This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
In the Holy Quran, all these beings are included in the general term ،،من دون اللہ،،. Consider a few more verses.
Does "other than Allah" only mean idols?:
[اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ عِبَادٌ اَمۡثَالُکُمۡ فَادۡعُوۡہُمۡ فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡا لَکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ]
Indeed, those whom you call besides Allah are servants like you, so call upon them and it is necessary that they respond to your invocation if you are truthful.
Reference: Al-A'raf:194
[وَ جَعَلُوۡا لِلّٰہِ شُرَکَآءَ الۡجِنَّ وَ خَلَقَہُمۡ وَ خَرَقُوۡا لَہٗ بَنِیۡنَ وَ بَنٰتٍۭ بِغَیۡرِ عِلۡمٍ ؕ سُبۡحٰنَہٗ وَ تَعٰلٰی عَمَّا یَصِفُوۡنَ]
And they have taken jinn as partners with Allah, while He created them, and for Him is the dominion of the heavens and the earth. They have no knowledge of it, nor do their forefathers. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.
Reference: Al-An'am:100
[قُلِ ادۡعُوا الَّذِیۡنَ زَعَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۚ لَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّۃٍ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ لَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ مَا لَہُمۡ فِیۡہِمَا مِنۡ شِرۡکٍ وَّ مَا لَہٗ مِنۡہُمۡ مِّنۡ ظَہِیۡر]
Say, "Call upon those whom you claim besides Allah; they do not possess even an atom's weight in the heavens or on the earth, nor do they have any share in them, nor is any of them a helper to Him."
Reference: Saba:22
Reference: In Tafsir Madarik 5/159
it is stated: قوله [من دون الله أى من الأصنام و الملائكة] (that is) ،،من دون الله،، refers to idols and angels. Consider a few more verses where ،،من دون اللہ،، refers to those endowed with intellect:[اِتَّخَذُوۡۤا اَحۡبَارَہُمۡ وَ رُہۡبَانَہُمۡ اَرۡبَابًا مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ وَ الۡمَسِیۡحَ ابۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ ۚ وَ مَاۤ اُمِرُوۡۤا اِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُوۡۤا اِلٰـہًا وَّاحِدًا ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ سُبۡحٰنَہٗ عَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ]
They took their scholars and their ascetics as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary, while they were commanded nothing except to worship one God; there is no god but He. He is far above what they associate with Him.
Reference: At-Tawbah:31
In this noble verse, ،،من دون الله،، refers to scholars, ascetics, and Sayyid Isa (Jesus) peace be upon him:
[مَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ یُّؤۡتِیَہُ اللّٰہُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡحُکۡمَ وَ النُّبُوَّۃَ ثُمَّ یَقُوۡلَ لِلنَّاسِ کُوۡنُوۡا عِبَادًا لِّیۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ]
No human being has the right that Allah should give him the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood, and then he says to the people, "Be my servants instead of Allah."
Reference: Al-Imran:79
Here, ،،من دون الله،، refers to the Prophets, peace be upon them, who were bestowed with important attributes such as the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood.
[قُلۡ یٰۤاَہۡلَ الۡکِتٰبِ تَعَالَوۡا اِلٰی کَلِمَۃٍ سَوَآءٍۢ بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَکُمۡ اَلَّا نَعۡبُدَ اِلَّا اللّٰہَ وَ لَا نُشۡرِکَ بِہٖ شَیۡئًا وَّ لَا یَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُنَا بَعۡضًا اَرۡبَابًا مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ]
Say, O People of the Scripture! Come to a word that is equitable between us and you—that we worship none but Allah and associate nothing with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.
Reference: Al-Imran:64
Here, ،،من دون الله،، refers to human beings.
[اِنۡ یَّدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اِنٰثًا] They call upon women besides Allah.
Reference: An-Nisa:117
In this noble verse, ،،من دون اللہ،، refers to women. From all these verses, it becomes clear that ،،من دون الله،، does not only mean idols, but Allah Almighty has included in ،،من دون الله،، prophets, saints, martyrs, angels, jinn, humans, trees, stones, and others. According to Ahmad Raza
Reference: Surah Yunus 37, 104 to 107
and
Reference: Al-Baqarah: 23
and
Reference: Bani Isra'il: 88
and
Reference: Al-Jinn: 22
, everywhere ،،من دون الله،، and ،،من دونہ،، mean creation.See more:
In Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib's
Reference: Qur'anic Translation with Tafsir: Surah Yunus 16, 15 F:35 to 40
, ،،من دون الله،، is interpreted as all creation. It is also written that ،،من دون الله،، refers to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself. And in
Reference: Surah Yunus: 38, 37 F:92 to 96
, ،،من دون الله،، is interpreted as all creation. And in
Reference: Surah An-Nisa 82 F:213, 212
, it means all creation. It is written in
Reference: Surah Al-Ma'idah: 76 F:194
that ،،من دون اللہ،، refers to Jesus (peace be upon him). And it is written in
Reference: Surah Al-Ma'idah: 116 F:288
that ،،من دون اللہ،، refers to Jesus (peace be upon him) and his mother. It is written in
Reference: Surah Al-Jinn: 22 F:42
that ،،من دونہ،، refers to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself. And in
Reference: At-Tawbah: 116
, ،،من دون الله،، refers to all creation. It is written in
Reference: Ash-Shura 31, 30, F:83 to 85
that ،،من دون الله،، refers to the believers. And it is written in
Reference: Surah Yunus: 65 to 67 F:149 to 156
that ،،من دون الله،، refers to everyone except Allah.
Reference: F:151] [An-Naml: 24 to 26, F:39 to 42
states that ،،من دون الله،، refers to everyone except Allah.The above-mentioned points: are written in the translation and benefits, i.e., tafsir of
Reference: Al-Furqan 18, 17, 53 to 62
, [Az-Zukhruf: 45], [An-Najm 58, 57], [An-Nahl: 86], [Bani Isra'il: 2], [Al-Kahf: 102[/ref].It should be noted that in all the Makki Surahs, in the translation by Ahmad Raza Khani and the Tafseer by Muradabadi, the word idol has been repeatedly used for ،،من دون الله،، and ،،مِن دونہ،، at countless places. However, the meaning of Divine Oneness (Tawheed) is that no one besides Allah shares in Allah’s essence, attributes, rights, and powers. The Divine Oneness of Allah has been severely undermined in this Tafseer, which is condemnable.
