قُلِ ٱللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُۥ دِينِى 14
Translations
Say, "Allāh [alone] do I worship, sincere to Him in my religion,
Transliteration
Qul Allaha a'budu mukhlisan lahu dinee
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that he worships only Allah with sincere devotion, making his entire religion exclusively for Allah's pleasure. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah establishes the fundamental principle of tawhid (monotheism) and ikhlas (sincerity), rejecting any association of partners with Allah in worship or intention. Al-Tabari notes that 'mukhlisan' (sincere) signifies purity of heart and action, free from riya (showing off) or seeking worldly gain through religious practice.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Az-Zumar (The Troops), a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islam when the Prophet faced intense pressure from the Quraysh to compromise his message. The surah addresses the core issue of religious sincerity and absolute monotheism in response to polytheistic practices and false gods worshipped by the Arabs.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best supplication is that made with sincerity (ikhlas)' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Also related is the hadith: 'Actions are judged by intentions, and each person shall have what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), emphasizing that sincere intention is essential in all acts of worship.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true worship must be motivated by sincere devotion to Allah alone, free from worldly desires, showing off, or seeking approval from others. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to regularly examine their intentions and ensure their religious practices stem from a pure heart solely dedicated to pleasing Allah.
Related Ayahs
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَيْهِ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَعْوَةٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَلَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَنَّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ
Assuredly, that to which you invite me has no [response to a] supplication in this world or in the Hereafter; and indeed, our return is to Allāh, and indeed, the transgressors will be companions of the Fire.
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Who created and proportioned
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.
ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ ٱتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Then We revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allāh.