سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 43
أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَا ۚ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Or have they âlihah (gods) who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us (i.e. from Our Torment).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَمْ
am
Or
لَهُمْ
lahum
have they
ءَالِهَةٌۭ
ālihatun
gods
تَمْنَعُهُم
tamnaʿuhum
(to) defend them
مِّن
min
from
دُونِنَا ۚ
dūninā
Us
لَا
lā
Not
يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
yastaṭīʿūna
they are able
نَصْرَ
naṣra
(to) help
أَنفُسِهِمْ
anfusihim
themselves
وَلَا
walā
and not
هُم
hum
they
مِّنَّا
minnā
from Us
يُصْحَبُونَ
yuṣ'ḥabūna
can be protected
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 43) ➊ The conjunction of { اَمْ لَهُمْ اٰلِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِنَا : ’’ اَمْ ‘‘} is with a previously omitted interrogative sentence. (Biqā‘ī) That is, is the reality as mentioned above that there is no one to save them from Our punishment, or do they have any deities besides Us who save them and defend them? Another meaning of {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِنَا ‘‘} could be: "Or do they have any deities who, against Us, save them and defend them?"
➋ {لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ نَصْرَ اَنْفُسِهِمْ :} This is a refutation of the idea that their deities can save them, meaning the deities they have made cannot even help themselves, so how would they help them or anyone else?
➌ { وَ لَا هُمْ مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُوْنَ :} "And nor are they supported by Us"—this refutes the disbelievers' belief that even if their deities do not have the power to save them, they have Allah's support and assistance, by which they can have whatever they wish done. Allah has said that their deities can neither help themselves nor do they have any kind of support or assistance from Us. See a verse with a similar meaning in Surah Az-Zumar (3). (Ibn ‘Āshūr)
➋ {لَا يَسْتَطِيْعُوْنَ نَصْرَ اَنْفُسِهِمْ :} This is a refutation of the idea that their deities can save them, meaning the deities they have made cannot even help themselves, so how would they help them or anyone else?
➌ { وَ لَا هُمْ مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُوْنَ :} "And nor are they supported by Us"—this refutes the disbelievers' belief that even if their deities do not have the power to save them, they have Allah's support and assistance, by which they can have whatever they wish done. Allah has said that their deities can neither help themselves nor do they have any kind of support or assistance from Us. See a verse with a similar meaning in Surah Az-Zumar (3). (Ibn ‘Āshūr)
