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Word Analysis & Comparison
29. Surah • 17. Verse
Word Analysis
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
مِن
min
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
مِن
min
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
لَا
lā
(do) not
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
لَهُۥٓ ۖ
lahu
to Him
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
To Him
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
"What you worship instead of GOD are powerless idols; you have invented a lie."
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
"You are worshipping nothing except idols besides Him, and you are creating fabrications. Those that you worship besides God do not possess for you any provision, so seek with God the provision and serve Him and be thankful to Him; to Him you will return."
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
"You are serving nothing but idols besides Him, and you are creating fabrications. Those that you serve besides God do not possess for you any provisions, so seek with God the provision and serve Him and be thankful to Him; to Him you will return."
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
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.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
"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.
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
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.
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
"You worship besides Allâh only idols, and you only invent falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allâh have no power to give you provision: so seek your provision from Allâh (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back.
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
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.
Abul A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
Those that you worship instead of Allah are merely idols, and you are simply inventing lies (about them).[1] 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.[2]
1
That is, "You are not forging idols but a lie. These idols are in themselves a lie. Then your beliefs that they are gods and goddesses, or they are incarnation of God, or His offspring, or His favorites, or intercessors with Him, or that someone of them is bestower of health, or giver of children or jobs, are all lies, which you have invented from your own whims and conjecture. The fact is that they are in no way more than idols, lifeless, powerless and impotent."
2
In these few sentences the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) has put together all rational arguments against idol worship. There must necessarily be some reason for making somebody or something a deity. One such reason can be that somebody should be entitled to being a deity due to some personal excellence. Another, that he should be the creator of man, and man should be indebted to him for his existence. Third, that he should be responsible for man’s sustenance, his food and other means of life. Fourth, that man’s future should be linked up with his support and bounty, and man may be afraid that annoying him would mean bringing about his own ruin. The Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) said that none of these four things favored idol worship, but they all favored and demanded pure God worship. Saying that "You worship other than Allah only idols", he demolished the first argument, for a mere idol could have no excellence to entitle it to be a deity. Then, by saying that “And you invent a falsehood”, he refuted the second argument, and “They have no power to give you provision” destroyed the third reason. Lastly, he said, “To Him you will be brought back” and not to the idols; therefore, it was not in their power to make or mar your destiny, but in the power of God alone. Thus, after a complete refutation of shirk, the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) made it clear to them that all the reasons for which man could regard somebody as a deity only applied to Allah, Who alone should be worshiped without associating anyone else with him.
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.
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
Instead of Allah you worship only idols. You are inventing a lie. Those you worship besides Allah have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from Allah and worship Him and give thanks to Him. It is to Him you will be returned.’
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
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.
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
And Abraham, when he said to his people, "Serve Allah and fear Him, that is better for you if you did but know.
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
"Those that you are worshipping instead of God, are powerless idols. You have fabricated a big lie [by deifying your idols.] Your idols are not capable of providing your livelihood. seek your provision only from the Lord, worship Him, be thankful to Him and remember that you will return back to Him.
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
`(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).
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
Surely you only worship, apart from Allah, graven images, and you create falsehood. Surely the ones you worship apart from Allah possess no provision for you. So seek after (your) provision from the Providence of Allah, and worship Him, and be thankful to Him. To Him you will be returned.
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
Ye only worship idols besides God, and forge a lie. Verily those which ye worship, besides God, are not able to make any provision for you: Seek therefore your provision from God; and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him; unto Him shall ye return.
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
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.
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
Ye only serve beside God idols and do create a lie; verily, those whom ye serve beside God cannot control for themselves provision; then crave provision with God, and serve Him, and give thanks to Him; unto Him shall ye return!
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
In fact, instead of Allah you worship 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.’
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
"You are worshipping nothing but idols besides Him, and you are creating fabrications. Those that you worship besides God do not possess for you any provisions, so seek with God the provision and serve Him and be thankful to Him; to Him you will return."
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
"Those you worship besides Allah, " he added, "are simply idols and this way you are indeed creating falsehood and discord. Those you worship besides Allah do not have the power to provide for you livelihood, therefore betake yourselves to Providence seeking His bounty for your livelihood and worship Him and impel to yourselves to the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness to Him and do realize that to Him shall all of you return."
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
You worship only [lifeless] idols instead of God, and [thus] you give visible shape to a lie! Behold, those [things and beings] that you worship instead of God have it not in their power to provide sustenance for you: seek, then, all [your] sustenance from God, and worship Him [alone] and be grateful to Him: [for] unto Him you shall be brought back!
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
You only worship, besides Allah, idols, and you produce a falsehood. Indeed, those you worship besides Allah do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allah provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned."
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
You worship idols instead of Allah and spread false news about their powers. Behold, those you worship instead of Allah (such as the priesthood of the temple), do not own your provision. (If you establish the Divine System), Allah will guarantee honorable provision for you. Then, serve Him alone and be grateful by sharing His bounties with others. Unto Him you shall be brought back.
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
"You worship idols besides Allah, and you bring out falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you the provision to live: For this reason, you seek your livelihood from Allah, worship (and serve) Him, and be grateful to Him: Your return will be to Him,
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
“You but serve, other than God, idols, and create falsehood; those whom you serve, besides God, possess for you no provision. So seek provision with God, and serve Him. And be grateful to Him; to Him will you be returned.