Juz 27: Adh-Dhāriyāt 31 to Al-Ḥadīd
Section 11 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
11. Condemnation of Idol Worship and False Deities
Allah (swt) addresses the profound issue of shirk (polytheism) in Surah An-Najm by exposing the baseless nature of idol worship practiced by the Quraysh. The discussion begins with a direct condemnation of their three principal idols:
أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ
“Have you ever considered about the (idols of) Lāt and 'Uzzā, and about the third, Manāt, the other one?" (53:19-20)”
These idols represented the height of paganism in pre-Islamic Arabia. Al-Lāt, Al-'Uzzā, and Manāt were stone structures worshipped by the Meccans and considered daughters of Allah (swt) according to their false beliefs. Allah (swt) immediately challenges this corrupt theology with a powerful rhetorical question:
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ
“Is it that you have males and He (Allah) has females? If so, that is an unfair division." (53:21-22)”
This verse exposes the inherent contradiction in their belief system. The pagans preferred sons for themselves while attributing daughters to Allah (swt), revealing the irrationality and inherent sexism in their theological construct. Allah (swt) characterizes this as qismatun ḍīzā (an unfair division), highlighting the arbitrary nature of their fabricated beliefs.
The verses that follow reveal the true nature of these idols:
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ
“These are nothing but names you have coined, you and your fathers. Allah has sent down no authority for them. They are following nothing but conjecture and what their souls desire, while guidance from their Lord has surely reached them." (53:23)”
Allah (swt) clarifies that these idols are mere names with no spiritual reality—human inventions with no divine sanction (sulṭān). The pagans followed only ẓann (conjecture) and hawā (desires), disregarding the clear guidance that had reached them.
The following verse establishes a profound principle regarding theological speculation:
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا
“They do not have knowledge about it. They follow nothing but conjecture, and conjecture is of no avail in (the matter of) Truth." (53:28)”
This verse establishes a critical Islamic epistemological principle: in matters of faith and theology, only revelation and certain knowledge are acceptable. Conjecture, speculation, and personal preferences have no place in establishing core beliefs. This represents a fundamental shift from the arbitrary theological constructions of pre-Islamic Arabia toward a theology grounded in divine revelation.
Allah (swt) then instructs the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا
“So, turn away from him who turns away from Our remembrance and seeks nothing but the worldly life." (53:29-30)”
This command acknowledges that some individuals are so fixated on worldly concerns that they resist spiritual truths. Their intellectual horizon extends no further than material existence, forming a barrier to spiritual enlightenment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is instructed not to exhaust himself with those who willfully turn away from divine guidance, as their worldly orientation has become an insurmountable obstacle to faith.
Through these verses, Allah (swt) systematically dismantles the foundation of idol worship by exposing its arbitrary nature, its lack of divine sanction, its basis in conjecture rather than knowledge, and its connection to worldly desires rather than spiritual truth. This section provides believers with powerful intellectual tools to counter polytheistic beliefs and establishes the importance of grounding faith in revelation rather than human invention.