Surah 16 An-Nahl — Ayah 74
فَلَا تَضْرِبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Zato s Allahom ništa ne poredite! Allah, doista, zna, a vi ne znate!
falā taḍribū lillahi l-amthāla inna l-laha yaʿlamu wa-antum lā taʿlamūna
Word by word
- فَلَا falā So (do) not
- تَضْرِبُوا۟ taḍribū put forth
- لِلَّهِ lillahi for Allah
- ٱلْأَمْثَالَ ۚ l-amthāla the similitude
- إِنَّ inna Indeed
- ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
- يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu knows
- وَأَنتُمْ wa-antum and you
- لَا lā (do) not
- تَعْلَمُونَ taʿlamūna know
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Denouncing the Worship of anything besides Allah
Allah tells us about the Mushrikin who worship others besides Him, even though He alone is the bountiful Provider, the Creator and Sustainer, without partners or associates, but they still worship idols and make rivals for Him. He says:
(such as do not have power to grant them any provision from the heavens or the earth) meaning, nobody can cause rain to fall, or make plants and trees grow. They cannot do these things for them- selves, even if they wanted to. Thus Allah says:
(So do not give examples on behalf of Allah.) meaning, do not set up rivals to Him or describe anything as being like Him.
(Truly, Allah knows and you know not.) meaning, He knows and bears witness that there is no god but Him, but you are ignorant and associate others in worship with Him.