سورة الزُّمَر
Surah Al-Zumar 39:3
The Multitudes · Verse 3 of 75
أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ
Abdul Mannan Omar
Beware! sincere and true obedience is due to Allâh alone. Those who choose others as a patron beside Him (say), `We serve them only that they may bring us near to Allâh in station.´ (It is absolutely wrong.) Allâh will judge the differences between these (believers and disbelievers). Indeed, Allâh does not guide him to success who is a liar, highly ungrateful.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.
Ahmed Ali
Remember that devotion is exclusively for God. Those who have taken protectors other than Him, say: "We worship them that they may bring us nearer to God." Surely God will judge between them in what they are differing about. Verily God does not show the way to an ungrateful liar.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
Beware! it is to God alone that all sincere faith, worship, and obedience are due. Yet, those who take, apart from Him, others (angels, jinn, or humans) for guardians and confidants (to entrust their affairs to) say: "We worship them for no other reason than they may bring us nearer to God." God will judge between them (between those who worship and obey God exclusively and those who associate partners with Him) concerning all on which they differ. God does not guide anyone who is a determined liar and ingrate.
Daryabadi
LO! for Allah is the religion exclusive. And those who take patrons beside Him, saying: We Worship them not save in order that they may bring us nigh Unto God in approach - -verily Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Verily Allah guideth not him who is a liar and ingrate.
Faridul Haque
Pay heed! Worship is for Allah only; and those who have taken others as their supporters beside Him say; “We worship * them only so that they get us closer to Allah”; Allah will surely judge between them regarding the matter in which they dispute; indeed Allah does not guide one who is a big liar, extremely ungrateful. (*The pagans regarded their idols as smaller Gods and worshipped them. So did the Christians. This does not apply to Muslims who only respect their elders, and ask for their blessings.)
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Now surely sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone). And those who choose protectors besides Him (say): We serve them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah. Surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ. Surely Allah guides not him who is a liar, ungrateful.
Maulvi Sher Ali
Remember, it is to ALLAH alone that sincere obedience is due. And those who take as protectors others beside HIM, say, `We serve them only that they may bring us near to ALLAH in station.' Surely, ALLAH will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Surely, ALLAH guides not him who is an ungrateful liar.
Muhammad Asad
Is it not to God alone that all sincere faith is due? And yet, they who take for their protectors aught beside Him [are wont to say], "We worship them for no other reason than that they bring us nearer to God."
Muhammad Musin Khan
Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allah only. And those who take Auliya' (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say): "We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah." Verily, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever.
Muhammad Pickthall
Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate.
Muhammad Sarwar
The religion of God is certainly pure. Concerning those whom they consider as their guardians besides God, they say, "We only worship them so that they may make our positions nearer to God." God will certainly issue His decree about their differences. God does not guide the liars and the disbelievers.
Muhammed ali Shakir
Now, surely, sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone) and (as for) those who take guardians besides Him, (saying), We do not serve them save that they may make us nearer to Allah, surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ; surely Allah does not guide him aright who is a liar, ungrateful.
Rashad Khalifa
Absolutely, the religion shall be devoted to GOD alone. Those who set up idols beside Him say, "We idolize them only to bring us closer to GOD; for they are in a better position!" GOD will judge them regarding their disputes. GOD does not guide such liars, disbelievers.
Shabbir Ahmed
Proclaim that pure Religion is for God alone. And yet, those who take patrons besides Him say, “We worship them so that they may bring us near to God.” God will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. God does not guide any who is a stubborn liar and chooses to remain in denial.
Commentary 39:3 Worshippers of God incarnates claim that such deities are worshiped only to achieve nearness to God, as if God Himself were unapproachable.…
وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ
39:3 Worshippers of God incarnates claim that such deities are worshiped only to achieve nearness to God, as if God Himself were unapproachable. Idol-worshippers often claim that the idols are only symbols to concentrate their attention on God. Christians say one cannot worship the unseen God, so Jesus Christ is nothing but an incarnation of God, and that without the son they can have no access to God. This undue reverence to created things is a step leading to the degradation of human nature. The words مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ “We serve them only that they may bring us near to Allâh in station” relates not only to the worship of Jesus, Buddha, Mary, Saints, Angels, and other deified entities, but also of their symbolic representation in crosses, statues, pictures, relics, tombs and even human representatives of the Divine like monks in temples.