سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 22
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَآ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) âlihah (gods) besides Allâh, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above all that (evil) they associate with Him!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَوْ
law
If
كَانَ
kāna
(there) were
فِيهِمَآ
fīhimā
in both of them
ءَالِهَةٌ
ālihatun
gods
إِلَّا
illā
besides
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ
lafasadatā
surely they (would) have been ruined
فَسُبْحَـٰنَ
fasub'ḥāna
So glorified
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(is) Allah
رَبِّ
rabbi
Lord
ٱلْعَرْشِ
l-ʿarshi
(of) the Throne
عَمَّا
ʿammā
(above) what
يَصِفُونَ
yaṣifūna
they attribute
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.
If there were other gods besides Allah in the heavens and the earth, both would have been ruined [18]. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.
[18]
If There Were Other Gods Besides Allah, the System of the Universe Would Be Disrupted:
It is a very simple matter that two swords cannot fit in one sheath. There cannot be two rulers of one kingdom. In fact, no institution can function until its authority rests with only one person. Even the management of a household cannot run unless there is a single head. And if there is a power struggle between husband and wife, even that system will be ruined and destroyed. Then how is it possible for this great factory of the universe to have more than one head? Since this is such a common example that everyone encounters, every person can reflect on its various aspects themselves; there is no need to go into details here. However, it is necessary to remove one doubt. Ignorant people think that just as a king has countless nobles and ministers under him who assist him in the administration of the kingdom and are merely his subordinates—not his equals—so is the case with our deities. They believe Allah has delegated some powers to certain chosen personalities, who are still His subordinates and servants, but Allah has granted them some authority. The greatest weakness in this argument is that these people have not understood the true knowledge of Allah. A king is a helpless creature; he cannot hear everyone's plea himself nor can he manage the affairs of safety on his own. He is in need of helpers; without them, his work cannot proceed. Whereas Allah Almighty is free from all such weaknesses. He does not need any kind of helpers. He Himself hears and accepts everyone's plea and runs the entire system of the universe by Himself, and for these tasks, He is not in need of anyone. And as for the angels who are the managers of affairs, they too have not been delegated any authority; rather, they are bound by Allah's command and are helpless and powerless before His order.
[18]
If There Were Other Gods Besides Allah, the System of the Universe Would Be Disrupted:
It is a very simple matter that two swords cannot fit in one sheath. There cannot be two rulers of one kingdom. In fact, no institution can function until its authority rests with only one person. Even the management of a household cannot run unless there is a single head. And if there is a power struggle between husband and wife, even that system will be ruined and destroyed. Then how is it possible for this great factory of the universe to have more than one head? Since this is such a common example that everyone encounters, every person can reflect on its various aspects themselves; there is no need to go into details here. However, it is necessary to remove one doubt. Ignorant people think that just as a king has countless nobles and ministers under him who assist him in the administration of the kingdom and are merely his subordinates—not his equals—so is the case with our deities. They believe Allah has delegated some powers to certain chosen personalities, who are still His subordinates and servants, but Allah has granted them some authority. The greatest weakness in this argument is that these people have not understood the true knowledge of Allah. A king is a helpless creature; he cannot hear everyone's plea himself nor can he manage the affairs of safety on his own. He is in need of helpers; without them, his work cannot proceed. Whereas Allah Almighty is free from all such weaknesses. He does not need any kind of helpers. He Himself hears and accepts everyone's plea and runs the entire system of the universe by Himself, and for these tasks, He is not in need of anyone. And as for the angels who are the managers of affairs, they too have not been delegated any authority; rather, they are bound by Allah's command and are helpless and powerless before His order.
