أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا 89
Translations
Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech [i.e., response] and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit?
Transliteration
Afalaa yarawna allaa yarji'u ilayhim qawlan wa laa yamliku lahum darran wa laa naf'a
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the absurdity of worshipping the golden calf made by Samiri, emphasizing that it cannot respond to them, nor can it cause them harm or benefit. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as Allah's condemnation of idolatry—highlighting the logical impossibility and futility of directing worship toward lifeless objects that lack any power or agency. The ayah serves as a powerful rational argument against shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Musa (Moses) and the children of Israel in Surah Taha. After Musa ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the people, influenced by Samiri, crafted and worshipped a golden calf. This ayah is part of the Quranic account critiquing their deviation and serves as both a historical reminder and a timeless warning against idolatry. The Meccan context of this surah emphasizes monotheism against the polytheism of pre-Islamic Arabia.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith 4476): 'The most grievous sin is to associate partners with Allah.' Additionally, in Sunan Ibn Majah, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized that worship should be directed only to Allah, as only He possesses the ability to benefit or harm.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that genuine worship must be directed only toward Allah, who alone possesses the power to help or harm, and that rational reflection reveals the futility of turning to created objects. For modern believers, it serves as a reminder to examine whether we place trust or dependence in anything other than Allah—whether material possessions, people, or worldly systems—recognizing that only the Divine has true agency and control.