Surah Yaseen

Chapter 36 · Verse 75 · Revealed in Makkah

لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُندٌۭ مُّحْضَرُونَ

They are not able to help them, and they [themselves] are for them soldiers in attendance.

Translation: Saheeh International

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Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Reflection — Ibn Kathir

The gods of the Idolators are not able to help Them

Allah denounces the idolators for taking the idols as gods alongside Allah, hoping that those gods will help them and provide for them and bring them closer to Allah. Allah says:

لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ

Reflection — Maarif ul Quran

In the last verse cited above (75), it was said: وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُندٌ مُّحْضَرُ‌ونَ (rather they are an army brought forth for them). One sense of this verse is to take the word: جُندٌ (army) in the text to mean an opponent or adversary and take the verse to mean that the things they have made their objects of worship in the mortal world will turn against them on the Day of Judgment and also bear witness against them.

And according to a Tafsir reported from Hasan and Qatadah رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، it means that these people had taken to idols as gods in the hope that they would help them. But, the reality on the ground proved to be that they were already incapable of helping them. As a result, the very people who used to worship them as their servants and soldiers are now guarding them to the extent that they would take their side and fight against anyone who opposes them (a1-Qurtubi). The translation given in the text (with brackets) is based on this interpretation.

What does this verse bring up for you today?

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