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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 73 (16:73)

ٱلنَّحْل

وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَئًْا …

Quran 16:73 is ayah 73 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 275 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:73
وَيَعْبُدُونَمِندُونِٱللَّهِمَالَايَمْلِكُلَهُمْرِزْقًامِّنَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِشَئًْاوَلَايَسْتَطِيعُونَ٧٣
wayaʿbudūna min dūni l-lahi mā lā yamliku lahum riz'qan mina l-samāwāti wal-arḍi shayan walā yastaṭīʿūna

And they worship besides Allāh that which does not possess for them [the power of] provision from the heavens and the earth at all, and [in fact], they are unable.(73)

Word by word

  1. وَيَعْبُدُونَwayaʿbudūnaAnd they worship
  2. مِنminother than
  3. دُونِdūniother than
  4. ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
  5. مَاmāwhich
  6. لَاlānot
  7. يَمْلِكُyamlikupossesses
  8. لَهُمْlahumfor them
  9. رِزْقًاriz'qanany provision
  10. مِّنَminafrom
  11. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِl-samāwātithe heavens
  12. وَٱلْأَرْضِwal-arḍiand the earth
  13. شَئًْاshayan[anything]
  14. وَلَاwalāand not
  15. يَسْتَطِيعُونَyastaṭīʿūnathey are able

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:73

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 16:73–74 together.

Denouncing the Worship of anything besides Allah

Allah tells us about the Mushrikin who worship others besides Him, even though He alone is the bountiful Provider, the Creator and Sustainer, without partners or associates, but they still worship idols and make rivals for Him. He says:

مَا لاَ يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ شَيْئًا

(such as do not have power to grant them any provision from the heavens or the earth) meaning, nobody can cause rain to fall, or make plants and trees grow. They cannot do these things for them- selves, even if they wanted to. Thus Allah says:

فَلاَ تَضْرِبُواْ لِلَّهِ الاٌّمْثَالَ

(So do not give examples on behalf of Allah.) meaning, do not set up rivals to Him or describe anything as being like Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

(Truly, Allah knows and you know not.) meaning, He knows and bears witness that there is no god but Him, but you are ignorant and associate others in worship with Him.

Read the full Surah An-Nahl