سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 71
قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَـٰبٌ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿71﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Shall we invoke others besides Allâh (false deities), that can do us neither good nor harm, and shall we turn back on our heels after Allâh has guided us (to true Monotheism)? - like one whom the Shayâtîn (devils) have made to go astray in the land in confusion, his companions calling him to guidance (saying): ‘Come to us.’ " Say: "Verily, Allâh’s Guidance is the only guidance, and we have been commanded to submit (ourselves) to the Lord of the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists);
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَنَدْعُوا۟
anadʿū
Shall we call
مِن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مَا
mā
what
لَا
lā
not
يَنفَعُنَا
yanfaʿunā
benefits us
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَضُرُّنَا
yaḍurrunā
harms us
وَنُرَدُّ
wanuraddu
and we turn back
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
on
أَعْقَابِنَا
aʿqābinā
our heels
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
إِذْ
idh
[when]
هَدَىٰنَا
hadānā
(has) guided us
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
كَٱلَّذِى
ka-alladhī
Like the one
ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ
is'tahwathu
whom (has been) enticed
ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ
l-shayāṭīnu
(by) the Shaitaan
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
حَيْرَانَ
ḥayrāna
confused
لَهُۥٓ
lahu
he has
أَصْحَـٰبٌۭ
aṣḥābun
companions
يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ
yadʿūnahu
who call him
إِلَى
ilā
towards
ٱلْهُدَى
l-hudā
the guidance
ٱئْتِنَا ۗ
i'tinā
'Come to us.'
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
هُدَى
hudā
(the) Guidance
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
هُوَ
huwa
it
ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ
l-hudā
(is) the Guidance
وَأُمِرْنَا
wa-umir'nā
and we have been commanded
لِنُسْلِمَ
linus'lima
that we submit
لِرَبِّ
lirabbi
to (the) Lord
ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
l-ʿālamīna
(of) the worlds
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.
Say, “Shall we call upon others besides Allah, who can neither benefit us nor harm us, and turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us? Like one whom the devils have led astray in the wilderness, bewildered, while his companions call him to guidance, saying, ‘Come to us.’” Say, “Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the true guidance, and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds.”
[78]
A Deity Cannot Be Dependent:
In this verse, a great reality is being stated, which is that the true deity can only be that being who can benefit others and remove their difficulties, but is not dependent on others for its own life and its continuation. If you judge by this standard, then all false deities—whether they are living personalities or deceased, goddesses or gods, stones or trees, or any other living thing—are all automatically negated. Let alone the jinn, idols, stones, trees, and living beings. Look at those prophets, saints, or imams who are given this status: did any difficult time ever come upon them in their lives? And if it did, were they able to save themselves from it? And if they could not save themselves, then how can they save others? If you keep this same standard in mind for seeking benefit or fulfilling needs, you will come to know that the only true deity can be Allah alone.
[79]
The Polytheists’ Invitation to Their Companions:
Just as the path of guidance is only one and the paths of misguidance are countless, in the same way, the only fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties for the worshippers of Allah is Allah alone, while the polytheists have countless fulfillers of needs and removers of difficulties. Take the age of ignorance in Arabia, where every tribe had its own fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties: some had Hubal, some had Lat, some had Manat, some had Uzza, and some had Isaf and Naila. Then look at the goddesses and gods of India and Egypt; they too are countless. Christians, according to the doctrine of Trinity, have three gods, and they have also elevated Lady Mary to the same status as a fourth. Among Muslims, every saint, faqir, and elder is their fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties. If offering vows and gifts at one grave does not fulfill their need, they go to the grave of another greater elder, and then to a third, and it is the devils who send them there. Now, they do not understand what to do; every worshipper of a deity invites them to their own deity and says, “Come here, all your wishes will be fulfilled here.” By giving this example of the polytheists, Allah Almighty tells His Messenger that there is no need for much debate and argument with them. Just say to them that Allah’s command to us is only this: that we remain obedient to Him alone, never look elsewhere, fear only Him, and establish prayer according to His command.
[78]
A Deity Cannot Be Dependent:
In this verse, a great reality is being stated, which is that the true deity can only be that being who can benefit others and remove their difficulties, but is not dependent on others for its own life and its continuation. If you judge by this standard, then all false deities—whether they are living personalities or deceased, goddesses or gods, stones or trees, or any other living thing—are all automatically negated. Let alone the jinn, idols, stones, trees, and living beings. Look at those prophets, saints, or imams who are given this status: did any difficult time ever come upon them in their lives? And if it did, were they able to save themselves from it? And if they could not save themselves, then how can they save others? If you keep this same standard in mind for seeking benefit or fulfilling needs, you will come to know that the only true deity can be Allah alone.
[79]
The Polytheists’ Invitation to Their Companions:
Just as the path of guidance is only one and the paths of misguidance are countless, in the same way, the only fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties for the worshippers of Allah is Allah alone, while the polytheists have countless fulfillers of needs and removers of difficulties. Take the age of ignorance in Arabia, where every tribe had its own fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties: some had Hubal, some had Lat, some had Manat, some had Uzza, and some had Isaf and Naila. Then look at the goddesses and gods of India and Egypt; they too are countless. Christians, according to the doctrine of Trinity, have three gods, and they have also elevated Lady Mary to the same status as a fourth. Among Muslims, every saint, faqir, and elder is their fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties. If offering vows and gifts at one grave does not fulfill their need, they go to the grave of another greater elder, and then to a third, and it is the devils who send them there. Now, they do not understand what to do; every worshipper of a deity invites them to their own deity and says, “Come here, all your wishes will be fulfilled here.” By giving this example of the polytheists, Allah Almighty tells His Messenger that there is no need for much debate and argument with them. Just say to them that Allah’s command to us is only this: that we remain obedient to Him alone, never look elsewhere, fear only Him, and establish prayer according to His command.
