Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 191

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Do they associate those with Allah who do not create any thing, rather, they are created (themselves)?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do they associate ˹with Allah˺ those ˹idols˺ which cannot create anything, but are in fact created;

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do they ascribe to Him partners those who cannot create anything, but are themselves created?

A. J. Arberry

What, do they associate that which creates nothing and themselves are created,

Abdul Haleem

God is far above the partners they set up alongside Him! How can they set up with Him these partners that create nothing and are themselves created,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Associate they those who cannot create aught and are created?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners things that can create nothing, but are themselves created?

Abul Ala Maududi

Do they associate (with Allah in His divinity) those who can create nothing; rather, they are themselves created?

Ahmed Ali

Do they associate those with Him who cannot create a thing, and are themselves created,

Ahmed Raza Khan

Do they (the disbelievers) ascribe (false deities) that which do not create anything, but are themselves created?

Ali Quli Qarai

Do they ascribe [to Him] partners that create nothing and have been created themselves,

Ali Ünal

Do they associate as partners with Him those who create nothing and themselves are created,

Amatul Rahman Omar

Do they associate (with Him as partners) those who create nothing but are themselves created.

English Literal

Do they share/make partners (with God in) what does not create a thing, and they are, they are being created?

Faridul Haque

Do they (the disbelievers) ascribe (false deities) that which do not create anything, but are themselves created?

Hamid S. Aziz

Will they associate with Him those who cannot create aught, but are themselves created,

Hilali & Khan

Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

But when He gives them a good one, they set up with Him associates in that which He has given them. High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

What! they associate (with Him) that which does not create any thing, while they are themselves created!

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Attribute they as partners to Allah those who created naught, but are themselves created,

Muhammad Sarwar

Do they (the pagans) consider things that do not create anything but are themselves created equal to God?

Qaribullah & Darwish

Will they associate that which cannot create a thing while they are created?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created

Wahiduddin Khan

Do they associate with Him those who create nothing and are themselves created?

Talal Itani

Do they idolize those who create nothing, and are themselves created?

Tafsir jalalayn

Do they associate, with Him, in worship, those who cannot create anything, but are themselves created,

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Idols do not create, help, or have Power over Anything

Allah admonishes the idolators who worshipped idols, rivals and images besides Him, although these objects were created by Allah, and neither own anything nor can they bring harm or benefit. These objects do not see or give aid to those who worship them. They are inanimate objects that neither move, hear, or see. Those who worship these objects are better than they are, for they hear see and have strength of their own.

Allah said,

أَيُشْرِكُونَ مَا لَا يَخْلُقُ شَيْياً وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ



Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created!

meaning, `Do you associate with Allah others that neither create, nor have power to create anything!'

Allah said in other Ayat,

يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُواْ لَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُواْ ذُبَاباً وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُواْ لَهُ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْياً لاأَّ يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ

مَا قَدَرُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ

O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully);Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought. They have not estimated Allah His rightful estimate. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, Almighty. (22;73-74)

Allah states that if all false gods of the disbelievers gather their strength, they would not be able to create a fly. Rather, if the fly steals anything from them, no matter how insignificant, and flew away, they would not be able to retrieve it. Therefore, if an object is this weak, how can it be worshipped and invoked for provisions and aid. This is why Allah said,
لَا يَخْلُقُ شَيْياً وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
(... who created nothing but they themselves are created), these worshipped objects themselves were created and made. Prophet Ibrahim Al-Khalil proclaimed,
أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ
("Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve." (37;95).

Allah said next