سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 51
۞ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ ﴿51﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Allâh said (O mankind!): "Take not ilâhain (two gods in worship). Verily, He (Allâh) is (the) only One Ilâh (God). Then, fear Me (Allâh جل جلاله) much [and Me (Alone), i.e. be away from all kinds of sins and evil deeds that Allâh has forbidden and do all that Allâh has ordained and worship none but Allâh].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَقَالَ
waqāla
And Allah has said
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
And Allah has said
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟
tattakhidhū
take
إِلَـٰهَيْنِ
ilāhayni
[two] gods
ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ
ith'nayni
two
إِنَّمَا
innamā
only
هُوَ
huwa
He
إِلَـٰهٌۭ
ilāhun
(is) God
وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ
wāḥidun
One
فَإِيَّـٰىَ
fa-iyyāya
so Me Alone
فَٱرْهَبُونِ
fa-ir'habūni
you fear [Me]
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.
(Ayah51) ➊ {وَ قَالَ اللّٰهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوْۤا اِلٰهَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ …:} It was mentioned above that all things in the heavens and the earth prostrate before Allah and are obedient and submissive to Him; in this context, now humans are forbidden from associating anyone else with this Sovereign of all sovereignty.
➋ Here is a question: the meaning of {’’ اِلٰهَيْنِ ‘‘} itself is "two gods," so what is the need for {’’ اثْنَيْنِ ‘‘}? The answer is that, to emphasize the repulsiveness of something, the matter is stated with emphasis; here, the purpose of {’’ اثْنَيْنِ ‘‘} is just that. So, when even two gods cannot exist, how can there be more? Only Allah is worthy of worship alone. This has been stated in several places in the Qur’an; thus, it is said: «{ لَوْ كَانَ فِيْهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا }» [ الأنبیاء : ۲۲ ] "If there were in them (the earth and the heavens) other gods besides Allah, they would surely have been corrupted." And see Surah Bani Isra'il (39).
➌ {فَاِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُوْنِ : ’’ رَهْبَةٌ ‘‘} refers to that fear in which one also seeks protection; it is from the form { ’’عَلِمَ‘‘ }. In bringing {’’ فَاِيَّايَ ‘‘} first, and then in bringing back the yaa in {’’ فَارْهَبُوْنِ ‘‘ } (which was originally {فَارْهَبُوْنِيْ}), there is emphasis upon emphasis to only worship Me. Before this, Allah was mentioned in the third person, now it is in the first person; for this shift, the first fa has come. And both {’’فَاِيَّايَ‘‘} and {’’ فَارْهَبُوْنِ ‘‘} have fa, the first is for conjunction and the second is for the result of an omitted condition, as if the statement is: Only Allah is worthy of worship alone (and that is Me), so only fear Me (if you are to fear anyone), not anyone else.
➋ Here is a question: the meaning of {’’ اِلٰهَيْنِ ‘‘} itself is "two gods," so what is the need for {’’ اثْنَيْنِ ‘‘}? The answer is that, to emphasize the repulsiveness of something, the matter is stated with emphasis; here, the purpose of {’’ اثْنَيْنِ ‘‘} is just that. So, when even two gods cannot exist, how can there be more? Only Allah is worthy of worship alone. This has been stated in several places in the Qur’an; thus, it is said: «{ لَوْ كَانَ فِيْهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا }» [ الأنبیاء : ۲۲ ] "If there were in them (the earth and the heavens) other gods besides Allah, they would surely have been corrupted." And see Surah Bani Isra'il (39).
➌ {فَاِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُوْنِ : ’’ رَهْبَةٌ ‘‘} refers to that fear in which one also seeks protection; it is from the form { ’’عَلِمَ‘‘ }. In bringing {’’ فَاِيَّايَ ‘‘} first, and then in bringing back the yaa in {’’ فَارْهَبُوْنِ ‘‘ } (which was originally {فَارْهَبُوْنِيْ}), there is emphasis upon emphasis to only worship Me. Before this, Allah was mentioned in the third person, now it is in the first person; for this shift, the first fa has come. And both {’’فَاِيَّايَ‘‘} and {’’ فَارْهَبُوْنِ ‘‘} have fa, the first is for conjunction and the second is for the result of an omitted condition, as if the statement is: Only Allah is worthy of worship alone (and that is Me), so only fear Me (if you are to fear anyone), not anyone else.
