فَلَا تَضْرِبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ 74
Translations
So do not assert similarities to Allāh. Indeed, Allāh knows and you do not know.
Transliteration
Falā taḍribū lillāhi al-amthāl. Inna Allāha yaʿlamu wa antum lā taʿlamūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah prohibits Muslims from making likenesses or comparisons (amthāl) for Allah, as such comparisons diminish His transcendent nature and incomparability. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this addresses the pagan practice of comparing Allah to idols and created things, while emphasizing that Allah's knowledge is absolute and unlimited, whereas human knowledge is finite and deficient. Al-Qurtubi notes this serves as a foundational principle against anthropomorphism and false theological reasoning about the Divine.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl, a Meccan surah addressing idolatry and polytheistic practices of pre-Islamic Arabia. The broader context (16:73-75) discusses how pagans attribute partners to Allah and make false comparisons between Allah and His creation, particularly regarding idols. This ayah directly refutes such theological errors by affirming Allah's unique attributes and superiority over all creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said: 'Nothing is like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing' (Surah Ash-Shura 42:11), which echoes this principle of Allah's incomparability. Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet warned against discussing the nature of Allah in ways that lead to confusion and false comparisons.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should refrain from making inadequate comparisons or descriptions of Allah based on limited human understanding, recognizing that our knowledge is incomplete while Allah's is infinite. This teaches intellectual humility and the importance of receiving guidance from revelation rather than relying solely on reason when approaching theological matters.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ ٱلْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَـٰلٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ
And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, "This is lawful and this is unlawful," to invent falsehood about Allāh. Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allāh will not succeed.
شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
[He was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allāh] chose him and guided him to a straight path.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّؤُا۟ ظِلَـٰلُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ
Have they not considered what things Allāh has created? Their shadows incline to the right and to the left, prostrating to Allāh, while they [i.e., those creations] are humble.
لِيَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ ۚ فَتَمَتَّعُوا۟ ۖ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
So they will deny what We have given them. Then enjoy yourselves, for you are going to know.