Surah Yusuf, Ayah 40 (12:40)

يُوسُف

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ …

Quran 12:40 is ayah 40 of Surah Yusuf (“Joseph”), a Meccan surah of 111 ayahs. It is in Juz 12, on page 240 of the Madani Mushaf.

12:40
مَاتَعْبُدُونَمِندُونِهِۦٓإِلَّآأَسْمَآءًسَمَّيْتُمُوهَآأَنتُمْوَءَابَآؤُكُممَّآأَنزَلَٱللَّهُبِهَامِنسُلْطَٰنٍ ۚإِنِٱلْحُكْمُإِلَّالِلَّهِ ۚأَمَرَأَلَّاتَعْبُدُوٓا۟إِلَّآإِيَّاهُ ۚذَٰلِكَٱلدِّينُٱلْقَيِّمُوَلَٰكِنَّأَكْثَرَٱلنَّاسِلَايَعْلَمُونَ٤٠
mā taʿbudūna min dūnihi illā asmāan sammaytumūhā antum waābāukum mā anzala l-lahu bihā min sul'ṭānin ini l-ḥuk'mu illā lillahi amara allā taʿbudū illā iyyāhu dhālika l-dīnu l-qayimu walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allāh has sent down no evidence. Legislation is not but for Allāh. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.(40)

Word by word

  1. مَاmāNot
  2. تَعْبُدُونَtaʿbudūnayou worship
  3. مِنminbesides Him
  4. دُونِهِۦٓdūnihibesides Him
  5. إِلَّآillābut
  6. أَسْمَآءًasmāannames
  7. سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآsammaytumūhāwhich you have named them
  8. أَنتُمْantumyou
  9. وَءَابَآؤُكُمwaābāukumand your forefathers
  10. مَّآmānot
  11. أَنزَلَanzala(has) sent down
  12. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  13. بِهَاbihāfor it
  14. مِنminany
  15. سُلْطَٰنٍ ۚsul'ṭāninauthority
  16. إِنِiniNot
  17. ٱلْحُكْمُl-ḥuk'mu(is) the command
  18. إِلَّاillābut
  19. لِلَّهِ ۚlillahifor Allah
  20. أَمَرَamaraHe has commanded
  21. أَلَّاallāthat not
  22. تَعْبُدُوٓا۟taʿbudūyou worship
  23. إِلَّآillābut
  24. إِيَّاهُ ۚiyyāhuHim Alone
  25. ذَٰلِكَdhālikaThat
  26. ٱلدِّينُl-dīnu(is) the religion
  27. ٱلْقَيِّمُl-qayimuthe right
  28. وَلَٰكِنَّwalākinnabut
  29. أَكْثَرَaktharamost
  30. ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi[the] men
  31. لَاlā(do) not
  32. يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 12:40

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

This commentary explains ayahs 12:39–40 together.

Read the English tafsir of 12:39–40 →

Read the full Surah Yusuf