قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّن دِينِى فَلَآ أَعْبُدُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِنْ أَعْبُدُ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمْ ۖ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ 104
Translations
Say, [O Muḥammad], "O people, if you are in doubt as to my religion - then I do not worship those which you worship besides Allāh; but I worship Allāh, who causes your death. And I have been commanded to be of the believers
Transliteration
Qul ya ayyuha an-nasu in kuntum fi shakkin min dini fala a'budu alladhina ta'budun min duni Allah wa lakin a'budu Allah alladhi yatawaffakum wa umirtu an akun min al-mu'minin
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare to all people that regardless of their doubts about his religion, he will not worship the idols they worship; instead, he worships only Allah who gives and takes life. Ibn Kathir explains this as a firm declaration of monotheistic faith and a rejection of all forms of shirk (polytheism), emphasizing that the Prophet's commitment to tawhid is unwavering and serves as a model for believers. This ayah represents the Prophet's clear stance against idolatry and his complete submission to Allah alone.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Yunus, a Meccan surah revealed during a period of intense opposition from the Quraysh polytheists who doubted the Prophet's message. The context involves the Quraysh's skepticism and mockery of Islamic monotheism, and the ayah serves as the Prophet's firm response, asserting absolute certainty in his faith despite their doubts.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari narrates that the Prophet said, 'The most excellent Jihad is to speak the truth before a tyrant ruler.' This relates to the ayah's theme of steadfast proclamation of truth. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah records that 'Whoever dies knowing that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah enters Paradise,' which echoes the ayah's emphasis on exclusive worship of Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that conviction in monotheism must be absolute and unwavering, regardless of societal pressure or others' doubts—true faith means exclusive devotion to Allah alone and rejection of all false objects of worship. It also reminds us that our ultimate reliance should be on Allah who controls life and death, and not on the approval or beliefs of people around us.