سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 36
أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُۥ ۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِٱلَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Is not Allâh Sufficient for His slave? Yet they try to frighten you with those (whom they worship) besides Him! And whom Allâh sends astray, for him there will be no guide.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَيْسَ
alaysa
Is not
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
بِكَافٍ
bikāfin
sufficient
عَبْدَهُۥ ۖ
ʿabdahu
(for) His slave
وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ
wayukhawwifūnaka
And they threaten you
بِٱلَّذِينَ
bi-alladhīna
with those
مِن
min
besides Him
دُونِهِۦ ۚ
dūnihi
besides Him
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يُضْلِلِ
yuḍ'lili
Allah lets go astray
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.
36. Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? Yet they frighten you with those (idols) besides Him [52]. And whomever Allah lets go astray, there is no guide for him.
[52]
The Polytheists’ Fear of Retaliation from Their Deities:
The addressees of this statement are the polytheists of Makkah, who would often say to you ﷺ: “Stop insulting our deities. Whoever has ever shown disrespect to them has been destroyed and ruined. Therefore, if you do not refrain from such words, the same fate will befall you.” In response to this, Allah Almighty said: Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? It should be clear that this address is not limited only to the polytheists of Makkah, but applies to polytheists of every era and every place. There is no need to look far; just observe the popular accounts of the saints of our own land. In them, you will find ample material such as: “So-and-so insulted such-and-such shrine, and within a few days his business was ruined,” or “So-and-so uttered disrespectful words about such-and-such saint, and he fell so ill that he never recovered.” Furthermore, this chain of retaliation is not limited only to living saints and spiritual leaders; if someone shows disrespect to deceased saints, they too are believed to take their revenge. Thus, the mission of the prophets is to make Allah’s servants fear only Allah and make them independent of all besides Allah, whereas the mission of these polytheists is completely contrary to that of the prophets. They keep ensnaring people by frightening them only with the retaliation of their deities and saints. Then, in the mention of these beloved ones of Allah, Allah Himself is relegated to the background.
[52]
The Polytheists’ Fear of Retaliation from Their Deities:
The addressees of this statement are the polytheists of Makkah, who would often say to you ﷺ: “Stop insulting our deities. Whoever has ever shown disrespect to them has been destroyed and ruined. Therefore, if you do not refrain from such words, the same fate will befall you.” In response to this, Allah Almighty said: Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? It should be clear that this address is not limited only to the polytheists of Makkah, but applies to polytheists of every era and every place. There is no need to look far; just observe the popular accounts of the saints of our own land. In them, you will find ample material such as: “So-and-so insulted such-and-such shrine, and within a few days his business was ruined,” or “So-and-so uttered disrespectful words about such-and-such saint, and he fell so ill that he never recovered.” Furthermore, this chain of retaliation is not limited only to living saints and spiritual leaders; if someone shows disrespect to deceased saints, they too are believed to take their revenge. Thus, the mission of the prophets is to make Allah’s servants fear only Allah and make them independent of all besides Allah, whereas the mission of these polytheists is completely contrary to that of the prophets. They keep ensnaring people by frightening them only with the retaliation of their deities and saints. Then, in the mention of these beloved ones of Allah, Allah Himself is relegated to the background.
