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Al-Isra 42

Ayah 42 of 111 · Meccan

قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ مَعَهُۥٓ ءَالِهَةٞ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذٗا لَّٱبۡتَغَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ ذِي ٱلۡعَرۡشِ سَبِيلٗا ٤٢

Say, [O Muḥammad], "If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the Owner of the Throne a way."1

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 To please Him, recognizing His superiority. Another interpretation is "...they would seek a way" to depose Him (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) and take over His Throne.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. قُلSayqul
  2. لَّوۡIflaw
  3. كَانَ(there) werekāna
  4. مَعَهُۥٓwith Himmaʿahu
  5. ءَالِهَةٞgodsālihatun
  6. كَمَاaskamā
  7. يَقُولُونَthey sayyaqūlūna
  8. إِذٗاthenidhan
  9. لَّٱبۡتَغَوۡاْsurely they (would) have soughtla-ib'taghaw
  10. إِلَىٰtoilā
  11. ذِي(the) Ownerdhī
  12. ٱلۡعَرۡشِ(of) the Thronel-ʿarshi
  13. سَبِيلٗاa waysabīlan

Tafsir

Say - O Messenger, to these idolaters: If there were other deities along with Allah as they say as a fabrication and lie, then those supposed deities would have sought a way to Allah, the Owner of the Throne, to try to defeat and combat with Him over His dominion.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran