لَّا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولًا 22
Translations
Do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity and [thereby] become censured and forsaken.
Transliteration
La taj'al ma'a Allahi ilahan akhara fataq'ud madhmuman makhdhula
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the avoidance of associating partners with Allah (shirk), warning that doing so results in being condemned and forsaken by Allah. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this is a fundamental principle of tawhid (monotheism), emphasizing that polytheism is the gravest sin and leads to abandonment by Allah in this life and severe punishment in the Hereafter. The words 'madhmuman' (despised/blamed) and 'makhdhula' (forsaken/abandoned) underscore both social disgrace and spiritual desolation that befalls those who commit shirk.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan surah that emphasizes core Islamic doctrines. It occurs within a section containing commandments related to monotheism and righteous conduct, following the command to worship Allah alone and preceding instructions on kindness to parents and social ethics. The thematic context emphasizes that tawhid is the foundation upon which all other religious obligations rest.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk), though He has created you' (Sahih Bukhari 4477). Additionally, 'Whoever meets Allah associating partners with Him will enter the Fire' (Sahih Muslim 93).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere belief in the Oneness of Allah is the cornerstone of a dignified and spiritually fulfilled life, while associating partners with Him leads to both worldly disgrace and divine abandonment. For believers, it serves as a powerful reminder to continuously purify their intentions and ensure that all worship, obedience, and reliance are directed solely to Allah.
Related Ayahs
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ تَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
He created the heavens and earth in truth. High is He above what they associate with Him.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.
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.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌۢ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۢ
Indeed, Allāh [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.