فَلَا تَكُ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّمَّا يَعْبُدُ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ مَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُهُم مِّن قَبْلُ ۚ وَإِنَّا لَمُوَفُّوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ غَيْرَ مَنقُوصٍ 109
Translations
So do not be in doubt, [O Muḥammad], as to what these [polytheists] are worshipping. They worship not except as their fathers worshipped before. And indeed, We will give them their share undiminished.
Transliteration
Fa-laa taku fee miryatin mimma ya'budu haa'uula'. Maa ya'budoon illa kamaa ya'budu aabaa'uhum min qablu. Wa-inna lanawaffuuhum nasibahum ghayra manquus.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) not to doubt or be uncertain about the false worship practices of the polytheists, as they merely follow the blind imitation of their forefathers without reason or evidence. Ibn Kathir notes this addresses the Prophet's concern about their obstinacy, while Al-Tabari emphasizes that Allah assures Him that these people will receive their full punishment—every sin counted and unreduced—on the Day of Judgment. The ayah serves as both consolation to the Prophet and a warning to those who persist in idolatry despite clear signs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Hud, which discusses various prophets and their struggles against their peoples' idolatry and disbelief. The broader context addresses the futility of idol worship and the certainty of divine justice. This particular ayah reassures the Prophet about the ultimate accountability of the disbelievers, fitting the surah's theme of the triumph of truth over falsehood across generations of prophets.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to Hadith Qudsi in Sahih Bukhari where Allah states His justice in reckoning: 'Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.' Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim about the Trumpet: those who disbelieved will face their full recompense without diminishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should not be disheartened by the stubborn persistence of those who cling to false beliefs inherited from their ancestors, for Allah's justice ensures every deed—good or evil—will be fully accounted for. This teaches reliance on Allah's ultimate justice rather than temporal victory, and warns against following practices merely because they are traditional.