وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا 48
Translations
And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allāh and will invoke my Lord. I expect that I will not be in invocation to my Lord unhappy [i.e., disappointed]."
Transliteration
Wa-a'tazilu-kum wa-ma tad'ūna min dūni-llāhi wa-ad'ū Rabbī 'asā 'allā akūna bi-du'ā'i Rabbī shaqiyyā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Ibrahim declares his separation from his people and the idols they worship, committing himself exclusively to calling upon Allah alone. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that Ibrahim's statement reflects his complete rejection of shirk (polytheism) and his unwavering conviction that only Allah's invocation brings good, with the hope that through sincere supplication to his Lord, he will not be deprived of mercy and success. Al-Tabari emphasizes that 'shaqiyyā' (miserable/wretched) refers to being deprived of divine favor, and Ibrahim's determination shows absolute reliance on Allah's response to prayer.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Ibrahim in Surah Maryam, which is a Meccan surah addressing the early Muslims facing polytheism and familial opposition. The context shows Ibrahim's statement to his people after they rejected his monotheistic message, illustrating the resolve required of believers when facing familial and communal pressure to abandon tawhīd (Islamic monotheism).
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The closest any of you comes to your Lord is when you are in prostration, so increase your supplications therein' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the hadith 'When you ask, ask of Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi) directly relates to the principle of exclusive reliance on Allah demonstrated in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true spiritual strength comes from complete separation from falsehood and exclusive devotion to Allah through sincere prayer, regardless of opposition from family or society. It reminds us that supplication to Allah with conviction is never futile, and that maintaining tawhīd despite external pressure is the path to divine favor and protection from wretchedness.