allah where only His worship should occur.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must maintain absolute devotion to Allah in all spaces, especially in places of worship, and should vigilantly guard against any form of associating partners with Him. This ayah reminds us that our mosques and houses of worship should be sanctuaries of pure monotheistic devotion, free from any distractions or false invocations.
Related Ayahs
لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
Allāh - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allāh, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا
Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly gone far astray.