Surah 16 An-Nahl — Ayah 21
أَمْوَٰتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍۢ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
They are, [in fact], dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.
amwātun ghayru aḥyāin wamā yashʿurūna ayyāna yub'ʿathūna
Word by word
- أَمْوَٰتٌ amwātun (They are) dead
- غَيْرُ ghayru not alive
- أَحْيَآءٍۢ ۖ aḥyāin not alive
- وَمَا wamā And not
- يَشْعُرُونَ yashʿurūna they perceive
- أَيَّانَ ayyāna when
- يُبْعَثُونَ yub'ʿathūna they will be resurrected
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The gods of the Idolators are Created, they do not create
Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything, they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil (Ibrahim) said:
("Do you worship that which you (yourselves) carve While Allah has created you and what you make!") (37:-96).
((They are) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless, they do not hear, see, or think.
(and they know not when they will be resurrected.) meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.