Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 40

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Whatever you worship, other than Him, are nothing but names you have coined, you and your fathers. Allah has sent down no authority for them. Sovereignty belongs to none but Allah. He has ordained that you shall not worship anyone but Him. This is the only right path. But most of the people do not know.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Whatever ˹idols˺ you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have made up[[ Meaning, “You call them gods while in fact they are not gods.” ]]—a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know.

Ruwwad Translation Center

You worship none besides Him except names that you and your forefathers have made up, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. All power belongs to Allah alone; He has commanded that you should worship none except Him. This is the right religion, but most people do not know.”

A. J. Arberry

That which you serve, apart from Him, is nothing but names yourselves have named, you and your fathers; God has sent down no authority touching them. Judgment belongs only to God; He has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him. That is the right religion; but most men know not.

Abdul Haleem

All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no sanction. Authority belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Ye worship not, beside Him, but names ye have named, ye and your fathers: Allah hath not sent down for them any warranty. Judgment is but Allah's; He hath commanded that ye worship not except Him. That is the right religion, but most of the mankind know not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"If not Him, ye worship nothing but names which ye have named,- ye and your fathers,- for which Allah hath sent down no authority; the command is for none but Allah; He hath commanded that ye worship none but Him; that is the right religion, but most men understand not...

Abul Ala Maududi

Those whom you serve beside Him are merely idle names that you and your fathers have fabricated, without Allah sending down any sanction for them. All authority to govern rests only with Allah. He has commanded that you serve none but Him. This is the Right Way of life, though most people are altogether unaware.

Ahmed Ali

(What) you worship besides Him are nothing but names that you and your fathers have assigned, for which no sanction has been sent down by God. Authority belongs to God alone. He commands that you worship none but Him. This is the right way; but most men are ignorant.

Ahmed Raza Khan

“You do not worship anything besides Him, but which are merely names coined by you and your forefathers – Allah has not sent down any proof regarding them; there is no command but that of Allah; He has commanded that you do not worship anyone except Him; this is the proper religion, but most people do not know.”

Ali Quli Qarai

You do not worship besides Him but [mere] names that you and your fathers have coined, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. Sovereignty belongs only to Allah. He has commanded you to worship none except Him. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.

Ali Ünal

"What you worship apart from Him is nothing but names that you and your forefathers made up for them. (In the absolute sense) judgment and authority rest with none but God alone: He has commanded that you worship none but Him alone. This is the upright, ever-true Religion, but most people do not know (and they act from their ignorance).

Amatul Rahman Omar

`You worship nothing, apart from Him but some mere (imaginary) names coined by you and by your fathers. Allâh has sent down no authority for (worshipping) that. The judgment rests with Allâh alone. He has commanded that you shall worship none but Him alone. That is the right (and lasting) faith, yet most people know (it) not.

English Literal

You do not worship from other than Him except names you named it, you and your fathers/forefathers, God did not descend with it from a proof/evidence , that the judgment/rule (is) except to God, He ordered/commanded that you not worship except (only) Him that (is) the religion the straight , and but most of the people do not know.

Faridul Haque

"You do not worship anything besides Him, but which are merely names coined by you and your forefathers - Allah has not sent down any proof regarding them; there is no command but that of Allah; He has commanded that you do not worship anyone except Him; this is the proper religion, but most people do not know."

Hamid S. Aziz

O you two fellow-prisoners! Are manifold lords better, or Allah, the One, the Almighty?

Hilali & Khan

"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged), you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O my two fellow-prisoners, are sundry lords better or Allah the One, the Supreme?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

You do not serve besides Him but names which you have named, you and your fathers; Allah has not sent down any authority for them; judgment is only Allah's; He has commanded that you shall not serve aught but Him; this is the right religion but most people do not know:

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those whom ye worship beside Him are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers. Allah hath revealed no sanction for them. The decision rests with Allah only, Who hath commanded you that ye worship none save Him. This is the right religion, but most men know not.

Muhammad Sarwar

What you worship instead of God are no more than empty names that you and your fathers have given to certain things. God has not given any authority to such names. Judgment belongs to no one but God. He has commanded you to worship nothing but Him. This is the only true religion, but most people do not know.

Qaribullah & Darwish

That which you worship, other than Him, are nothing but names which you and your fathers have named and for which Allah has sent down no authority. Judgement rests with Allah alone. He has commanded you to worship none except Him. That is the right religion, yet most people do not know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him; that is the straight religion, but most men know not."

Wahiduddin Khan

All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no authority: all power belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it.

Talal Itani

“You do not worship, besides Him, except names you have named, you and your ancestors, for which God has sent down no authority. Judgment belongs to none but God. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. This is the right religion, but most people do not know.

Tafsir jalalayn

You do not worship, apart from Him, that is, other than Him, anything but [mere] names that you have named, that you have named for idols, you and your fathers. God has not revealed any warrant, any definitive argument or proof, regarding them, regarding worship of them. Judgement, decree, belongs only to God, alone. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That, affirmation of [God's] Oneness, is the upright, the straight, religion, but most people -- and these are the disbelievers -- do not know, the punishment in which they shall end up, and so they ascribe partners [to God].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَابَأوُكُم

"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers -

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. They have no proof or authority that supports this practice, hence his statement to them,

مَّا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ

for which Allah has sent down no authority,

or proof and evidence.

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ أَمَرَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ

The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him;

He then affirmed that the judgement, decision, will and kingdom are all for Allah alone, and He has commanded all of His servants to worship none but Him.

He said,

ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ

that is the straight religion,

`this, Tawhid of Allah and directing all acts of worship at Him alone in sincerity, that I am calling you to is the right, straight religion that Allah has ordained and for which He has revealed what He wills of proofs and evidences,'

وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ



but most men know not.

and this is why most of them are idolators,

وَمَأ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُوْمِنِينَ

And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it. (12;103