Surah Al-An'am — Verse 136

Word Meanings:

• Dhara'a – Created and brought into existence.
• Al-Harth – Crops, plantations, and agricultural produce.
• Al-An'am – Livestock such as camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.
• Biza'mihim – By their false claim and baseless assertion.
• Shurakaina – Their partners, meaning the idols and false deities they associated with Allah.
• Sa'a ma yahkumun – Evil and detestable is what they judge and decide.

Tafsir (Explanation):

The polytheists of Arabia, in their profound ignorance, devised a corrupt system of allocation for the provisions Allah had granted them. They took a portion of their crops and livestock and claimed it was for Allah, and another portion they dedicated to their idols and false deities. Yet, this division was not based on any divine command—it was purely their own invention, as the verse notes with the phrase "by their claim."

What makes their judgment truly perverse is the injustice embedded in their system. When something from the portion designated for their idols fell into the portion designated for Allah, they would leave it there, saying, "Allah is self-sufficient and has no need of this." But when something from Allah's portion fell into the idols' portion, they would carefully retrieve it and return it to the idols, claiming, "The idols are in need of this." Thus, they showed more reverence and care for their lifeless idols than for the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

Moreover, the portion they claimed was for Allah was directed to guests and the poor, while the portion for their idols was spent on the idols' servants and their maintenance. Yet, despite this apparent generosity toward the poor, they would not allow anything from the idols' share to reach Allah's designated recipients, while they freely diverted from Allah's share to the idols. Their judgment was utterly corrupt—they gave preference to false deities over the true God, and they invented laws Allah never sanctioned.

Da'wah Reflection:

This verse exposes the folly of those who assign partners to Allah in any form. The polytheists' actions, though seemingly religious, were built on falsehood and self-invention. How often do we, as human beings, fall into similar traps—creating our own rules, our own standards of right and wrong, and then attributing them to religion? The Quran calls us back to the pure path: to submit wholly to Allah's commands, to honor His rights above all else, and to never elevate anything—be it wealth, status, or tradition—above His decree. Islam is a religion of justice and balance, where Allah's rights come first, and His creation is treated with fairness. Let us learn from this profound lesson and purify our intentions, ensuring that our worship and our daily decisions are guided by revelation, not by our whims. Indeed, Allah is the Only One worthy of devotion, and His judgment is the best of judgments.