سُوْرَةُ الْعَنْكَبُوْتِ
Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 17
إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْثَـٰنًا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۖ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"You worship besides Allâh only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allâh have no power to give you provision: so seek your provision from Allâh (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
تَعْبُدُونَ
taʿbudūna
you worship
مِن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
أَوْثَـٰنًۭا
awthānan
idols
وَتَخْلُقُونَ
watakhluqūna
and you create
إِفْكًا ۚ
if'kan
falsehood
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
تَعْبُدُونَ
taʿbudūna
you worship
مِن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَمْلِكُونَ
yamlikūna
possess
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
رِزْقًۭا
riz'qan
any provision
فَٱبْتَغُوا۟
fa-ib'taghū
So seek
عِندَ
ʿinda
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
ٱلرِّزْقَ
l-riz'qa
the provision
وَٱعْبُدُوهُ
wa-uʿ'budūhu
and worship Him
وَٱشْكُرُوا۟
wa-ush'kurū
and be grateful
لَهُۥٓ ۖ
lahu
to Him
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
To Him
تُرْجَعُونَ
tur'jaʿūna
you will be returned
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.
17. What you worship besides Allah are nothing but [26] idols, and you invent falsehood [27]. Those whom you worship besides Allah do not have the power to provide you with sustenance [28]. So seek provision from Allah, worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned [29].
[26]
Words Used in the Quran for Idols:
Three words have been used in the Quran for idols.
(1) Sanam (plural: Asnam) refers to those idols which are movable and saleable, whether they are made of brass, iron, silver, wood, or stone. "Sina'at al-Asnam" means the art of idol carving, just as the father of Prophet Ibrahimؑ, Azar, was both an idol carver and an idol seller.
(2) Nusub refers to those idols or statues which have been installed at a place for worship. For example, the idols of the polytheists of Makkah: Lat, Manat, Uzza, Hubal, etc.
(3) Awthan (plural of Wathan). Wathan is mostly related to places, i.e., shrines, etc., whether or not idols are installed there. Sometimes, at certain specific places, people begin to worship stones, trees, stars, or rivers, believing them to possess divine attributes. Such places are often associated with a saint, a wali, or an idol. When Prophet Ibrahimؑ mentioned "awthana," he meant the idol houses of his people, in which idols were included by default.
[27]
Why Is It Necessary to Fabricate False Stories for Shrines?
That is, you do not merely create idols, but you also fabricate bundles of lies. And you invent many stories and tales about these idols and shrines and attribute them to them. For example, if milk is not offered at a certain shrine once a month, the cattle fall ill or die; or the consequences of disrespecting or insulting a certain shrine are extremely dangerous; or visiting a certain idol house or tomb brings abundance in sustenance. Therefore, when you create these idols, you also fabricate bundles of lies along with them. Otherwise, merely making idols does not benefit you in any way.
[28] In this verse and the previous one, Prophet Ibrahimؑ presented three arguments before his people to refute polytheism. First, these idols are your own creations. In other words, you are the creation of Allah, and these are your creations. The most important attribute of a deity is that He is the Creator; everything else is His creation, and whatever is created cannot be a deity. And these idols are creations within creations—how can they become deities? The second argument is that you yourselves have to invent stories and tales about the benefit or harm of these idols. If your stories and tales are separated from them, what remains are just stones or lifeless materials, and such materials cannot be deities. The third argument is: what sustenance will these give you? You yourselves place offerings and vows before them. If you wish, you can place sustenance before them; if you wish, you can take it away; if you wish, you can smear it on them. Therefore, do not attribute such false beliefs to them. And if you want to ask for sustenance, ask from Allah, and sing the praises of the One whose sustenance you eat. Worship Him alone and be grateful to Him alone.
[29] That is, ultimately you have to return to Allah, and your end is in His hands. You do not have to return to these idols, nor is your end in their hands. Therefore, you should worship the One who can improve your final outcome, and ask sustenance from Him alone.
[26]
Words Used in the Quran for Idols:
Three words have been used in the Quran for idols.
(1) Sanam (plural: Asnam) refers to those idols which are movable and saleable, whether they are made of brass, iron, silver, wood, or stone. "Sina'at al-Asnam" means the art of idol carving, just as the father of Prophet Ibrahimؑ, Azar, was both an idol carver and an idol seller.
(2) Nusub refers to those idols or statues which have been installed at a place for worship. For example, the idols of the polytheists of Makkah: Lat, Manat, Uzza, Hubal, etc.
(3) Awthan (plural of Wathan). Wathan is mostly related to places, i.e., shrines, etc., whether or not idols are installed there. Sometimes, at certain specific places, people begin to worship stones, trees, stars, or rivers, believing them to possess divine attributes. Such places are often associated with a saint, a wali, or an idol. When Prophet Ibrahimؑ mentioned "awthana," he meant the idol houses of his people, in which idols were included by default.
[27]
Why Is It Necessary to Fabricate False Stories for Shrines?
That is, you do not merely create idols, but you also fabricate bundles of lies. And you invent many stories and tales about these idols and shrines and attribute them to them. For example, if milk is not offered at a certain shrine once a month, the cattle fall ill or die; or the consequences of disrespecting or insulting a certain shrine are extremely dangerous; or visiting a certain idol house or tomb brings abundance in sustenance. Therefore, when you create these idols, you also fabricate bundles of lies along with them. Otherwise, merely making idols does not benefit you in any way.
[28] In this verse and the previous one, Prophet Ibrahimؑ presented three arguments before his people to refute polytheism. First, these idols are your own creations. In other words, you are the creation of Allah, and these are your creations. The most important attribute of a deity is that He is the Creator; everything else is His creation, and whatever is created cannot be a deity. And these idols are creations within creations—how can they become deities? The second argument is that you yourselves have to invent stories and tales about the benefit or harm of these idols. If your stories and tales are separated from them, what remains are just stones or lifeless materials, and such materials cannot be deities. The third argument is: what sustenance will these give you? You yourselves place offerings and vows before them. If you wish, you can place sustenance before them; if you wish, you can take it away; if you wish, you can smear it on them. Therefore, do not attribute such false beliefs to them. And if you want to ask for sustenance, ask from Allah, and sing the praises of the One whose sustenance you eat. Worship Him alone and be grateful to Him alone.
[29] That is, ultimately you have to return to Allah, and your end is in His hands. You do not have to return to these idols, nor is your end in their hands. Therefore, you should worship the One who can improve your final outcome, and ask sustenance from Him alone.
