قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا 110
Translations
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
Transliteration
Qul innama ana basharun mithlukum yuha ilayya annama ilahukum ilahun wahid faman kana yarjoo liqaa rabbihi falyamal amalan salihan wala yushrik bieabadati rabbihi ahada
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is instructed to clarify that he is merely a human like others, distinguished only by receiving revelation from Allah. This ayah emphasizes the oneness of Allah and establishes that true preparation for meeting the Lord requires righteous deeds performed solely for His sake, without associating partners with Him in worship. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this ayah refutes the notion that the Prophet possessed divine attributes, while Al-Qurtubi emphasizes the ethical imperative of sincere monotheistic practice as the foundation for spiritual success.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes Surah Al-Kahf and appears in the Meccan period when polytheists were challenging the Prophet's message. It serves as a summary statement addressing misconceptions about the Prophet's nature and reaffirming the core message of Islamic monotheism (tawhid) and accountability before Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said, 'The best of deeds is to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then to do righteous deeds' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, 'Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will be rewarded according to his intention' (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim) relates directly to the emphasis on sincere, unassociated worship.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must recognize that spiritual advancement comes not through blind following of any human, but through sincere individual effort in righteous action dedicated solely to Allah's pleasure. This ayah reminds us that our accountability before God depends on the purity of our intentions and deeds, untainted by worldly motives or associating others in our worship.
Related Ayahs
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِن فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
The heavens almost break from above them, and the angels exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allāh who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
And they worship besides Allāh that which does not possess for them [the power of] provision from the heavens and the earth at all, and [in fact], they are unable.
قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
[Moses] said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers."