Al-Qur'an Surah Al-'Ankabut Verse 17

Mufti Taqi Usmani

You only worship idols beside Allah, and you invent a lie. In fact those whom you worship beside Allah do not have power to give you provision. So seek provision with Allah and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you are to be returned.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

You worship besides Allah nothing but idols, simply creating lies ˹about them˺. Those you worship besides Allah certainly cannot give you any provision. So seek provision from Allah ˹alone˺, worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will ˹all˺ be returned.

Ruwwad Translation Center

You worship nothing besides Allah but idols and fabricate lies. Those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you provision. So seek provision from Allah, worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will all be returned.

A. J. Arberry

You only serve, apart from God, idols and you create a calumny; those you serve, apart from God, have no power to provide for you. So seek after your provision with God, and serve Him, and be thankful to Him; unto Him you shall be returned.

Abdul Haleem

What you worship instead of God are mere idols; what you invent is nothing but falsehood. Those you serve instead of God have no power to give you provisions, so seek provisions from God, serve Him, and give Him thanks: you will all be returned to Him.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Ye only worship images instead of Allah, and ye create a falsehood. Verily those whom ye worship instead of Allah own no provision for you. Wherefore seek with Allah provision, and worship Him, and give thanks unto Him: unto Him ye shall be returned.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"For ye do worship idols besides Allah, and ye invent falsehood. The things that ye worship besides Allah have no power to give you sustenance; then seek ye sustenance from Allah, serve Him, and be grateful to Him; to Him will be your return.

Abul Ala Maududi

Those that you worship instead of Allah are merely idols, and you are simply inventing lies (about them). Indeed those whom you worship beside Allah have no power to provide you with any sustenance. So seek your sustenance from Allah and serve only Him and give thanks to Him alone. It is to Him that you will be sent back.

Ahmed Ali

You worship idols in place of God and invent lies. Surely those you worship other than God have no power over your means of livelihood. So seek your sustenance from God, and worship Him and give Him thanks. To Him will you be brought back in the end.

Ahmed Raza Khan

“You worship only idols instead of Allah, and only forge a clear lie; indeed those whom you worship instead of Allah do not control your sustenance – therefore seek your sustenance from Allah, and worship Him, and be grateful to Him; it is towards Him that you will be returned.”

Ali Quli Qarai

What you worship instead of Allah are mere idols, and you invent a lie. Indeed those whom you worship besides Allah have no control over your provision. So seek all [your] provision from Allah, and worship Him and thank Him, and to Him you shall be brought back.’

Ali Ünal

"You worship only idols instead of God, and thus you invent a mere falsehood (by deifying some things and beings such that it is impossible for them to be Deity). Surely those (beings whom you deify and make statutes of, and idols) that you worship instead of God do not have power to provide for you; so seek all your provision from God, and worship Him and be thankful to Him. To Him you are being brought back."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`(The things) you worship apart from Allâh are only false gods. And (in calling them gods) you forge lies. Those (gods) whom you worship beside Allâh do not have the means to provide sustenance for you. Therefore seek sustenance and provision for yourselves from Allâh and worship Him and give Him thanks for you will be brought back to Him (one day).

English Literal

But/truly you worship from other than God (except) idolized statues/idols, and you create lies/falsehood, that those who you worship from other than God do not own/possess for you a provision , so wish/desire at God the provision , and worship Him, and thank/be grateful to Him, to Him you are being returned.

Faridul Haque

“You worship only idols instead of Allah, and only forge a clear lie; indeed those whom you worship instead of Allah do not control your sustenance – therefore seek your sustenance from Allah, and worship Him, and be grateful to Him; it is towards Him that you will be returned.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And Abraham, when he said to his people, "Serve Allah and fear Him, that is better for you if you did but know.

Hilali & Khan

"You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you provision, so seek your provision from Allah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So We delivered him and the inmates of the ark, and made it a sign to the nations.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

You only worship idols besides Allah and you create a lie surely they whom you serve besides Allah do not control for you any sustenance, therefore seek the sustenance from Allah and serve Him and be grateful to Him; to Him you shall be brought back.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Ye serve instead of Allah only idols, and ye only invent a lie. Lo! those whom ye serve instead of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him ye will be brought back.

Muhammad Sarwar

You worship idols besides God and you create falsehood. Whatever you worship besides Him cannot provide you with anything for your sustenance. Seek your sustenance from the bounties of God. Worship Him. Give Him thanks. To Him you will all return."

Qaribullah & Darwish

You only worship, other than Allah, idols and invent falsehoods. Those whom you worship, other than Allah, have no power to give you provision. Therefore seek the provision of Allah, and worship Him. Give thanks to Him, to Him you shall return'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you provision, so seek from Allah your provision, and worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be brought back.

Wahiduddin Khan

You worship idols besides God and fabricate falsehoods. Those whom you worship besides God have no power to provide sustenance for you. So seek your sustenance from God and worship Him and be grateful to Him, for to Him you shall return.

Talal Itani

You worship idols besides God, and you fabricate falsehoods. Those you worship, instead of God, cannot provide you with livelihood. So seek your livelihood from God, and worship Him, and thank Him. To Him you will be returned.”

Tafsir jalalayn

What you worship besides God, that is, other than Him, are only graven images and you fabricate a calumny, you speak lies [such as]; `[These] graven images are God's partners'. Truly those whom you worship besides God have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from God, request it from Him, and worship Him, and be thankful to Him; to Him you shall be returned.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَانًا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا

You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you provision,

Allah states that the idols which they worshipped were not able to do any harm or any good, and tells them, "You made up names for them and called them gods, but they are created beings just like you."

This interpretation was reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn Abbas.

It was also the view of Mujahid and As-Suddi.

Al-Walibi reported from Ibn Abbas;

"You invent falsehood, means, you carve idols," which do not have the power to provide for you.

فَابْتَغُوا عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ

so seek from Allah your provision,

This emphasizes the idea of asking Allah Alone.

This is like the Ayat;

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. (1;5)

And His saying;

رَبِّ ابْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتاً فِى الْجَنَّةِ

My Lord! Build for me, with You, a home in Paradise. (66;11)

Allah says here;
فَابْتَغُوا
(so seek) meaning, ask for
عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ
(from Allah your provision),

meaning, do not seek it from anyone or anything other than Him, for no one else possesses the power to do anything.

وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ

and worship Him, and be grateful to Him.

Eat from what He has provided and worship Him Alone, and give thanks to Him for the blessings He has given you.

إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ



To Him you will be brought back.

means, on the Day of Resurrection, when He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds.

His saying