سُوْرَةُ الشُّعَرَآءِ
Surah Ash-Shu'araa (26) — Ayah 71
قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ أَصْنَامًا فَنَظَلُّ لَهَا عَـٰكِفِينَ ﴿71﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They said: "We worship idols, and to them we are ever devoted."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
نَعْبُدُ
naʿbudu
We worship
أَصْنَامًۭا
aṣnāman
idols
فَنَظَلُّ
fanaẓallu
so we will remain
لَهَا
lahā
to them
عَـٰكِفِينَ
ʿākifīna
devoted
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.
71. They said, "We worship idols and remain devoted [49] to them."
[49] In response, the people said that you have asked this question about them in a very contemptuous tone. Whereas, in our view, these are extremely respectable things. That is why we sit before them with humility and devotion, our heads bowed.
The Belief in the Influence of Planets on Human Life:
It has already been explained that the people of Prophet Ibrahimؑ were, in reality, star-worshippers. And they strongly believed in the influence of planets on human life. They had fixed in their minds an image of the spirit of each planet, and then, according to that image, they would make idols or statues. For example, some were statues of the sun god, and some of the moon goddess. And their belief was that the spirit of the planet whose statue it was had a special connection with it. And if they worshipped these idols, they would be protected from the wrath of the planets and their harmful effects. And all of this was merely their imagination and conjecture, for which they had no evidence.
[49] In response, the people said that you have asked this question about them in a very contemptuous tone. Whereas, in our view, these are extremely respectable things. That is why we sit before them with humility and devotion, our heads bowed.
The Belief in the Influence of Planets on Human Life:
It has already been explained that the people of Prophet Ibrahimؑ were, in reality, star-worshippers. And they strongly believed in the influence of planets on human life. They had fixed in their minds an image of the spirit of each planet, and then, according to that image, they would make idols or statues. For example, some were statues of the sun god, and some of the moon goddess. And their belief was that the spirit of the planet whose statue it was had a special connection with it. And if they worshipped these idols, they would be protected from the wrath of the planets and their harmful effects. And all of this was merely their imagination and conjecture, for which they had no evidence.
