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Yusuf (Joseph)

Verse 40of 111

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءًۭ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴿٤٠

Translation (Sahih International)

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.

Word-by-word meaning

مَاNot
تَعْبُدُونَtaʿbudūnayou worship
مِنminbesides Him
دُونِهِۦٓdūnihibesides Him
إِلَّآillābut
أَسْمَآءًۭasmāannames
سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآsammaytumūhāwhich you have named them
أَنتُمْantumyou
وَءَابَآؤُكُمwaābāukumand your forefathers
مَّآnot
أَنزَلَanzala(has) sent down
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
بِهَاbihāfor it
مِنminany
سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚsul'ṭāninauthority
إِنِiniNot
ٱلْحُكْمُl-ḥuk'mu(is) the command
إِلَّاillābut
لِلَّهِ ۚlillahifor Allah
أَمَرَamaraHe has commanded
أَلَّاallāthat not
تَعْبُدُوٓا۟taʿbudūyou worship
إِلَّآillābut
إِيَّاهُ ۚiyyāhuHim Alone
ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
ٱلدِّينُl-dīnu(is) the religion
ٱلْقَيِّمُl-qayimuthe right
وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinnabut
أَكْثَرَaktharamost
ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi[the] men
لَا(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَّفَرِّقُونَ 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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