Verse 21:24 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

20 یُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّیۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا یَفۡتُرُونَ ۝٢٠ yusabbiḥūna al-layla wal-nahāra lā yafturūn they glorify Him tirelessly night and day 21 أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوۤا۟ ءَالِهَةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ هُمۡ یُنشِرُونَ ۝٢١ ami ittakhadhū ālihatan mina l-arḍi hum yunshirūn Have they chosen any gods from the earth who can give life to the dead 22 لَوۡ كَانَ فِیهِمَاۤ ءَالِهَةٌ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَاۚ فَسُبۡحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ عَمَّا یَصِفُونَ ۝٢٢ law kāna fīhimā ālihatun illā l-lahu lafasadatā fasub'ḥāna l-lahi rabbi l-ʿarshi ʿammā yaṣifūn If there had been in the heavens or earth any gods but Him, both heavens and earth would be in ruins: God, Lord of the Throne, is far above the things they say 23 لَا یُسۡءَلُ عَمَّا یَفۡعَلُ وَهُمۡ یُسۡءَلُونَ ۝٢٣ lā yus'alu ʿammā yafʿalu wahum yus'alūn He cannot be called to account for anything He does, whereas they will be called to account

24 أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ ءَالِهَةࣰۖ قُلۡ هَاتُوا۟ بُرۡهَـٰنَكُمۡۖ هَـٰذَا ذِكۡرُ مَن مَّعِیَ وَذِكۡرُ مَن قَبۡلِیۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ٱلۡحَقَّۖ فَهُم مُّعۡرِضُونَ ۝٢٤ ami ittakhadhū min dūnihi ālihatan qul hātū bur'hānakum hādhā dhik'ru man maʿiya wadhik'ru man qablī bal aktharuhum lā yaʿlamūna l-ḥaqa fahum muʿ'riḍūn Have they chosen to worship other gods instead of Him? Say, ‘Bring your proof. This is the Scripture for those who are with me and the Scripture for those who went before me.’ But most of them do not recognize the truth, so they pay no heed

25 وَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِیۤ إِلَیۡهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّاۤ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ ۝٢٥ wamā arsalnā min qablika min rasūlin illā nūḥī ilayhi annahu lā ilāha illā anā fa-uʿ'budūn We never sent any messenger before you [Muhammad] without revealing to him: ‘There is no god but Me, so serve Me.’ 26 وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وَلَدࣰاۗ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُۥۚ بَلۡ عِبَادࣱ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ۝٢٦ waqālū ittakhadha l-raḥmānu waladan sub'ḥānahu bal ʿibādun muk'ramūn And they say, ‘The Lord of Mercy has taken offspring for Himself.’ May He be exalted! No! They are only His honoured servants 27 لَا یَسۡبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَهُم بِأَمۡرِهِۦ یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝٢٧ lā yasbiqūnahu bil-qawli wahum bi-amrihi yaʿmalūn they do not speak before He speaks and they act by His command 28 یَعۡلَمُ مَا بَیۡنَ أَیۡدِیهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا یَشۡفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنۡ خَشۡیَتِهِۦ مُشۡفِقُونَ ۝٢٨ yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wamā khalfahum walā yashfaʿūna illā limani ir'taḍā wahum min khashyatihi mush'fiqūn He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede without His permission––indeed they themselves stand in awe of Him