Tafseer of The Bee · An-Nahl · 16:56
And they assign to what they do not know a portion of that which We have provided them. By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted is His mention, says: And they — these polytheists (mushrikīn) — assign of the fruits and the cattle that We have given them a share for that of which they have no knowledge, that is to say: they give a portion of the harvest and the cattle that We have given them to gods that they have invented and devised for themselves — entities whose reality they do not know and of which they have no proof that they are worth anything. And this is what the scholars of tafsīr designated as the idols and the images.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِمَا لا يَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيبًا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ (And they assign for that of which they have no knowledge a share of what We have provided them): these are the idols and the images — they assign for them a share of their harvests and their cattle. تَاللَّهِ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَفْتَرُونَ (By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent): that is to say: you will be questioned about the lies that you invented.