Quran 12:40 — Yusuf, verse 40
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no sanction. Authority belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it.
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
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
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- That which you serve, apart from Him, is nothing but names yourselves have named, you and your fathers; God has sent down no authority touching them. Judgment belongs only to God; He has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him. That is the right religion; but most men know not.
- Muhammad Asad
- "All that you worship instead of God is nothing but [empty] names which you have invented - you and your forefathers- [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high. Judgment [as to what is right and what is wrong] rests with God alone-[and] He has ordained that you should worship nought but Him: this is the [one] ever-true faith; but most people know it not
- Sahih International
- 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مَاmā | Not | — |
| 2 | تَعْبُدُونَtaʿbudūna | you worship | عبد |
| 3 | مِنmin | besides Him | — |
| 4 | دُونِهِۦٓdūnihi | besides Him | دون |
| 5 | إِلَّآillā | but | — |
| 6 | أَسْمَآءًۭasmāan | names | سمو |
| 7 | سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآsammaytumūhā | which you have named them | سمو |
| 8 | أَنتُمْantum | you | — |
| 9 | وَءَابَآؤُكُمwaābāukum | and your forefathers | أبو |
| 10 | مَّآmā | not | — |
| 11 | أَنزَلَanzala | (has) sent down | نزل |
| 12 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 13 | بِهَاbihā | for it | — |
| 14 | مِنmin | any | — |
| 15 | سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚsul'ṭānin | authority | سلط |
| 16 | إِنِini | Not | — |
| 17 | ٱلْحُكْمُl-ḥuk'mu | (is) the command | حكم |
| 18 | إِلَّاillā | but | — |
| 19 | لِلَّهِ ۚlillahi | for Allah | أله |
| 20 | أَمَرَamara | He has commanded | أمر |
| 21 | أَلَّاallā | that not | — |
| 22 | تَعْبُدُوٓا۟taʿbudū | you worship | عبد |
| 23 | إِلَّآillā | but | — |
| 24 | إِيَّاهُ ۚiyyāhu | Him Alone | — |
| 25 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | That | — |
| 26 | ٱلدِّينُl-dīnu | (is) the religion | دين |
| 27 | ٱلْقَيِّمُl-qayimu | the right | قوم |
| 28 | وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna | but | — |
| 29 | أَكْثَرَakthara | most | كثر |
| 30 | ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi | [the] men | نوس |
| 31 | لَاlā | (do) not | — |
| 32 | يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūna | know | علم |