Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 56

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They allocate a share from what We have given to them for those (idols) the reality of whom they do not even know. By Allah, you shall definitely be responsible for the fabrications you have been inventing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And they ˹even˺ assign to those ˹idols˺—who know nothing—a share of what We have provided for them. By Allah! You will certainly be questioned about whatever ˹lies˺ you used to fabricate ˹against Allah˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

They assign a portion of what We have provided for them to those [idols] who know nothing. By Allah, you will surely be called to account for what you used to fabricate.

A. J. Arberry

And they appoint a share of that We have provided them to what they know not. By God, you shall be questioned as to that you forged.

Abdul Haleem

They set aside part of the sustenance We give them, for [idols] about which they have no true knowledge. By God! You will be questioned about your false inventions.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And they appoint for that which they knew not a portion of that wherewith We have provided them By Allah! ye will surely be questioned regarding that which ye have been fabricating.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And they (even) assign, to things they do not know, a portion out of that which We have bestowed for their sustenance! By Allah, ye shall certainly be called to account for your false inventions.

Abul Ala Maududi

They set apart for those, whose reality they do not even know, a portion of the sustenance We have provided them. By Allah, you will surely be called to account for the lies that you have invented!

Ahmed Ali

They set aside a portion of the food We have given them for those they do not know. By God, you will surely have to answer for all you contrive!

Ahmed Raza Khan

And for things unknown, they assign a portion of the sustenance We have given them; by Allah – you will certainly be questioned regarding all that you used to fabricate.

Ali Quli Qarai

They assign a share in what We have provided them to what they do not know. By Allah, you will surely be questioned concerning what you used to fabricate.

Ali Ünal

They assign, out of what We provide for them, a portion to the things (non-existent gods, misunderstood "causes," the real nature of) which they have no sure knowledge. By God, you will certainly be questioned about what you used to fabricate.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And they set apart (for the false gods) a portion of that (gift) We have provided them with, about (the reality of) which they know not. By Allâh, you will be called upon to account for all that you have forged.

English Literal

And they make/create/put to what they do not know a share from what We provided for them. By God you will be asked/questioned about what you were fabricating/cutting and splitting.

Faridul Haque

And for things unknown, they assign a portion of the sustenance We have given them; by Allah - you will certainly be questioned regarding all that you used to fabricate.

Hamid S. Aziz

And they set aside a portion of what We have bestowed upon them for what they know not. By Allah! You shall certainly be questioned concerning that which you have devised.

Hilali & Khan

And they assign a portion of that which We have provided them unto what they know not (false deities). By Allah, you shall certainly be questioned about (all) that you used to fabricate.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So as to deny what We have given them. Then enjoy yourselves, for soon will you know.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And they set apart for what they do not know a portion of what We have given them. By Allah, you shall most certainly be questioned about that which you forged.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And they assign a portion of that which We have given them unto what they know not. By Allah! but ye will indeed be asked concerning (all) that ye used to invent.

Muhammad Sarwar

They give to unknown images a share out of the sustenance that We gave them. By God, you will be questioned about that which you have falsely invented.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They set aside a share of that which We have provided them for what they did not know. By Allah, you shall be questioned about your forgeries!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And they assign a portion of that which We have provided them with, to what they have no knowledge of (false deities). By Allah, you shall certainly be questioned about (all) that you used to fabricate.

Wahiduddin Khan

They even appoint a share of what We have provided for them [to false gods] they know nothing of. You shall surely be questioned about the lies you have been fabricating.

Talal Itani

And they allocate, to something they do not know, a share of what We have provided for them. By God, you will be questioned about what you have been inventing.

Tafsir jalalayn

And they, that is, the idolaters, assign, to what they do not know, that they cause harm and cannot benefit [them] -- namely, the idols -- a portion of that which We have provided them with, of crops and cattle, saying that `this is for God and this is for our partners'. By God, you will indeed be questioned (a questioning of rebuke; there is a shift herein from the third [to the second] person) about what you used to fabricate, against God, such as [claiming] that He commanded you to [do] this.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Among the Behavior of the Idolators was vowing to Things that Allah had provided for Them to their gods

Allah tells;

وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيبًا مِّمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ

And they assign a portion of that which We have provided them with, to what they have no knowledge of (false deities).

Allah tells us about some of the heinous deeds of those who used to perform baseless worship of other gods besides Him, such as idols and statues, with no grounds for doing so. They gave their idols a share of that which Allah had provided for them,

فَقَالُواْ هَـذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَـذَا لِشُرَكَأيِنَا فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَأيِهِمْ فَلَ يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَأيِهِمْ سَأءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ

They say;"This is for Allah," according to their claim," and this is for our partners." But the share of their "partners" is not directed to Allah, while the share of Allah is directed to their "partners"! How evil is that with which they judge. (6;136)

That is they assigned a share for their idols as well as Allah, but they gave preference to their gods over Him, so Allah swore by His Almighty Self to question them about these lies and fabrications. He will most certainly call them to account for it and give them the unrelenting punishment in the fire of Hell.

So He says,

تَاللّهِ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَفْتَرُونَ



By Allah, you shall certainly be questioned about (all) that you used to fabricate.

Then Allah tells us how they used to regard the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, as being female, and that they considered them to be Allah's daughters, and they worshipped them with Him. In all of the above, they made very serious errors.

They attributed offspring to Him when He has no offspring, then they assigned Him the kind of offspring they regarded as inferior, namely daughters, which they did not even want for themselves, as He said;

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الاٍّنثَى

تِلْكَ إِذاً قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى

Are the males for you and the females for Him! That is indeed an unfair division! (53;21-22)

And Allah says here