ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ۩ 26
Translations
Allāh - there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."
Transliteration
Allahu la ilaha illa huwa Rabbu al-'arshi al-'azim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is a powerful declaration of Allah's absolute oneness (Tawhid) and His supreme sovereignty as the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this statement affirms both Allah's exclusive right to worship and His complete dominion over all creation, serving as a response to the ant's acknowledgment of Allah's greatness in the preceding context of the surah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Surah An-Naml during the account of Prophet Solomon's story. The context is immediately after an ant's warning to its people, which prompts reflection on divine signs in creation. The surah itself is Meccan and addresses the fundamentals of Islamic belief, particularly God's oneness and power over all creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk)' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, 'Whoever dies while calling upon another deity alongside Allah will enter the Fire' (Sahih Muslim), emphasizing the centrality of this declaration of pure monotheism.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah alone deserves worship and that recognizing His supreme authority over creation should inspire both awe and complete devotion. For modern readers, it serves as an anchor against spiritual confusion and a call to purify one's faith from any form of shirk (associating partners with Allah) in belief and practice.
Related Ayahs
وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا
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."
لَّوْ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّٱصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۖ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ
If Allāh had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed. Exalted is He; He is Allāh, the One, the Prevailing.
وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allāh, so do not invoke with Allāh anyone.