Surah Al-Isra' Ayah 42

Al-Isra' · Ayah 42 · Juz 15 · Page 286

قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ مَعَهُۥٓ ءَالِهَةٞ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذٗا لَّٱبۡتَغَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ ذِي ٱلۡعَرۡشِ سَبِيلٗا ٤٢

Qul law kāna maʿahū ālihatun kamā yaqūlūna idhal labtaghaw ilā dhil-ʿarshi sabīlā.

Say, [O Muḥammad], "If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the Owner of the Throne a way."1

Translation: Sahih International

Footnotes (1)
  1. To please Him, recognizing His superiority. Another interpretation is "...they would seek a way" to depose Him (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) and take over His Throne.

This verse is discussed in

Tafsir

Tafsir of ayahs 42–43

Say: "If there had been other gods along with Him as they assert, then they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne (42)Glorified and Exalted is He high above what they say (43)

Allah says: 'Say, O Muhammad, to these idolators who claim that Allah has a partner among His creation, and who worship others besides Him that they may bring them nearer to Him: if the matter is as you say, and there is another god besides Him whom you worship in order to draw closer to Him and so that he will intercede for you with Him, then those whom you worship would themselves worship Him and seek means to draw closer to Him. So worship Him alone, just as those on whom you call besides Him worship Him. You have no need of a deity to be an intermediary between you and Him, for He does not like or accept that, rather He hates it and rejects it, and has forbidden that through all of His Messengers and Prophets.' Then He glorifies and sanctifies Himself far above all that, and says:

سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ

(Glorified and Exalted is He high above what they say!) meaning these idolators who transgress and do wrong when they claim that there are other gods besides Him.

عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا

(high above) means, far above. He is Allah, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable or coequal unto Him.

Word by word13 words

  • قُلSay
  • لَّوۡIf
  • كَانَ(there) were
  • مَعَهُۥٓwith Him
  • ءَالِهَةٞgods
  • كَمَاas
  • يَقُولُونَthey say
  • إِذٗاthen
  • لَّٱبۡتَغَوۡاْsurely they (would) have sought
  • إِلَىٰto
  • ذِي(the) Owner
  • ٱلۡعَرۡشِ(of) the Throne
  • سَبِيلٗاa way

Read Surah Al-Isra' from ayah 42Open in the mushaf, page 286

Al-Isra'الإسراء

The Night Journey · Meccan · 111 ayahs

Juz
15
Page
286
Hizb
29