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
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
Allāh - there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allāh in statement.
ذَٰلِكُم بِأَنَّهُۥٓ إِذَا دُعِىَ ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُۥ كَفَرْتُمْ ۖ وَإِن يُشْرَكْ بِهِۦ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ فَٱلْحُكْمُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْعَلِىِّ ٱلْكَبِيرِ
[They will be told], "That is because, when Allāh was called upon alone, you disbelieved; but if others were associated with Him, you believed. So the judgement is with Allāh, the Most High, the Grand."
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَـٰلِمُ غَيْبِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
Indeed, Allāh is Knower of the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and earth. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.
وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرْهَـٰنَ لَهُۥ بِهِۦ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
And whoever invokes besides Allāh another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.