هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوْمُنَا ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةً ۖ لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍۭ بَيِّنٍ ۖ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا 15
Translations
These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear evidence? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie?"
Transliteration
Haa'ulaa'i qawmunā ittakhadhū min dūnihi āliha. Law lā ya'tūn 'alayhim bi-sulṭānin bayyinā. Fa-man aẓlamu mimman iftarā 'alallāhi kadhiban.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The young men of the Cave lament that their people have adopted false gods besides Allah without any clear evidence or proof to support their idolatry. The ayah emphasizes the logical absurdity and grave sin of polytheism—that fabricating lies about Allah by attributing partners to Him is the greatest injustice (zulm). Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi note that this statement by the companions of the Cave demonstrates their intellectual clarity and moral courage in recognizing the falsehood of their society's religion.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Ashab al-Kahf (the Companions of the Cave), a Meccan surah revealed during a period when the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) faced intense opposition from the Meccan polytheists. The story illustrates how young believers stood firm against societal pressure and false religion, serving as comfort to the early Muslims facing similar persecution for their monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari). Also relevant is the hadith: 'Whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire' (Sahih Muslim), highlighting the severity of shirk mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to demand clear, rational proof for religious claims and to recognize that adopting false beliefs without evidence is not merely error but represents profound injustice. It inspires courage to reject falsehood even when surrounded by a society that embraces it, reminding us that monotheistic conviction should be rooted in clear understanding, not blind imitation.
Related Ayahs
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.
وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا۟ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَـٰهًا ۖ لَّقَدْ قُلْنَآ إِذًا شَطَطًا
And We bound [i.e., made firm] their hearts when they stood up and said, "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.
وَأَمَّا ٱلْغُلَـٰمُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَآ أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَـٰنًا وَكُفْرًا
And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief.
وَإِنَّا لَجَـٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًا جُرُزًا
And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground.