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Surah Yusuf 12:40

سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ“Joseph”

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Qur'an 12:40

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَٰنٍ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Maa ta'budoona min doonihee illaaa asmaaa'an sam maitumoohaaa antum wa aabaaa'ukum maaa anzalal laahu bihaa min sultan; inilhukmu illaa lillaah; amara allaa ta'budooo illaaa iyyaah; zaalikad deenul qaiyimu wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon

Translation

You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. Legislation is not but for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.

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Tafsir of this Ayah Ibn Kathir

"O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? (39)"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him; that is the straight religion, but most men know not. (40)

Prophet Yusuf went on calling his two prison companions to worship Allah alone, without partners, and to reject whatever is being worshipped instead of Him like the idols, which were worshipped by the people of the two men, Yusuf said,

أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

(Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible?) to Whose grace and infinite kingdom everything and everyone has submitted in humiliation. Prophet Yusuf explained to them next that it is because of their ignorance that they worship false deities and give them names, for these names were forged and are being transferred from one generation to the next generation. They have no proof or authority that supports this practice, hence his statement to them,

مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ

(for which Allah has sent down no authority) or proof and evidence. He then affirmed that the judgement, decision, will and kingdom are all for Allah alone, and He has commanded all of His servants to worship none but Him. He said,

ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ

(that is the straight religion,) 'this, Tawhid of Allah and directing all acts of worship at Him alone in sincerity, that I am calling you to is the right, straight religion that Allah has ordained and for which He has revealed what He wills of proofs and evidences,'

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most men know not.), and this is why most of them are idolators,

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it.)[12:103] When Yusuf finished calling them, he started interpreting their dreams for them,