Surah 21 Al-Anbiyaa — Ayah 24
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ قُلْ هَاتُوا۟ بُرْهَٰنَكُمْ ۖ هَٰذَا ذِكْرُ مَن مَّعِىَ وَذِكْرُ مَن قَبْلِى ۗ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ فَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, [O Muhammad], "Produce your proof. This [Qur'an] is the message for those with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not know the truth, so they are turning away.
ami ittakhadhū min dūnihi ālihatan qul hātū bur'hānakum hādhā dhik'ru man maʿiya wadhik'ru man qablī bal aktharuhum lā yaʿlamūna l-ḥaqa fahum muʿ'riḍūna
Word by word
- أَمِ ami Or
- ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ittakhadhū (have) they taken
- مِن min besides Him
- دُونِهِۦٓ dūnihi besides Him
- ءَالِهَةًۭ ۖ ālihatan gods
- قُلْ qul Say
- هَاتُوا۟ hātū Bring
- بُرْهَـٰنَكُمْ ۖ bur'hānakum your proof
- هَـٰذَا hādhā This
- ذِكْرُ dhik'ru (is) a Reminder
- مَن man (for those) who
- مَّعِىَ maʿiya (are) with me
- وَذِكْرُ wadhik'ru and a Reminder
- مَن man (for those) who
- قَبْلِى ۗ qablī (were) before me
- بَلْ bal But
- أَكْثَرُهُمْ aktharuhum most of them
- لَا lā (do) not
- يَعْلَمُونَ yaʿlamūna know
- ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ l-ḥaqa the truth
- فَهُم fahum so they
- مُّعْرِضُونَ muʿ'riḍūna (are) averse
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
(Or have they taken for worship gods besides Him Say:) -- O Muhammad --
(Bring your proof.) your evidence for what you are saying.
(This is the Reminder for those with me) means, the Qur'an.
(and the Reminder for those before me) means, the previous Books, unlike what you claim. Each Book was revealed to each Prophet who was sent with the message that there is no god except Allah, but you idolators do not recognize the truth, so you turn away from it. Allah says:
(And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him (saying): "There is no god but I. ..") This is like the Ayat:
(And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious") 43:45
(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid Taghut (all false deities).") 16:36 Every Prophet who was sent by Allah called people to worship Allah Alone, with no partner or associate. The natural inclination of man (Al-Fitrah) also bears witness to that. The idolators have no proof and their dispute is of no use before their Lord; on them is wrath, and for them will be a severe torment.