وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرْهَـٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ 117
Translations
And whoever invokes besides Allāh another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
Transliteration
Wa man yad'u ma'a Allahi ilahan akhara la burhana lahu bihi fa'innama hisabuhu 'inda Rabbihi innahu la yuflihu al-kafiroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the practice of invoking or worshipping other deities alongside Allah without any proof or evidence for doing so. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that such shirk (associating partners with Allah) is fundamentally unreasonable and unjustifiable, as there exists no valid evidence ('ilm, hujjah, or burhan) to support the worship of false gods. The ayah concludes that the account and judgment of such disbelievers rests with Allah alone, and they will never achieve success or prosperity in this life or the hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Mu'minun, which was revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period when the Quraysh were actively involved in polytheistic practices and idol worship. The surah addresses the fundamental Islamic principle of monotheism (tawhid) in response to the prevailing pagan culture, making this ayah part of the broader Meccan message calling people away from shirk toward pure worship of Allah alone.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire.' (Sahih Muslim 93:40). Additionally, the Quranic principle in 18:110 echoes this theme: 'Say, I am only a man like you to whom has been revealed that your god is one God.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that authentic faith must be grounded in clear evidence and reason, not blind imitation or cultural tradition. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder to examine the foundations of their beliefs and to recognize that true success lies exclusively in the sincere, evidence-based worship of Allah alone.