أَوْ يَنفَعُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَضُرُّونَ 73
Translations
Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?"
Transliteration
Aw yanfa'oonakum aw yaḍurroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is part of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) argument against his people's idolatry, questioning whether their idols can benefit or harm them. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Ibrahim uses logical reasoning to demonstrate the futility of worshipping lifeless objects that possess no power over anything. This rhetorical question serves as a powerful refutation of shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing that only Allah possesses the authority to benefit or cause harm.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that recounts the stories of various prophets and their calls to monotheism. The context here is Ibrahim's confrontation with his idolatrous people, where he systematically dismantles their false beliefs through rational argument, making this part of the broader Quranic theme of tawhid (monotheism) and refutation of polytheism.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected here aligns with the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Know that if the entire nation gathered together to benefit you with something, they could not benefit you except with what Allah has written for you; and if they gathered together to harm you with something, they could not harm you except with what Allah has written for you.' This emphasizes that only Allah controls harm and benefit.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that ultimate power, benefit, and harm rest solely with Allah, liberating them from fear of created beings and things. It encourages using reason and logical discourse when inviting others to Islam, as Ibrahim exemplified in his gentle yet compelling refutation of false beliefs.
Related Ayahs
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ
Except the chosen servants of Allāh [who do not share in that sin].
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
While Allāh created you and that which you do?"
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
Indeed, Allāh holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease. And if they should cease, no one could hold them [in place] after Him. Indeed, He is Forbearing and Forgiving.
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى هَـٰذَآ أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allāh.