وَلَقَدْ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ 65
Translations
And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allāh, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad ūḥiya ilayka wa-ilā alladhīna min qablika la-in ashrakta layaḥbaṭanna ʿamaluka wa-latakūnanna min al-khāsirīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah warns the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and all previous messengers that if they were to commit shirk (associating partners with Allah), all their deeds would be rendered void and they would be among the losers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this is a hypothetical warning meant to illustrate the gravity and absolute incompatibility of shirk with righteous deeds, not a suggestion that the Prophet would actually commit shirk. Al-Qurtubi notes that this ayah establishes the fundamental principle that no deed, no matter how excellent, can be accepted if accompanied by shirk.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Az-Zumar during the early Islamic period when polytheism was prevalent in Arabia. It is part of a broader section (39:64-65) addressing the foundation of tawhid (monotheism) and warning against shirk. The context emphasizes that monotheism is the prerequisite for all righteous actions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 4476). Additionally, 'Whoever meets Allah while associating partners with Him will enter the Fire' (Sahih Muslim 93), which illustrates the consequence referenced in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere monotheism is the foundation of all worship and righteous deeds; without it, even the most outwardly virtuous actions lose all merit before Allah. For believers today, this emphasizes the importance of constant vigilance against hidden forms of shirk—whether through prioritizing worldly desires over obedience to Allah or placing trust in anything besides Him.