Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 35

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The polytheists said, “If Allah had so willed, we would have not worshipped anything other than Him - neither we nor our forefathers - nor would we have made anything unlawful without (a command from) Him.” Similar was the reaction of those who were before them. Therefore, the messengers’ obligation is no more than to convey the message clearly.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The polytheists argue, “Had Allah willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped anything other than Him, nor prohibited anything without His command.” So did those before them. Is not the messengers’ duty only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly?

Ruwwad Translation Center

Those who associate partners with Allah say, “If Allah had willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshiped anything besides Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command.” Those who came before them did the same. Is the duty of the messengers except to convey the message clearly?

A. J. Arberry

The idolators say, 'If God had willed we would not have served; apart from Him, anything, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden, apart from Him, anything.' So did those before them; yet is aught for the Messengers, but to deliver the manifest Message?

Abdul Haleem

Those who worshipped others alongside God say, ‘If God had willed, we would not have worshipped anything but Him, nor would our fathers. We would not have declared anything forbidden without His sanction.’ Those before them said the same. Are the messengers obliged to do anything other than deliver [their message] clearly?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who associate say: had God willed we would not have worshipped aught beside Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor we would have forbidden aught without Him. Like-wise did those before them. Naught is then on the apostles except a preaching plain.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The worshippers of false gods say; "If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our fathers,- nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His." So did those who went before them. But what is the mission of messengers but to preach the Clear Message?

Abul Ala Maududi

Those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity say: "Were Allah to will so, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command." Their predecessors proffered similar excuses. Do the Messengers have any other duty but to plainly convey the Message?

Ahmed Ali

The idolaters say: "If God had willed we would not have worshipped anything apart from Him, nor would our fathers have done, nor would we have forbidden any thing without His (leave)." So had the people done before them. Therefore it is binding on the prophets to convey the message in clearest terms.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the polytheists said, “Had Allah willed, we would not have worshipped anything besides Him – neither we nor our forefathers – and nor would we have forbidden anything, whilst being disassociated with Him”; those before them did exactly this; so what is (incumbent) upon the Noble Messengers, except to plainly convey (the message)?

Ali Quli Qarai

The polytheists say, ‘Had Allah wished, we would not have worshiped anything besides Him—neither we, nor our fathers—nor we would have forbidden anything without His sanction.’ Those who were before them had acted likewise. Is the apostles’ duty anything but to communicate in clear terms?

Ali Ünal

Those who associate partners with God say: "Had God so willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our forefathers; nor would we have declared anything unlawful without (a commandment from) Him." Even so did those who lived before them (and associated partners with God like them). But, then, is any duty laid upon the Messengers except to convey the Message clearly?

Amatul Rahman Omar

Those who associated partners (with Allâh) said (also), `Had Allâh so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped anything apart from Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (sanction from) Him.´ Their predecessors acted as they do. But there is no other responsibility upon the Messengers except the delivery (of the Message) in plain terms.

English Literal

And those who shared/made partners (with God) said: "If God willed/wanted, we would not have worshipped from182other than Him from a thing, us and nor our fathers, and nor forbade/prohibited from other than Him from a thing." As/like that those from before them made/did, so is there on the messengers except the information/communication the clear/evident ?

Faridul Haque

And the polytheists said, "Had Allah willed, we would not have worshipped anything besides Him - neither we nor our forefathers - and nor would we have forbidden anything, whilst being disassociated with Him"; those before them did exactly this; so what is (incumbent) upon the Noble Messengers, except to plainly convey (the message)?

Hamid S. Aziz

And the idolaters (those who associated others with Allah) said, "Had Allah pleased we had not served aught beside Him, neither we nor our fathers; nor had we forbidden aught without His permission". Even so did those before them. Are the messengers charged to do anything but to deliver their message clearly?

Hilali & Khan

And those who join others in worship with Allah say: "If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped aught but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (Command from) Him." So did those before them. Then! Are the Messengers charged with anything but to convey clearly the Message?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So the evil of what they did afflicted them, and that which they mocked encompassed them.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they who give associates (to Allah) say: If Allah had pleased, we would not have served anything besides Allah, (neither) we nor our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything without (order from) Him. Thus did those before them; is then aught incumbent upon the apostles except a plain delivery (of the message)?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And the idolaters say: Had Allah willed, we had not worshipped aught beside Him, we and our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught without (command from) Him. Even so did those before them. Are the messengers charged with aught save plain conveyance (of the message)?

Muhammad Sarwar

The pagans had said, "Had God wanted we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, nor would our fathers. We would not have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him." The same thing was said by the people who lived before them. Are the Messengers expected to do more than just preach?

Qaribullah & Darwish

The idolaters say: 'Had Allah willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped anything other than Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without Him', as such did those before them. Yet what should Messengers do but give a clear deliverance?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who worshipped others with Allah said: "If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him." Those before them did the same. Then! Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who associate [others with God] say, "If God had so willed we would not have worshipped anything besides Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything without His sanction." So did those who went before them. The duty of the messengers is only to convey the message clearly.

Talal Itani

The idolaters say, “Had God willed, we would not have worshiped anything besides Him, neither us, nor our ancestors, nor would we have prohibited anything besides His prohibitions.” Those before them did likewise. Are the messengers responsible for anything but clear communication?

Tafsir jalalayn

And the idolaters, from among the Meccans, say, `Had God willed we would not have worshipped anything besides Him -- neither we, nor our fathers -- nor would we have deemed anything sacred besides Him', in the way of those [camels] called bahras and s'iba. In other words, our idolatry and our deeming [these animals] sacred are [effected] by His will; therefore He must be satisfied with this. God, exalted He be, says; So did those before them, that is, they denied their messengers regarding that which they [the messengers] brought them. Yet are messengers charged with anything save plain conveyance [of the Message]? It is not their duty to guide.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Idolators Argument that their Shirk was Divinely decreed, and the Refutation of this Claim

Allah tells;

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ

And those who worshipped others with Allah said;

Allah tells us about the idolators delusion over their Shirk, and the excuse they claimed for it based on the idea that it is ordained by divine decree.

He says;

لَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلا ابَاوُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ

(They say;) "If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him."

They had superstitious customs dealing with certain animals, e.g. the Bahirah the Sa'ibah and the Wasilah and other things that they had invented and innovated by themselves, with no revealed authority. The essence of what they said was;

"If Allah hated what we did, He would have stopped by punishing us, and He would not have enabled us to do it."

كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

Those before them did the same.

Rejecting their confusing ideas, Allah says;

فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلغُ الْمُبِينُ



Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message!

meaning, the matter is not as you claim. It is not the case that Allah did not rebuke your behavior; rather, He did rebuke you, and in the strongest possible terms, and He emphatically forbade you from such behavior. To every nation - that is, to every generation, to every community of people - He sent a Messenger. All of the Messengers called their people to worship Allah (Alone) as well as forbidding them from worshipping anything or anybody except for Him