سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 73
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ﴿73﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they worship others besides Allâh - such as do not and cannot own any provision for them from the heavens or the earth.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَعْبُدُونَ
wayaʿbudūna
And they worship
مِن
min
other than
دُونِ
dūni
other than
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مَا
mā
which
لَا
lā
not
يَمْلِكُ
yamliku
possesses
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
رِزْقًۭا
riz'qan
any provision
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
[anything]
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
yastaṭīʿūna
they are able
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.
(Ayah73) ➊ In {وَ يَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ … : ’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, every idol, shrine, sanctuary, living and dead saint—in short, everything they worship and call upon—has been included, and for all of them, the word {’’ مَا ‘‘} has been used, which is generally used for those things that do not possess intellect. In {’’ رِزْقًا ‘‘ }, the tanween is for tankeer, meaning that they do not possess even the slightest ownership of any provision. Similarly, {’’ شَيْـًٔا ‘‘} is indefinite, meaning that they have no share whatsoever in the ownership of any provision, that is, observe the ignorance of these polytheists: they worship and call upon those deities who do not possess any ownership of any kind of provision from the heavens or the earth, nor do they have the power to send down rain from the sky, nor the ability to make anything grow from the earth, nor the ability to create anything, nor the ability to preserve what grows, so how did they become deities?
➋ { وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ :} This refutes the false assumption that, indeed, the true Owner is Allah Almighty, but these helpers have the power to obtain from Him. They can make Allah grant whatever they wish, as one person said:
The saints have received power from Allah,
They can bring back an arrow that has left the bow from the path.
"Saints have been given such power by Allah that they can bring back an arrow that has already left the bow." Allah Almighty has said that they do not possess any power in any way, neither to give anything themselves, nor to compel Allah Almighty by their love, power, or coercion to grant anything, rather, they do not even know that anyone is calling upon them. (See Ahqaf: 5, 6) The refutation of this belief is also made in clear words in Surah Yunus (18) and Surah Zumar (3). {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ ‘‘} also includes that they do not even have the power to acquire such authority, rather, they are utterly helpless before the command of Allah Almighty.
➋ { وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ :} This refutes the false assumption that, indeed, the true Owner is Allah Almighty, but these helpers have the power to obtain from Him. They can make Allah grant whatever they wish, as one person said:
The saints have received power from Allah,
They can bring back an arrow that has left the bow from the path.
"Saints have been given such power by Allah that they can bring back an arrow that has already left the bow." Allah Almighty has said that they do not possess any power in any way, neither to give anything themselves, nor to compel Allah Almighty by their love, power, or coercion to grant anything, rather, they do not even know that anyone is calling upon them. (See Ahqaf: 5, 6) The refutation of this belief is also made in clear words in Surah Yunus (18) and Surah Zumar (3). {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ ‘‘} also includes that they do not even have the power to acquire such authority, rather, they are utterly helpless before the command of Allah Almighty.
