أَفَحَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ عِبَادِى مِن دُونِىٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۚ إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نُزُلًا 102
Translations
Then do those who disbelieve think that they can take My servants instead of Me as allies? Indeed, We have prepared Hell for the disbelievers as a lodging.
Transliteration
Afa-hasiba alladhina kafaru an yattakhidhu ibadi min duni awliya. Inna a'tadna jahannama lil-kafirin nuzulan.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the disbelievers for their arrogance in supposing they can take Allah's servants (the angels or believers) as protectors and allies instead of Allah alone. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this is a rhetorical reproach (istifham inkari) condemning shirk (polytheism) and false guardianship, with the ayah concluding by affirming that Hell (Jahannam) has been prepared as an unwelcoming reception (nuzul) for those who reject Allah's monotheism.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Kahf, a Meccan chapter revealed during a period of intense polytheistic practices in Mecca. The broader context addresses the themes of tawhid (monotheism) and the consequences of rejecting Allah's oneness, likely responding to the Meccan pagans' intercession beliefs and their reliance on idols and false deities as mediators.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3894): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'No one will enter Paradise except a believer,' which reinforces the theme that only those who maintain sincere tawhid will attain salvation. Additionally, Muslim (2865) records traditions about intercession being exclusively in Allah's hands, directly related to the ayah's condemnation of taking false awliya (guardians).
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must recognize that all guardianship, protection, and support ultimately come from Allah alone, and that turning to false intermediaries or deities—whether literal idols or metaphorical substitutes like wealth, status, or people—constitutes a grave spiritual error. This ayah reminds us to examine our hearts and ensure our primary allegiance and trust are directed exclusively toward Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَـٰسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا
And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَآئِهِۦ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَزْنًا
Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in [their] meeting Him, so their deeds have become worthless; and We will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight [i.e., importance].
نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَـٰهُمْ هُدًى
It is We who relate to you, [O Muḥammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ لِلنَّاسِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ أَكْثَرَ شَىْءٍ جَدَلًا
And We have certainly diversified in this Qur’ān for the people from every [kind of] example; but man has ever been, most of anything, [prone to] dispute.