قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ 16
Translations
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allāh." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allāh partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."
Transliteration
Qul man Rabbu as-samāwāti wa-al-ardi qul Allāh. Qul a-fattakhdhatum min dūnihi awliyāa lā yamlikūna li-anfusihim naf'an wa-lā darrā. Qul hal yastawī al-a'mā wa-al-basīr am hal tastawī aẓ-ẓulumātu wa-an-nūr. Am ja'alū li-Allāhi shurakāa khalaqū ka-khalqih fa-tashabaha al-khalqu alayhim. Qul Allāhu khāliq kulli shay'in wa-huwa al-wāḥidu al-qahhār.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a powerful rhetorical challenge to polytheists, asking them to identify the Lord of the heavens and earth (with the answer being Allah alone). The passage employs multiple logical arguments against associating partners with Allah: the false deities cannot benefit or harm themselves, let alone others, and the contrast between the blind and the seeing or darkness and light illustrates the absurdity of idolatry. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that the ayah concludes by affirming Allah's absolute power as the sole Creator and the Irresistible Force (Al-Qahhar), leaving no room for partnership in divinity.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ar-Ra'd, a Medinan surah revealed during a period when the Muslim community faced opposition from polytheists and those who associated partners with Allah. The context within the surah addresses arguments against polytheism and emphasizes the oneness of Allah. This particular ayah directly refutes the pagan Arab practice of worshipping idols and lesser deities alongside Allah.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, though He created you.' (Sahih Bukhari 4476). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized in his final sermon that 'there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger,' reinforcing the core message of Tawheed (monotheism) that this ayah conveys.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith requires recognizing Allah alone as the Lord and Sustainer, while abandoning reliance on false deities or intermediaries who have no real power. For modern readers, it invites reflection on whether we place our trust in Allah exclusively or dilute our faith by depending on worldly powers, wealth, or other created things as if they could truly benefit or protect us.