qul ara-aytum shurakāakumu alladhīna tadʿūna min dūni l-lahi arūnī mādhā khalaqū mina l-arḍi am lahum shir'kun fī l-samāwāti am ātaynāhum kitāban fahum ʿalā bayyinatin min'hu bal in yaʿidu l-ẓālimūna baʿḍuhum baʿḍan illā ghurūran
Translation
Say, "Have you considered1254 your 'partners' whom you invoke besides Allāh? Show me what they have created from the earth, or have they partnership [with Him] in the heavens? Or have We given them a book so they are [standing] on evidence therefrom? [No], rather, the wrongdoers do not promise each other except delusion."1255
Notes
[1254] Understood to mean "Tell me about..."
[1255] By telling their followers that the so-called deities will intercede for them with Allāh.
Verse 40 of Surah Fatir (35:40), a Meccan surah, is in juz 22, on page 439 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
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Tafsir of verse 40
Al-Mukhtasar
Say - O Messenger, to these idolaters: Tell me about those partners of yours that you worship instead of Allah, what have they created on earth. Did they create its mountains? Did they create its rivers? Did they create its animals? Or do they have any share with Allah in the creation of the heavens? Or have I given them a book in which there is proof of the validity of their worshipping their idols? Nothing of that is true. In fact, those who wrong themselves by disbelief and sins promise one another nothing but delusion.
Say, “Tell me about your associate-gods whom you supplicate besides Allah. Show me what they created on earth, or do they have a share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book so they have clear proof? No, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusion16.”
Notes
[16] By giving their followers deceptive hopes that their false deities will intercede for them with Allah.
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Tell me or inform me (what) do you think about your (so-called) partner-gods to whom you call upon besides Allâh? Show me, what they have created of the earth. Or have they any share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book, so that they act on clear proof therefrom? Nay, the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) promise one another nothing but delusions."
Say: Have ye seen your partner-gods to whom ye pray beside Allah? Show me what they created of the earth! Or have they any portion in the heavens? Or have We given them a scripture so they act on clear proof therefrom? Nay, the evil-doers promise one another only to deceive.
Say: "Have ye seen (these) 'Partners' of yours whom ye call upon besides Allah? Show Me what it is they have created in the (wide) earth. Or have they a share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book from which they (can derive) clear (evidence)?- Nay, the wrong-doers promise each other nothing but delusions.
Say: Have you considered your associates which you call upon besides Allah? Show me what part of the earth they have created, or have they any share in the heavens; or, have We given them a book so that they follow a clear argument thereof? Nay, the unjust do not hold out promises one to another but only to deceive.
Say, "Have you seen your associates whom you invoke apart from Allah? Show me what they created of the earth. Or even have they an associating in the heavens? Or even have We brought them a Book so that they are upon supreme evidence from it?" No indeed, (but) decidedly the unjust promise one another (Literally: some of them promise some (others) nothing except delusion.
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allāh? Show me what they have created of the earth; or did they have partnership in [creation of] the heavens? Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this or a [remaining] trace of knowledge, if you should be truthful."
Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allāh are servants [i.e., creations] like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful.
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you call upon besides Allāh once the clear proofs have come to me from my Lord, and I have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds."
Say, "Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you invoke besides Allāh." Say, "I will not follow your desires, for I would then have gone astray, and I would not be of the [rightly] guided."
And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allāh and will invoke my Lord. I expect that I will not be in invocation to my Lord unhappy [i.e., disappointed]."
O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allāh will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for it [i.e., that purpose]. And if the fly should steal from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.