وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ 36
Translations
[Jesus said], "And indeed, Allāh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."
Transliteration
Wa inna Allaha rabbi wa rabbukum fa'abuduh, hatha siratun mustaqim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah, spoken by Prophet Jesus (Isa) in his cradle, affirms the monotheistic message that Allah alone is his Lord and the Lord of all people, and therefore worship should be directed solely to Him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that Jesus explicitly rejected any divine status for himself and called all people to worship the One God, refuting Christian trinitarian concepts. This statement represents the straight path (sirat al-mustaqim)—the path of pure tawhid (monotheism) that all prophets conveyed.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the miraculous account of Jesus speaking from the cradle (19:29-34), where Allah granted him the ability to speak to defend his mother Mary's honor. The broader context of Surah Maryam emphasizes the birth of Jesus and his role as a messenger of Allah, establishing his humanity and prophethood while rejecting false claims about his divinity.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The most excellent invocation is the statement: There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the Quran repeatedly emphasizes in Surah Ikhlas (112) the absolute oneness of Allah: 'Say, He is Allah, One, Allah is as-Samad' (Sahih Muslim context).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that the core message of all prophets is pure monotheism and exclusive worship of Allah alone, and that following this straight path of tawhid is the foundation of a believer's relationship with God. For modern Muslims, it reinforces that true faith requires rejecting all forms of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and directing all devotion solely to the One Creator.
Related Ayahs
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْـًٔا
[Mention] when he said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَٱشْتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا
He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].
فَكُلِى وَٱشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْنًا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِىٓ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا
So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'"
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ ۖ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا
He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.'"