أَمْ لَهُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ 43
Translations
Or have they a deity other than Allāh? Exalted is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
Transliteration
Am lahum ilahun ghayru Allah, subhana Allah amma yushrikun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a rhetorical question challenging the polytheists: do they have a god other than Allah? The answer is emphatically no. The phrase "Subhana Allah" (Glory be to Allah) expresses Allah's transcendence and absolute uniqueness, while the final clause condemns the act of associating partners with Allah (shirk). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah serves as a powerful rebuttal to idolatry, asserting that no deity exists besides Allah and that attributing partners to Him is a grave violation of His divine perfection.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Tur is a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the polytheists of Mecca were actively resisting the monotheistic message. This ayah appears within a section addressing the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of Allah's oneness and their insistence on worshipping idols. The rhetorical questioning throughout the surah challenges the logical foundations of polytheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk) in worship." (Sahih Bukhari 4476). Additionally, in the hadith regarding the greatest sin, shirk is consistently positioned as the most severe transgression against Allah's oneness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers of the fundamental Islamic principle that Allah alone deserves worship and that associating anything or anyone with Him contradicts His absolute oneness and perfection. For contemporary Muslims, it serves as a reminder to continuously guard against subtle forms of shirk—whether through materialism, ego, or misplaced reliance—and to reinforce their commitment to pure monotheism in all aspects of life.
Related Ayahs
وَٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْفُلْكِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Indeed, those who have said, "Our Lord is Allāh," and then remained on a right course - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [warn of] the Day He will call them and say, "Where are My 'partners' which you used to claim?"
إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُۥٓ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.