Translation of the meanings Ayah 81 Surah Al-An‘ām - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 81

وَكَيۡفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشۡرَكۡتُمۡ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمۡ أَشۡرَكۡتُم بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ عَلَيۡكُمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٗاۚ فَأَيُّ ٱلۡفَرِيقَيۡنِ أَحَقُّ بِٱلۡأَمۡنِۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ

(81) “How should I ˹ever˺ fear those that you Associate^[1411], while you do not fear that you Associate with Allah those for which He sent down to you no authority; so which of the two parties is more deserving of security, if you ˹truly˺ know?”

[1411] This argument further draws the line under the basic fact that any god worthy of the name should at least be able to harm or benefit (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr). The same logic was applied by the people of Prophet Hūd (عليه السلام) who superstitiously thought that their gods were able to hurt people. Hūd’s firm Belief in God made him feel immune to such threats, sure that he would only be harmed with God’s permission: “They said: “Hūd! You have not given us any clear proof, and we will never abandon our gods upon your word, nor will we believe in you. *All we can say is that one of our gods may have inflicted some harm on you”. He said: “I call Allah to witness, and you too bear witness, that I reject whatever you Associate *with Him ˹in worship˺. So let all of you plot against me without delay! *I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature which He does not control. My Lord’s path is straight” (11: 53-57).