وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَـٰشِفَـٰتُ ضُرِّهِۦٓ أَوْ أَرَادَنِى بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَـٰتُ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ 38
Translations
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allāh? If Allāh intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allāh; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers."
Transliteration
Wa-la'in sa'altahum man khalaqa as-samawati wa-al-arda layaqulunna Allah. Qul afara'aytum ma tad'una min duni Allah in aradani Allah bi-durrin hal hunna kashifatu durrihi aw aradani bi-rahma hal hunna mumsikatu rahmatih. Qul hasbiya Allah alayhi yatawakkalu al-mutawakkilun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah confronts the polytheists' logical contradiction: they acknowledge Allah as the Creator of the heavens and earth, yet invoke other deities alongside Him. The Prophet is commanded to challenge them with a rhetorical question: if Allah intends harm, can their false gods remove it? Or if He intends mercy, can they withhold it? The conclusion emphasizes complete reliance on Allah alone. Ibn Kathir notes this demonstrates the futility of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the necessity of tawakkul (trust in Allah).
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during the early preaching phase, this surah addresses the fundamental contradiction in Meccan polytheism. The ayah is part of a broader argument in Az-Zumar establishing monotheism as the logical and necessary belief system, using rhetorical questions to expose the irrationality of idolatry.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah (shirk)' (Sahih Bukhari 4476). Additionally, 'Whoever trusts in Allah, He will suffice him' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2347) relates to the concluding statement about tawakkul.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize the logical inconsistency in divided loyalty—if we acknowledge Allah's sole creative power, we must trust Him exclusively in times of hardship and blessing. True faith demands complete reliance on Allah alone, abandoning all false dependencies and intermediaries.