مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ ضَلُّوا۟ عَنَّا بَل لَّمْ نَكُن نَّدْعُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ شَيْـًٔا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 74
Translations
Other than Allāh?" They will say, "They have departed from us; rather, we did not used to invoke previously anything." Thus does Allāh put astray the disbelievers.
Transliteration
Min dūni -llāh, qālū dallū 'annā bal lam nakun nad'ū min qablu shay'ā, kadhālika yudillu -llāhu -lkāfirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the disbelievers' denial and confusion on the Day of Judgment when they claim their false deities have abandoned them, and they realize they were never actually worshipping anything real. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this represents the ultimate deception and misguidance that befalls those who rejected Allah's signs during their lifetimes—they will be left without any support or recourse on the Day of Standing. The ayah emphasizes that Allah leads the disbelievers astray as a consequence of their own rejection and stubbornness in this world.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ghafir's description of the Day of Judgment and the scenes of the disbelievers in the Hellfire. It is part of a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's power to judge and His capacity to forgive those who repent, while warning those who persist in disbelief about their fate in the Hereafter.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (6440) describes the believers' intercession and Allah's mercy on the Day of Judgment, which contrasts with this ayah's description of the disbelievers' hopelessness. Additionally, Surah An-Nahl (16:86) contains a similar theme of idols disassociating themselves from their worshippers.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a powerful reminder that false deities and idols—whether literal or metaphorical—cannot help us on the Day of Judgment, and that true reliance must be placed solely on Allah. For modern readers, it teaches us to be vigilant against worshipping anything besides Allah, including wealth, status, desires, or ideologies, as these will offer no salvation when we face Him.
Related Ayahs
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَيْهِ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَعْوَةٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ
Assuredly, that to which you invite me has no [response to a] supplication in this world or in the Hereafter; and indeed, our return is to Allāh, and indeed, the transgressors will be companions of the Fire.
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كُلٌّ فِيهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ حَكَمَ بَيْنَ ٱلْعِبَادِ
Those who had been arrogant will say, "Indeed, all [of us] are in it. Indeed, Allāh has judged between the servants."
وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَـٰذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ
And a believing man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said, "Do you kill a man [merely] because he says, 'My Lord is Allāh' while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he should be lying, then upon him is [the consequence of] his lie; but if he should be truthful, there will strike you some of what he promises you. Indeed, Allāh does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar.
ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۚ لَا ظُلْمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allāh is swift in account.