Surah As-Saffat 37:86
سُورَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ · Meccan · Verse 86 of 182
أَئِفْكًا ءَالِهَةًۭ دُونَ ٱللَّهِ تُرِيدُونَ
Translation
How can you choose false gods instead of the true God?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
In this profound question from Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to his people, we find a direct challenge to the very core of their misguided worship. After asking them what they were worshipping, he follows up with this verse, which is a powerful, rhetorical question designed to shake them to their senses. It's a rebuke, an invitation to self-reflection, and a clear statement about the nature of their idolatry.
The Power of "A-ifkan"
The verse opens with أَئِفْكًا (A-ifkan), which translates to "a lie" or "a fabrication," and even "the worst of lies" according to some scholars like al-Jalalayn and Ibn Ashur. What is striking here is the word order. Usually, a sentence would put the verb before its objects. But here, "a-ifkan" is placed at the very beginning, even before the deities themselves and the verb "you desire."
Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain that this inverted word order creates immense emphasis. By leading with "a-ifkan," Prophet Ibrahim immediately exposes the *root* of their worship. He's not just questioning *what* they worship, but *why* they worship it, declaring upfront that their entire system of belief is built upon a baseless, severe falsehood. It was more important, as al-Zamakhshari notes, to confront them immediately with the fact that their polytheism was nothing but a lie. This emphasizes their fundamental error and challenges their motives directly.
Deities of Illusion
Following this, he says آلِهَةً دُونَ ٱللَّهِ (aalihatan doona Allahi), meaning "deities besides Allah." The phrase "doona Allahi" is crucial. It underscores the contrast between the Creator, Allah, and the false gods they chose. Ibn Ashur points out that this phrase covers all forms of polytheism, whether they completely denied Allah and only worshipped idols, or if they associated these idols with Allah. By using this phrase, Ibrahim clarifies that these objects of worship are not just powerless, but they are utterly separate and inferior to the One True God.
What You Really Desire
The verse concludes with تُرِيدُونَ (tureedoon), meaning "you desire" or "you seek." When Ibrahim asks if they "desire" such fabricated deities, he's probing their intention and choice. Ibn Ashur explains that while "desire" often refers to abstract concepts, applying it to physical deities here implies a desire *for their worship* or *for their deification*. It forces them to consider that they are actively *choosing* this falsehood, this lie, these powerless entities, over the one true God. It's a direct challenge to their will and reasoning: are you truly *desiring* something so clearly false?
Together, these words form a powerful rhetorical question, designed not just to inform but to awaken. Prophet Ibrahim dismantles their idolatry by highlighting its foundation of utter falsehood, its inherent opposition to the Divine, and their own willing participation in this profound error.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah As-Saffat 37:86 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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