سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 14
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلَا يُطْعَمُ ۗ قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ ۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Shall I take as a Walî (Helper, Protector, Lord or God) any other than Allâh, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? And it is He Who feeds but is not fed." Say: "Verily, I am commanded to be the first of those who submit themselves to Allâh (as Muslims)." And be not you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) of the Mushrikûn [polytheists, pagans, idolaters and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh]. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَغَيْرَ
aghayra
Is it other than
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
أَتَّخِذُ
attakhidhu
I (should) take
وَلِيًّۭا
waliyyan
(as) a protector
فَاطِرِ
fāṭiri
Creator
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
while (it is) He
يُطْعِمُ
yuṭ'ʿimu
Who feeds
وَلَا
walā
and not
يُطْعَمُ ۗ
yuṭ'ʿamu
He is fed
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنِّىٓ
innī
Indeed I
أُمِرْتُ
umir'tu
[I] am commanded
أَنْ
an
that
أَكُونَ
akūna
I be
أَوَّلَ
awwala
(the) first
مَنْ
man
who
أَسْلَمَ ۖ
aslama
submits (to Allah)
وَلَا
walā
and not
تَكُونَنَّ
takūnanna
be
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
l-mush'rikīna
the polytheists
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.
14. Say, "Shall I take as a protector anyone other than Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who feeds all [15] but is not fed by anyone?" Say, "I have been commanded to be the first to submit and not to be among those who associate others with Him."
[15]
The Greatest Proof of Being a Deity is Being Free of Need:
That is, one criterion of Allah being the true deity is that He alone has created the entire universe. Since no other deity has any share in the creation of the universe, therefore, they cannot be deities. And the second criterion is that He provides food to all others, but Himself does not eat anything from anyone. This has two meanings: one is that whoever eats food can never be a deity because he is in need of food, whereas Allah is not in need of food; and the second meaning is that all others are dependent on Him even for food. That is, whoever is needy cannot be a deity. The true deity can only be the one who is not dependent or needy of anyone. Now see, those whom the polytheists have made their gods, instead of providing sustenance to their servants, are themselves in need of sustenance from them. No Pharaoh can maintain his claim to divinity unless his subjects pay him taxes and tributes. Nor can the status of any occupant of a grave as a deity remain unless his devotees and worshippers build his tomb. And the court of any idol-god cannot be adorned until its worshippers make its statue and place it in a grand temple. In other words, all these artificial deities are themselves dependent on their servants. Only the Being of Allah Almighty is such that He exists by His own power; He is not in need of anyone, rather, all are in need of Him, and this is the greatest proof of His being the true deity. Therefore, one should bow in submission only before Him.
[15]
The Greatest Proof of Being a Deity is Being Free of Need:
That is, one criterion of Allah being the true deity is that He alone has created the entire universe. Since no other deity has any share in the creation of the universe, therefore, they cannot be deities. And the second criterion is that He provides food to all others, but Himself does not eat anything from anyone. This has two meanings: one is that whoever eats food can never be a deity because he is in need of food, whereas Allah is not in need of food; and the second meaning is that all others are dependent on Him even for food. That is, whoever is needy cannot be a deity. The true deity can only be the one who is not dependent or needy of anyone. Now see, those whom the polytheists have made their gods, instead of providing sustenance to their servants, are themselves in need of sustenance from them. No Pharaoh can maintain his claim to divinity unless his subjects pay him taxes and tributes. Nor can the status of any occupant of a grave as a deity remain unless his devotees and worshippers build his tomb. And the court of any idol-god cannot be adorned until its worshippers make its statue and place it in a grand temple. In other words, all these artificial deities are themselves dependent on their servants. Only the Being of Allah Almighty is such that He exists by His own power; He is not in need of anyone, rather, all are in need of Him, and this is the greatest proof of His being the true deity. Therefore, one should bow in submission only before Him.
