قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ 95
Translations
He said, "Do you worship that which you [yourselves] carve,
Transliteration
Qala ata'buduna ma tanḥitun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) questions his people's practice of worshiping idols that they themselves carve and shape from wood or stone. This rhetorical question highlights the absurdity and illogic of idol worship—how can something created by human hands, lacking any divine attributes or power, be worthy of worship? Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this ayah demonstrates Ibrahim's use of rational argument to expose the falsehood of shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing that true worship should be directed only toward the Creator, not the created.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah As-Saffat within the narrative of Prophet Ibrahim's dialogue with his idolatrous people. The context describes Ibrahim's confrontation with idol worship in his community, using logical persuasion to guide them toward monotheism. This reflects the early Meccan period when the Prophet Muhammad faced similar resistance to the message of tawhid (Islamic monotheism).
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3:799) relates to Ibrahim's breaking of idols and rejection of idol worship. Additionally, the general principle is supported by Surah Al-'Ankabut (29:17) where Allah states idols cannot benefit or harm, reinforcing the futility of worshiping human-made objects.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that faith should be grounded in reason and logic—we should worship only Allah who is eternal, all-powerful, and the Creator of all things, not objects made by fallible human hands. It reminds modern believers to thoughtfully examine what they dedicate their time, effort, and devotion to, ensuring it aligns with the worship of the One True God.