The Quran

Preface

ما تَعبُدونَ مِن دونِهِ إِلّا أَسماءً سَمَّيتُموها أَنتُم وَآباؤُكُم ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِها مِن سُلطانٍ ۚ إِنِ الحُكمُ إِلّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلّا تَعبُدوا إِلّا إِيّاهُ ۚ ذٰلِكَ الدّينُ القَيِّمُ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَ

Yusuf Ali

“If not Him, ye worship nothing but names which ye have named,-¹ ye and your fathers,- for which God hath sent down no authority: the command is for none but God. He hath commanded that ye worship none but Him: that is the right religion, but most men understand not...

'If you name other gods, they are nothing but your inventions?names which you and your fathers put forward without any reality behind them. Who gave you authority to do any such thing? The only reality is God. Authority can come from Him alone. It is only for Him to command. And He has distinctly commanded you to worship none other than Him. That is the only religion that is right?that has stood and will stand and endure forever. He has revealed it at all times by His Messengers and by His Signs. If men fail to understand, It is their own fault (Cf. 7:71, 13:33, and 53:23).