سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 40
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers - for which Allâh has sent down no authority. The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allâh. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism); that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَا
mā
Not
تَعْبُدُونَ
taʿbudūna
you worship
مِن
min
besides Him
دُونِهِۦٓ
dūnihi
besides Him
إِلَّآ
illā
but
أَسْمَآءًۭ
asmāan
names
سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ
sammaytumūhā
which you have named them
أَنتُمْ
antum
you
وَءَابَآؤُكُم
waābāukum
and your forefathers
مَّآ
mā
not
أَنزَلَ
anzala
(has) sent down
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
بِهَا
bihā
for it
مِن
min
any
سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ
sul'ṭānin
authority
إِنِ
ini
Not
ٱلْحُكْمُ
l-ḥuk'mu
(is) the command
إِلَّا
illā
but
لِلَّهِ ۚ
lillahi
for Allah
أَمَرَ
amara
He has commanded
أَلَّا
allā
that not
تَعْبُدُوٓا۟
taʿbudū
you worship
إِلَّآ
illā
but
إِيَّاهُ ۚ
iyyāhu
Him Alone
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
ٱلدِّينُ
l-dīnu
(is) the religion
ٱلْقَيِّمُ
l-qayimu
the right
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
but
أَكْثَرَ
akthara
most
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
[the] men
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
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.
40. 1. One meaning of this is that you yourselves have given these names to them as deities, whereas they are not deities, nor has Allah sent down any evidence regarding them. The second meaning is that the various names you have devised for these deities, for example, Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz, Ganj Bakhsh, Karni Wala, Karman Wala, etc., all these are your own inventions. Allah has not sent down any evidence for them.
40. 2. This very religion, to which I am calling you, in which only Allah is worshipped, is correct and established, whose command Allah has given.
40. 3. Because of this, most people commit shirk (وَمَاوَمَا يُؤْمِنُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ باللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُوْنَ) 12. Yusuf:16) 'Most of them, even though they believe in Allah, are still polytheists.' And He said (وَمَآ اَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ) 12. Yusuf:13) O Prophet, despite your desire, most people are not going to believe in Allah.
40. 2. This very religion, to which I am calling you, in which only Allah is worshipped, is correct and established, whose command Allah has given.
40. 3. Because of this, most people commit shirk (وَمَاوَمَا يُؤْمِنُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ باللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُوْنَ) 12. Yusuf:16) 'Most of them, even though they believe in Allah, are still polytheists.' And He said (وَمَآ اَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيْنَ) 12. Yusuf:13) O Prophet, despite your desire, most people are not going to believe in Allah.
