Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Nor will you worship that which I worship.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَآwalāAnd not
أَنتُمْantumyou
عَـٰبِدُونَʿābidūna(are) worshippers
مَآmā(of) what
أَعْبُدُaʿbuduI worship
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The tafsir of this verse may be read with the following verses.
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Some have interpreted the first verse as referring to the present and the second to the future, but Imam Shawkani has said that there is no need for such contrivances. Repetition for emphasis is a common style in the Arabic language, which has been adopted in several places in the Noble Quran, such as in Surah Rahman and Surah Mursalat. Similarly, here too, this sentence has been repeated for emphasis. The purpose is that it is never possible for me to leave the path of Tawheed and adopt the path of Shirk, as you desire. And if Allah has not written guidance in your destiny, then you too will remain deprived of this Tawheed and worship of Allah. This was said when the disbelievers proposed that for one year they would worship your ﷺ deity and for one year you ﷺ would worship our deities.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
5. Nor will you ever worship what I worship [3].
[3] Apparently, it seems that in verses 4 and 5, the subject matter of verses 2 and 3 is being repeated, and even if this is accepted as repetition, it serves the purpose of emphasis. However, this is not mere repetition; rather, there are two types of differences between them. One is that in the first two verses, ﴿ما﴾ is considered as a relative clause, and in the latter two verses, ﴿ما﴾ is considered as a verbal noun. In this case, the meaning of the latter verses would be that the way of worship I have adopted, you cannot accept it, and the way you have adopted, I cannot practice it. The way of worship of the Prophet ﷺ was that he would prostrate before Allah in prayer, and the disbelievers were particularly averse to this way of worship and would also prohibit it, as several incidents regarding Abu Jahl and Utbah bin Abi Mu'ayt have already been mentioned in Surah Al-'Alaq. And the way of worship of the disbelievers was that they would sing, whistle, and clap, and perform tawaf of the Ka'bah naked. How could he ever adopt their way of worship? And even if in the latter verses ﴿ما﴾ is also considered as a relative clause, two differences are still clear. One is that in the first verse, ﴿لاَاعْبُدُ﴾ is mentioned, and in the latter verses, ﴿لاَاَنَاعَابٍدٌ﴾ is mentioned, and it is obvious that the emphasis found in ﴿لاَاَنَاعَابِدٌ﴾ (i.e., I will never worship) is not found in ﴿لاَاَعْبُدُ﴾, and the second difference is that in the first verses, ﴿ما تَعْبُدُوْنَ﴾ (i.e., those whom you worship nowadays) is mentioned, and in the latter verses, ﴿ماعَبَدْتُمْ﴾ is in the past tense, meaning those whom you used to worship before or your forefathers used to worship. And it is evident that the polytheists used to change their deities according to their liking; whatever seemed beneficial or whatever beautiful stone they saw, they would pick it up and make it a deity and abandon the previous one.