وَسْـَٔلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ 45
Translations
And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers; have We made besides the Most Merciful deities to be worshipped?
Transliteration
Was-al man arsalna min qablika min rusulina ajaalana min doonir-rahman alihatan yuAAbudoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to ask the previous messengers whether He (Allah) ever appointed any gods besides the Most Merciful to be worshipped. This rhetorical question emphasizes the universal message of all prophets: absolute monotheism and the rejection of polytheism. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this ayah refutes the Meccan polytheists' claim that worshipping idols was sanctioned by previous religious traditions, as all messengers preached the same fundamental message of Tawheed (Divine Oneness).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period when the Prophet faced intense opposition from the Quraysh who defended their idol-worship as ancestral tradition. The ayah's context within Surah Az-Zukhruf addresses the polytheists' arguments and provides the Prophet with evidence that his message of monotheism aligns with all previous divine revelations, strengthening his position against their accusations of innovation.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (1/93) where the Prophet said: 'The most excellent supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafah' relates thematically to the unity of purpose among all prophets. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari about the Prophet's night journey mentions his meeting with previous prophets, illustrating their shared commitment to monotheism.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that the core message of Islam is not novel but a continuation of the eternal truth proclaimed by all messengers throughout history. For believers, it reinforces that sincere faith requires rejecting all forms of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and recognizing that adherence to monotheism connects us to the legacy of all prophets.