۞ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ 51
Translations
And Allāh has said, "Do not take for yourselves two deities. He [i.e., Allāh] is but one God, so fear only Me."
Transliteration
Wa qalallahu la tattakhidhu ilahayni ithnain, innama huwa ilahun wahid, fa-iyyaya farhbun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the believers not to take two gods, emphasizing the absolute oneness of Allah (Tawhid). Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this ayah represents a divine prohibition against polytheism and shirk, establishing that Allah alone is worthy of worship and fear. The phrase 'so fear Me alone' (fa-iyyaya farhbun) demonstrates that fear and reverence are due exclusively to the One God, not to idols or false deities.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period when the polytheists of Quraysh were deeply entrenched in idol worship. This ayah addresses the fundamental message of Islamic monotheism and refutes the pagan Arab practice of associating partners with Allah, making it a cornerstone of the Meccan revelation's emphasis on Tawhid.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies without associating partners with Allah will enter Paradise' (Sahih Muslim 93). Additionally, the hadith 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 2654) directly relates to the warning in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true submission to Allah requires complete rejection of polytheism and recognition of His exclusive divinity, which should be reflected in genuine fear and reverence of Him alone, not through superstitious devotion to created beings or false gods.
Related Ayahs
هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۗ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, [being] sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرْهَـٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
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.
لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِّلَّهِ وَلَا ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا
Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allāh, nor would the angels near [to Him]. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant - He will gather them to Himself all together.
وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allāh, so do not invoke with Allāh anyone.