هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۗ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 65
Translations
He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, [being] sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
Transliteration
Huwa al-Hayyu la ilaha illa Huwa fa-ad'uhu mukhlisin lahu al-din. Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbi al-'alamin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's eternal existence (Al-Hayy) and absolute uniqueness, declaring that He alone is worthy of worship and that all supplication must be made to Him with sincere devotion and exclusive obedience. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that 'Al-Hayy' (The Ever-Living) encompasses both the perfection of life itself and the ability to sustain all creation, while the phrase 'mukhlisin lahu al-din' (with sincere devotion to Him) demands that worship be free from shirk (polytheism) and worldly intentions. The ayah concludes with praise to Allah as the Lord of all worlds, reinforcing His sovereignty and the proper response of His servants.
Revelation Context
Surah Ghafir is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad. This ayah appears in a passage addressing the disbelievers and reaffirming core Islamic doctrine—the oneness of Allah and the necessity of sincere monotheistic worship—which was the central message opposed by the Meccan polytheists.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The supplication is the worship' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3372). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim narrates that the Prophet taught: 'Know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship' - emphasizing sincere devotion and reliance upon Allah alone.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that authentic worship requires not merely outward compliance but sincere inward devotion directed exclusively toward Allah, free from hypocrisy or hidden associations. In the modern context, it reminds Muslims to examine their intentions in worship and to recognize that true spiritual fulfillment comes only through undivided devotion to the One who alone possesses eternal life and ultimate authority.