۞ 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
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًا
And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son."
ذَٰلِكُم بِأَنَّهُۥٓ إِذَا دُعِىَ ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُۥ كَفَرْتُمْ ۖ وَإِن يُشْرَكْ بِهِۦ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ فَٱلْحُكْمُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْعَلِىِّ ٱلْكَبِيرِ
[They will be told], "That is because, when Allāh was called upon alone, you disbelieved; but if others were associated with Him, you believed. So the judgement is with Allāh, the Most High, the Grand."
وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا
And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allāh, so do not invoke with Allāh anyone.
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًا ۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.