إِنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا 98
Translations
Your god is only Allāh, except for whom there is no deity. He has encompassed all things in knowledge."
Transliteration
Innama ilahukumu-Allahu alladhi la ilaha illa huwa waasi'a kulla shay'in 'ilman
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the fundamental principle of Tawhid (Islamic monotheism), declaring that Allah alone is worthy of worship and that none deserves divinity except Him. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that 'His knowledge encompasses all things' refers to Allah's infinite omniscience, which is presented as evidence of His absolute oneness and perfection. Al-Tabari notes this statement refutes polytheism and idol worship, asserting that only the All-Knowing God deserves worship, as He alone possesses complete knowledge of all creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the narrative of Surah Taha concerning Prophet Moses and the golden calf incident. It serves as a direct refutation of the Children of Israel's worship of the calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai. The broader context emphasizes Allah's unity in response to the people's deviation into shirk (polytheism), making this declaration of tawhid a corrective message to those who abandoned monotheism.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever says La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) sincerely enters Paradise' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari states that 'the best supplication is to seek forgiveness and the best remembrance is La ilaha illallah,' emphasizing the centrality of this declaration.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true faith begins with sincere acknowledgment that only Allah deserves worship and that His infinite knowledge encompasses everything we do—a reminder to align our actions with consciousness of Divine awareness. For believers, it provides spiritual strength that Allah's complete knowledge of our intentions and deeds should inspire taqwa (God-consciousness) and sincere devotion.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ
And that He creates the two mates - the male and female -
قُلْ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ وَلَنَآ أَعْمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُخْلِصُونَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Do you argue with us about Allāh while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention] to Him."
رَبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ
Lord of the heavens and the earth and that between them, if you would be certain.
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
Had there been within them [i.e., the heavens and earth] gods besides Allāh, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allāh, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.