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Surah Ash-Shuraa, Ayah 9 (42:9)

ٱلشُّورَىٰ

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ وَهُوَ يُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ …

Quran 42:9 is ayah 9 of Surah Ash-Shuraa (“The Consultation”), a Meccan surah of 53 ayahs. It is in Juz 25, on page 483 of the Madani Mushaf.

42:9
أَمِٱتَّخَذُوا۟مِندُونِهِۦٓأَوْلِيَآءَ ۖفَٱللَّهُهُوَٱلْوَلِىُّوَهُوَيُحْىِٱلْمَوْتَىٰوَهُوَعَلَىٰكُلِّشَىْءٍقَدِيرٌ٩
ami ittakhadhū min dūnihi awliyāa fal-lahu huwa l-waliyu wahuwa yuḥ'yī l-mawtā wahuwa ʿalā kulli shayin qadīrun

Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.(9)

Word by word

  1. أَمِamiOr
  2. ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhūhave they taken
  3. مِنminbesides Him
  4. دُونِهِۦٓdūnihibesides Him
  5. أَوْلِيَآءَ ۖawliyāaprotectors
  6. فَٱللَّهُfal-lahuBut Allah
  7. هُوَhuwaHe
  8. ٱلْوَلِىُّl-waliyu(is) the Protector
  9. وَهُوَwahuwaand He
  10. يُحْىِyuḥ'yīgives life
  11. ٱلْمَوْتَىٰl-mawtā(to) the dead
  12. وَهُوَwahuwaAnd He
  13. عَلَىٰʿalā(is) on
  14. كُلِّkullievery
  15. شَىْءٍshayinthing
  16. قَدِيرٌqadīrunAll-Powerful

Tafsir (commentary) of 42:9

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 42:9–12 together.

Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator

Here Allah denounces the idolators for taking other gods instead of Allah, and declares that He is the True God, and it is not right to worship anyone except Him Alone. He is the One Who is able to bring the dead back to life and He is Able to do all things. Then He says:

وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.

فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ

(the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet . This is like the Ayah:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ

((And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (4:59).

ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّى

(Such is Allah, my Lord) means, (He is) the Judge of all things.

عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

(in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance. ) means, `I refer all matters to Him.'

فَاطِرَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.

جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.

وَمِنَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ أَزْوجاً

(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.

يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ

(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ

(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

(He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.)

لَهُ مَقَـلِيدُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. ) We have already discussed the interpretation of this phrase in Surat Az-Zumar (39:63), the conclusion of which is that He is the One Who is controlling and governing them.

يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَآءُ وَيَقَدِرُ

(He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens.) means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.

إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)

Read the full Surah Ash-Shuraa