إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى ٱلْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ 23
Translations
They are not but [mere] names you have named them - you and your forefathers - for which Allāh has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance.
Transliteration
In hiya illa asma'un sammaytumuha antum wa aba'ukum ma anzala Allahu biha min sultanin. In yattabi'una illa az-zanna wa ma tahwa al-anfus. Wa laqad ja'ahum min rabbihim al-huda.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the polytheistic practice of naming idols and false deities without any divine authorization, emphasizing that these names are merely human inventions passed down through generations with no scriptural basis. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as Allah's critique of the Quraysh's veneration of al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat—the pagan Arabs followed mere conjecture (zann) and the desires of their souls rather than divine guidance that had come to them. The ayah underscores that following innovations in religion lacks any divine proof (sultanin), making such worship baseless and spiritually harmful.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Najm, revealed in Mecca during the period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad's message. The surah specifically addresses the pagan Arabs' insistence on intercession through their idols and their rejection of monotheism, directly confronting their claim that these idols possessed divine authority. The context reflects the Quraysh's desperate attempts to justify their polytheistic practices when confronted with the clear message of tawhid (Islamic monotheism).
Related Hadiths
The principle is reinforced in a hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever introduces something into this matter of ours [Islam] that is not from it, it will be rejected' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, Surah Al-Ahzab (33:36) states a similar theme: 'It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [claim] any choice in their affair.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to critically examine whether their practices and beliefs have a foundation in divine revelation rather than merely following cultural tradition or personal desires. It serves as a timeless reminder that religious legitimacy requires clear scriptural evidence, not sentimentality, social pressure, or inherited custom—a principle that applies to combating bid'ah (religious innovation) in all eras.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓئِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ۚ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ
Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, only [committing] slight ones. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
هَـٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنُّذُرِ ٱلْأُولَىٰٓ
This [Prophet (ﷺ)] is a warner from [i.e., like] the former warners.
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ
And that his effort is going to be seen -