سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 18
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَـٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّـُٔونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they worship besides Allâh things that harm them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allâh." Say: "Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners (with Him)!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَعْبُدُونَ
wayaʿbudūna
And they worship
مِن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
other than
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مَا
mā
that (which)
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَضُرُّهُمْ
yaḍurruhum
harm them
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَنفَعُهُمْ
yanfaʿuhum
benefit them
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
and they say
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ
hāulāi
These
شُفَعَـٰٓؤُنَا
shufaʿāunā
(are) our intercessors
عِندَ
ʿinda
with
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَتُنَبِّـُٔونَ
atunabbiūna
Do you inform
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
بِمَا
bimā
of what
لَا
lā
not
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
he knows
فِى
fī
in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَلَا
walā
and not
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ
l-arḍi
the earth
سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ
sub'ḥānahu
Glorified is He
وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ
wataʿālā
and Exalted
عَمَّا
ʿammā
above what
يُشْرِكُونَ
yush'rikūna
they associate (with Him)
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.
(Ayah 18) ➊ {وَ يَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ … : } The polytheists of Makkah also worshipped Allah Almighty and would also call upon other beings in absentia, and they used to say that we do not consider them to be Allah Almighty, rather they get our tasks done from Allah Almighty (see Zumar: 3). and that Allah Almighty does not reject their intercession, even though they could neither benefit them nor harm them (see Ma'idah: 76; Furqan: 3), rather they were not even aware that anyone was calling upon them or worshipping them. This is exactly the state of those people in our times who consider saints and spiritual leaders as fulfillers of needs and removers of difficulties, and who prostrate at the graves of deceased friends of Allah, circumambulate them, make offerings upon them, and stand before them with folded hands in humility. When someone tries to explain to them, they present the same argument that we do not prostrate to these elders nor ask them for wishes thinking that they themselves are Allah Almighty, rather we only consider them as our intercessors with Allah Almighty, because they have so much influence over Allah Almighty and He is so compelled by His love for them that He cannot reject any of their intercessions. The answer to this is being given in the next sentence.
➋ {قُلْ اَتُنَبِّـُٔوْنَ۠ اللّٰهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ … :} That is, Allah Almighty knows every matter and everything in the heavens and the earth, rather He is the very Creator and Sustainer of them at every moment, so how can He be unaware? If, God forbid, these idols of yours or your living and dead deities were His partners or intercessors, then He would surely know them as well. When He is denying the partnership or intercession of any of them, it is clear that they have no existence or reality. Now, your insistence on considering them as partners or intercessors and as those who can benefit or harm means that while Allah knows of no such being in the heavens and the earth, you are telling Him about something which is not even in His knowledge. It is clear that your saying this and all your actions based on it are completely absurd and meaningless. Allah Almighty is absolutely pure and highly exalted above the shirk of these polytheists; He is neither in need of any helper nor compelled by the hands of any intercessor.
➋ {قُلْ اَتُنَبِّـُٔوْنَ۠ اللّٰهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ … :} That is, Allah Almighty knows every matter and everything in the heavens and the earth, rather He is the very Creator and Sustainer of them at every moment, so how can He be unaware? If, God forbid, these idols of yours or your living and dead deities were His partners or intercessors, then He would surely know them as well. When He is denying the partnership or intercession of any of them, it is clear that they have no existence or reality. Now, your insistence on considering them as partners or intercessors and as those who can benefit or harm means that while Allah knows of no such being in the heavens and the earth, you are telling Him about something which is not even in His knowledge. It is clear that your saying this and all your actions based on it are completely absurd and meaningless. Allah Almighty is absolutely pure and highly exalted above the shirk of these polytheists; He is neither in need of any helper nor compelled by the hands of any intercessor.
