سُوْرَةُ الرَّعْدِ
Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 33
أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۗ وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ قُلْ سَمُّوهُمْ ۚ أَمْ تُنَبِّـُٔونَهُۥ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَم بِظَـٰهِرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۗ بَلْ زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مَكْرُهُمْ وَصُدُّوا۟ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ ﴿33﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Is then He (Allâh) Who takes charge (guards, maintains, provides) of every person and knows all that he has earned (like any other deities who know nothing)? Yet, they ascribe partners to Allâh. Say: "Name them! Is it that you will inform Him of something He knows not in the earth or is it (just) a show of false words." Nay! To those who disbelieved, their plotting is made fairseeming, and they have been hindered from the Right Path; and whom Allâh sends astray, for him there is no guide.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَفَمَنْ
afaman
Is then He Who
هُوَ
huwa
(He)
قَآئِمٌ
qāimun
(is) a Maintainer
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
of
كُلِّ
kulli
every
نَفْسٍۭ
nafsin
soul
بِمَا
bimā
for what
كَسَبَتْ ۗ
kasabat
it has earned
وَجَعَلُوا۟
wajaʿalū
Yet they ascribe
لِلَّهِ
lillahi
to Allah
شُرَكَآءَ
shurakāa
partners
قُلْ
qul
Say
سَمُّوهُمْ ۚ
sammūhum
Name them
أَمْ
am
Or
تُنَبِّـُٔونَهُۥ
tunabbiūnahu
(do) you inform Him
بِمَا
bimā
of what
لَا
lā
not
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
He knows
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
أَم
am
or
بِظَـٰهِرٍۢ
biẓāhirin
of the apparent
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْقَوْلِ ۗ
l-qawli
the words
بَلْ
bal
Nay
زُيِّنَ
zuyyina
(is) made fair-seeming
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
to those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
مَكْرُهُمْ
makruhum
their plotting
وَصُدُّوا۟
waṣuddū
and they are hindered
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗ
l-sabīli
the Path
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يُضْلِلِ
yuḍ'lili
(by) Allah
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah lets go astray
فَمَا
famā
then not
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
مِنْ
min
any
هَادٍۢ
hādin
guide
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
33. Is He who watches over every soul and what it earns (will He leave them without punishment?) Yet they set up partners with Allah. Say, “Name them [44]. Or do you inform Him of something on earth that He does not know? Or are you just uttering empty words?” In fact, the schemes [45] of the disbelievers have been made appealing to them, and they have been turned away from the (right) path. And whomever Allah leads astray, there is no guide for him.
[44]
The Attributive Names of False Deities: Any Proof or Experience?
Here, by "name" is meant the attributive names of those partners. As He said: ﴿اَللّٰهُ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْاَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنيٰ﴾ In this verse as well, "name" refers to attributive names, meaning: just tell us, what feats can your partners accomplish? And what is the proof for this? Is it written anywhere in any revealed book that Allah has granted such and such powers to such and such deity or saint? Or do you want to inform Allah of something whose existence cannot be found anywhere on the entire earth? Allah Almighty mentioned only the earth because the polytheists had made their deities only on this earth for themselves. For example, regarding a certain partner, they had made it famous that he is the granter of treasures, so can they show that this deity actually keeps granting treasures to people? Is there anything on earth that Allah is unaware of? Or do they just say whatever comes to their minds and attribute such things to those partners.
[45]
False Deities and the Deceit of the Disbelievers:
It is not so; rather, the real matter is that some cunning people, in order to establish their own divinity over the masses and to take a share in their earnings, invented some fabricated partners, composed some tales about them, and frightened and threatened people with their supposed powers. Then they made people their devotees and declared themselves as the caretakers, deputies, or representatives of those deities, and thus started serving their own interests. And these polytheistic beliefs became customary and accepted among the ignorant masses generation after generation. Allah Almighty has declared both those who devise such deceit and those who accept it as disbelievers, and these are the very people who have actually been prevented from Allah’s straight path (Tawheed), and have become a hindrance for others as well. And such people, who for their personal interests become obstacles in the way of Allah, Allah never shows them the straight path.
[44]
The Attributive Names of False Deities: Any Proof or Experience?
Here, by "name" is meant the attributive names of those partners. As He said: ﴿اَللّٰهُ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْاَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنيٰ﴾ In this verse as well, "name" refers to attributive names, meaning: just tell us, what feats can your partners accomplish? And what is the proof for this? Is it written anywhere in any revealed book that Allah has granted such and such powers to such and such deity or saint? Or do you want to inform Allah of something whose existence cannot be found anywhere on the entire earth? Allah Almighty mentioned only the earth because the polytheists had made their deities only on this earth for themselves. For example, regarding a certain partner, they had made it famous that he is the granter of treasures, so can they show that this deity actually keeps granting treasures to people? Is there anything on earth that Allah is unaware of? Or do they just say whatever comes to their minds and attribute such things to those partners.
[45]
False Deities and the Deceit of the Disbelievers:
It is not so; rather, the real matter is that some cunning people, in order to establish their own divinity over the masses and to take a share in their earnings, invented some fabricated partners, composed some tales about them, and frightened and threatened people with their supposed powers. Then they made people their devotees and declared themselves as the caretakers, deputies, or representatives of those deities, and thus started serving their own interests. And these polytheistic beliefs became customary and accepted among the ignorant masses generation after generation. Allah Almighty has declared both those who devise such deceit and those who accept it as disbelievers, and these are the very people who have actually been prevented from Allah’s straight path (Tawheed), and have become a hindrance for others as well. And such people, who for their personal interests become obstacles in the way of Allah, Allah never shows them the straight path.
