۞ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ 51
Translations
And Allāh has said, "Do not take for yourselves two deities. He [i.e., Allāh] is but one God, so fear only Me."
Transliteration
Wa qalallahu la tattakhidhu ilahayni ithnain, innama huwa ilahun wahid, fa-iyyaya farhbun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the believers not to take two gods, emphasizing the absolute oneness of Allah (Tawhid). Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this ayah represents a divine prohibition against polytheism and shirk, establishing that Allah alone is worthy of worship and fear. The phrase 'so fear Me alone' (fa-iyyaya farhbun) demonstrates that fear and reverence are due exclusively to the One God, not to idols or false deities.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period when the polytheists of Quraysh were deeply entrenched in idol worship. This ayah addresses the fundamental message of Islamic monotheism and refutes the pagan Arab practice of associating partners with Allah, making it a cornerstone of the Meccan revelation's emphasis on Tawhid.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies without associating partners with Allah will enter Paradise' (Sahih Muslim 93). Additionally, the hadith 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 2654) directly relates to the warning in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true submission to Allah requires complete rejection of polytheism and recognition of His exclusive divinity, which should be reflected in genuine fear and reverence of Him alone, not through superstitious devotion to created beings or false gods.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُۥٓ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ
And for every [religious] community We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allāh over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muḥammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ
Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
لَّا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولًا
Do not make [as equal] with Allāh another deity and [thereby] become censured and forsaken.