وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ 25
Translations
And We sent not before you any messenger except We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
Transliteration
Wa mā arsalnā min qablika min rasūlin illā nūḥiya ilayhi annahu lā ilāha illā anā fa'budūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the fundamental unity of the message of all prophets throughout history—that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that despite differences in laws (sharī'ah) and practices among the prophets, the core message of Tawhīd (monotheism) remained constant and unchanging. The verse affirms that Prophet Muhammad's message of pure monotheism is not novel but rather the continuation of the same divine call that was revealed to all previous messengers.
Revelation Context
This Meccan surah addresses the polytheistic objections of the Quraysh and establishes the legitimacy of Prophet Muhammad's message by connecting it to the universal mission of all prophets. This particular ayah serves as a powerful refutation of those who claimed the message of monotheism was something new or invented, demonstrating instead its continuity throughout prophetic history.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3442): The Prophet Muhammad said, 'The most excellent invocation is 'There is no god but Allah,' and the most excellent supplication is 'All praise is due to Allah.' Also relevant is Sahih Muslim's hadith on the pillars of faith, which emphasizes belief in all prophets and their unified message of Tawhīd.
Themes
Key Lesson
Every authentic messenger from Allah came with the same fundamental call to worship Him alone without partners, reminding us that beneath the diversity of human culture and religious practice, the core truth of monotheism is eternal and universal. For believers today, this teaches that our faith in Allah's oneness connects us to a continuous chain of divine guidance from Adam to Muhammad, strengthening our conviction in the unchanging nature of truth.