فَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۢا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ إِن كُنَّا عَنْ عِبَادَتِكُمْ لَغَـٰفِلِينَ 29
Translations
And sufficient is Allāh as a witness between us and you that we were of your worship unaware."
Transliteration
Fakafa billahi shahidan baynana wa baynakum in kunna an ibadatikum lughaafiliin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents the believers' response to the polytheists' accusations, declaring that Allah alone is a sufficient witness between them regarding their stance on idol worship. The believers assert they are not heedless of the polytheists' worship of idols, but rather they consciously reject it as a violation of monotheism. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this reflects the clear distinction between the believers' monotheistic practice and the disbelievers' polytheism, with Allah as the ultimate judge of their sincerity.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Yunus, a Meccan surah dealing with the controversy between the believers and disbelievers of Mecca. The verse is part of a dialogue where believers address accusations from polytheists, contextualizing the intense religious debate that occurred during the early Islamic period in Mecca regarding tawhid (monotheism) versus shirk (polytheism).
Related Hadiths
The principle of Allah being a witness to all deeds is reinforced in the hadith: 'Allah is with the slave as long as the slave is with his Lord' (Sahih Muslim 2675). Additionally, Surah An-Nisa (4:79) relates thematically: 'Whatever good reaches you is from Allah, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself.'
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should maintain unwavering conviction in their faith and not be swayed by accusations from those who practice shirk; our ultimate accountability is before Allah alone, who witnesses all hearts and intentions, making sincere adherence to monotheism paramount regardless of external criticism.