Surah 21 Al-Anbiyaa — Ayah 25
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
wamā arsalnā min qablika min rasūlin illā nūḥī ilayhi annahu lā ilāha illā anā fa-uʿ'budūni
Word by word
- وَمَآ wamā And not
- أَرْسَلْنَا arsalnā We sent
- مِن min before you
- قَبْلِكَ qablika before you
- مِن min any
- رَّسُولٍ rasūlin Messenger
- إِلَّا illā but
- نُوحِىٓ nūḥī We reveal(ed)
- إِلَيْهِ ilayhi to him
- أَنَّهُۥ annahu that [He]
- لَآ lā (There is) no
- إِلَـٰهَ ilāha god
- إِلَّآ illā except
- أَنَا۠ anā Me
- فَٱعْبُدُونِ fa-uʿ'budūni so worship Me
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.