وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُم مِّن شُرَكَآئِهِمْ شُفَعَـٰٓؤُا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ كَـٰفِرِينَ 13
Translations
And there will not be for them among their [alleged] partners any intercessors, and they will [then] be disbelievers in their partners.
Transliteration
Wa lam yakun lahum min shurakaa'ihim shufaa'oon wa kanoo bi shurakaa'ihim kaafiroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the state of the polytheists on the Day of Judgment, when their false deities and intercessors will not benefit them, and they themselves will disown and reject their former partners in worship. Ibn Kathir explains that the idolaters will be denied any intercession from their gods, and in that moment of desperation, they will deny association with those very deities they once worshipped, creating a complete severance between them and their false objects of veneration.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ar-Rum's discussion of the Day of Judgment and the consequences of shirk (polytheism). The broader passage (verses 12-16) describes scenes from the Hereafter when the idolaters will witness the reality of their false beliefs and their powerlessness to help themselves or intercede for one another.
Related Hadiths
The general theme relates to Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim's narrations about the Day of Judgment where people will seek intercession. Additionally, the concept is reflected in Surah 10:28 where Allah says, 'And the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their respective leaders,' showing the separation of followers from their false leaders.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah powerfully reminds believers that no one and nothing can intercede for us except by Allah's permission, emphasizing absolute reliance on Allah alone. For modern readers, it serves as a warning against placing trust in anything other than Allah and encourages sincere monotheistic worship before the Day of Judgment arrives.