Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 117

(Ayah 117) ➊ { وَ مَنْ يَّدْعُ مَعَ اللّٰهِ اِلٰهًا اٰخَرَ … :} "Whoever calls upon another deity along with Allah"—after this, the phrase "for which he has no proof" does not mean that it is permissible to call upon another deity for which someone has proof. Rather, this is a parenthetical statement, the purpose of which is to draw attention to the fact that there is absolutely no proof—neither rational nor textual—for calling upon anyone besides Allah. (See Ahqaf: 4) This is just like saying: Whoever wrongs someone, for which he has no right, will face retribution. This does not mean that there is any wrongdoing for which someone has a right; rather, the purpose is to state the evil of wrongdoing—that no one has the right to do wrong.

➋ Razi has written under this verse that it is understood from this that acting upon proof after reflection is the truth, and blind following (accepting something without proof) is falsehood.

➌ {فَاِنَّمَا حِسَابُهٗ عِنْدَ رَبِّهٖ :} That is, this crime is so great that no one can account for its punishment, nor estimate it. Its reckoning is only with his Lord, and He alone knows its punishment. People have only been told this much: that I will never forgive this crime under any circumstances; as for any other sin, I will forgive whom I will. (See Nisa: 48, 116) And in this, there is also comfort for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that your duty is to convey the message; taking account is Our responsibility, as He said: « فَاِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلٰغُ وَ عَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ» [ الرعد : ۴۰ ] "So upon you is only to convey, and upon Us is the reckoning."

➍ After { اِنَّهٗ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ : ’’إِنَّ‘‘}, the pronoun { ’’هٗ‘‘} does not refer back to any previous word; it is called a pronoun of the affair. It is used to firmly instill a point. Therefore, it has been translated as "Indeed, the reality is that." "The disbelievers will not succeed" means that those who call upon anyone besides Allah are disbelievers, and disbelievers will not succeed.

➎ The surah began with mention of those who are successful, and it ends with mention of those who will not succeed.

117-1. From this it is understood that success and prosperity mean being saved from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter; mere abundance of wealth and comforts in this world is not success. These are also attained by disbelievers in this world, but Allah Almighty is denying them success, which clearly means that real success is the success of the Hereafter, which will be the share of the people of faith, not the abundance of worldly wealth and possessions, which, without distinction, are attained by both believers and disbelievers.

117. And whoever calls upon another god along with Allah, for which he has no proof [109], then his account is with his Lord. Surely, such disbelievers will never succeed.

[109]
There Is No Rational or Scriptural Evidence for Calling Upon Others Besides Allah:

That is, those people who, along with Allah, call upon others and thus commit shirk, and have considered them as their fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties, have neither any rational evidence nor any scriptural proof for this justification. The basis of such fabricated stories is merely conjecture and assumption, and then, due to blind following of their forefathers, these beliefs become widespread among people. Allah Almighty will take full account from such polytheists, and each will be punished according to the extent of their crime. And such stubborn and deniers, who do not desist even after being advised, can never succeed in the Hereafter.