قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى وَلَآ أُشْرِكُ بِهِۦٓ أَحَدًا 20
Translations
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone."
Transliteration
Qul innamā ad'ū rabbī wa lā ushrik bihi ahadā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that he calls upon only his Lord in worship and supplication, associating no partners with Him in His divinity or lordship. This ayah emphasizes pure monotheism (tawhīd) as the foundation of the Prophet's message and personal practice. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this statement serves as both a personal declaration of faith and a rebuttal to those who accused the Prophet of polytheism or of seeking intercession through idols.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the concluding section of Surah Al-Jinn, which discusses the jinn's acceptance of the Quranic message and their recognition of Allah's oneness. The context reflects the broader Meccan period theme of establishing pure monotheism against the polytheistic practices of Quraysh. The Prophet is instructed to make this clear declaration of exclusive devotion to Allah as a foundational principle of his call.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim (1218) records the hadith where the Prophet said, 'My Lord has commanded me to teach you what you do not know,' emphasizing the exclusive nature of his devotion and mission. Related thematically is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari (6937) regarding the statement 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no deity except Allah) as the foundation of faith.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that true worship requires complete sincerity and exclusivity directed toward Allah alone, free from any hidden attachments to worldly desires, status, or intermediaries. For believers today, it emphasizes that our spiritual integrity depends on maintaining pure intention (niyyah) in all acts of devotion, ensuring we seek only Allah's pleasure and approval.
Related Ayahs
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allāh has sent down no evidence. Legislation is not but for Allāh. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ
And they who do not associate anything with their Lord
قُلْ مَنۢ بِيَدِهِۦ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Say, "In whose hand is the realm of all things - and He protects while none can protect against Him - if you should know?"
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ هُوَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
That is because Allāh is the True Reality, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allāh is the Most High, the Grand.