حُنَفَآءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ ٱلطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِى بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ 31
Translations
Inclining [only] to Allāh, not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allāh - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.
Transliteration
Hunafaa lillahi ghayra mushrikina bihi wa man yushrik billahi fa-ka-anna ma kharra min al-sama'i fa-takhtafuhu al-tayr aw tahwa bihi al-rih fi makan sahiq
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to be devoted to Allah alone (hanif) without associating partners with Him (shirk), and employs a vivid metaphor to describe the fate of polytheists: they are like someone falling from the sky, snatched by birds or blown by wind to a distant place. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as depicting both the physical and spiritual destruction of those who commit shirk, emphasizing the severity of polytheism. The metaphor illustrates the helplessness and destruction that befalls the mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in this life and the next.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Hajj (Chapter 22), a Medinan surah primarily addressing the pilgrimage and monotheistic devotion. It follows verses discussing the proper observance of Hajj and reinforces the foundational Islamic principle of Tawhid (divine oneness). The context of the broader surah emphasizes ritual devotion aligned with pure monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter the Fire.' (Sahih Muslim 93). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari emphasizes that 'The most grievous sin is to associate partners with Allah' (shirk), directly connecting to this ayah's warning.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere devotion to Allah alone (hanifiyyah) is the foundation of faith, while shirk—whether in worship, trust, or allegiance—leads to complete destruction and helplessness. For modern believers, it reinforces the importance of maintaining pure monotheism in all aspects of life and avoiding subtle forms of shirk such as placing trust in creation rather than the Creator.
Related Ayahs
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلْعَذَابِ وَلَن يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُۥ ۚ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ
And they urge you to hasten the punishment. But Allāh will never fail in His promise. And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of those which you count.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ ءَايَـٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَـٰتٍ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يُرِيدُ
And thus have We sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down as verses of clear evidence and because Allāh guides whom He intends.
۞ ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِۦ ثُمَّ بُغِىَ عَلَيْهِ لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ
That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is tyrannized - Allāh will surely aid him. Indeed, Allāh is Pardoning and Forgiving.
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ
And strive for Allāh with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. He [i.e., Allāh] named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakāh and hold fast to Allāh. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.