قَالَ أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ 75
Translations
He said, "Then do you see what you have been worshipping,
Transliteration
Qala afara'aytum ma kuntum ta'budun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) addresses his people with this rhetorical question, asking them to reflect upon the idols they were worshipping. He is challenging them to reconsider the reality of these false deities and their inability to benefit or harm them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah represents Ibrahim's powerful method of awakening critical thought in his community by directing them to examine the logical fallacy of idol worship.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, which recounts the story of Prophet Ibrahim confronting his idolatrous people. The surah was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad's monotheistic message. This narrative of Ibrahim's debate with his people serves as a parallel and encouragement to the Prophet and believers facing similar resistance to Tawheed (monotheism).
Related Hadiths
The concept relates to Hadith Qudsi where Allah states the importance of sincere monotheism. Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet Muhammad emphasizes that no one truly knows Allah until they abandon all forms of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to question false beliefs and carefully examine what we place our trust in, encouraging a thoughtful approach to faith rather than blind following. It reminds us that true worship should be directed only toward the One who has real power and authority, and that sincere reflection on the nature of divinity is essential to spiritual growth.