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Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 43 (39:43)

ٱلزُّمَر

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ شُفَعَآءَ ۚ قُلْ أَوَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ شَئًْا وَلَا …

Quran 39:43 is ayah 43 of Surah Az-Zumar (“The Troops”), a Meccan surah of 75 ayahs. It is in Juz 24, on page 463 of the Madani Mushaf.

39:43
أَمِٱتَّخَذُوا۟مِندُونِٱللَّهِشُفَعَآءَ ۚقُلْأَوَلَوْكَانُوا۟لَايَمْلِكُونَشَئًْاوَلَايَعْقِلُونَ٤٣
ami ittakhadhū min dūni l-lahi shufaʿāa qul awalaw kānū lā yamlikūna shayan walā yaʿqilūna

Or have they taken other than Allāh as intercessors? Say, "Even though they do not possess [power over] anything, nor do they reason?"(43)

Word by word

  1. أَمِamiOr
  2. ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhūhave they taken
  3. مِنminbesides
  4. دُونِdūnibesides
  5. ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
  6. شُفَعَآءَ ۚshufaʿāaintercessors
  7. قُلْqulSay
  8. أَوَلَوْawalawEven though
  9. كَانُوا۟kānūthey were
  10. لَاlānot
  11. يَمْلِكُونَyamlikūnapossessing
  12. شَئًْاshayananything
  13. وَلَاwalāand not
  14. يَعْقِلُونَyaʿqilūnathey understand

Tafsir (commentary) of 39:43

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 39:43–45 together.

There is no Intercession except with Allah, and how the Idolators are filled with Disgust when Allah

Allah condemns the idolators for taking intercessors besides Allah, namely the idols and false gods whom they have taken on the basis of their own whims, with no evidence or proof. These idols are not able to do anything; they have no minds with which to think, and they cannot hear or see. They are inanimate and are much worse off than animals. Then Allah says: `Say -- O Muhammad -- to these people who claim that those whom they have taken as intercessors with Allah, that intercession is of no avail except for the one with whom Allah is pleased and to whom He has granted permission to intercede. The whole matter rests with Him.'

مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ

(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) (2:255).

لَّهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(His is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth.) means, He is the One Who is in control of all that.

ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

(Then to Him you shall be brought back.) means, `on the Day of Resurrection, then He will judge between you with His justice, and He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds.' Then Allah condemns the idolators further:

وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ

(And when Allah Alone is mentioned) means, when it is said there is no (true) God except Allah Alone,

اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ

(the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust) Mujahid said, "Their hearts are filled with disgust means they recoil in horror." This is like the Ayah:

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(Truly, when it was said to them: "La ilaha illa Allah," they puffed themselves up with pride.) (37:35) which means, they were too proud to follow it. Their hearts could not accept anything good, and whoever cannot accept good will accept evil. Allah says:

وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ

(and when those besides Him are mentioned,) meaning, the idols and false gods -- this was the view of Mujahid --

إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

(behold, they rejoice!) means, they feel happy.

Read the full Surah Az-Zumar