The Holy Quran 16:86 — Surah An-Nahl

Arabic text

وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَهُمْ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُرَكَآؤُنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كُنَّا نَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِكَ ۖ فَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ إِنَّكُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ

Translation

When the Mushrikeen will see their partners (the idols and gods they regarded as Allaah's partners), they will exclaim, "O our Rabb! These are our partners that we used to worship instead of You." Then the word will be flung back to them (when these gods will deny that they were worshipped and say): "You are definitely liars!" (Idols will deny being worshipped because being lifeless, they had no idea that they were worshipped. As for living beings who were regarded as gods, they will deny being worshipped because the object of worship is to please the one being worshipped and instead of pleasing the ones being worshipped, the worshippers will have caused more problems for them, especially in the Aakhirah. Therefore, since the object of worship is lost, it is as if no worship took place at all. See also verse 28 of Surah 10 and verse 82 of Surah 19.)

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

The disbelievers and their false deities: that is, “it is because of them that we were ruined.” Perhaps the meaning is that “we ourselves are blameless”, or that “give them a double punishment.” The reply of the false deities: that is, “you are lying in having made us partners of Allah. When did we tell you, ‘Worship us’?

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