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 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 40){ مَا تَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَسْمَآءً …:} After bringing to their minds the thought of comparing one Lord with many lords, now in clear words the invalidity of many lords is stated: the deities you worship in reality do not even exist, they are merely imaginary and fanciful things, whose names you and your forefathers have invented. The command belongs to none but Allah, neither in terms of decree nor in terms of legislation, meaning that in the system of the universe, no one’s command runs except His, for example, that Allah commands the sun to move and someone else stops it, or He wants to kill someone and someone else prevents that person from dying; nor is anyone besides Him allowed to enforce their command in law and worship. His command is that you do not worship anyone except Him; this is the straight and firm and strong religion, but most people do not know, that is why they are entangled in the confusion of shirk. The truth is that this speech of Yusuf (peace be upon him) is the best brief representation of the religion of Ibrahim, that is, Islam.
