Tafseer of The Criterion · Al-Furqaan · 25:55
But they worship rather than Allah that which does not benefit them or harm them, and the disbeliever is ever, against his Lord, an assistant [to Satan].
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.
The Exalted and Praised says: And these polytheists (mushrikūn) worship besides Allah gods who do not benefit them — so as to bring them benefit when they worship these — and do not harm them when they neglect their worship. And they neglect the worship of Him Who has bestowed upon them all these favors, favors of which even the least admits of no comparison. These are the favors which He, the Glorified, has enumerated for us in these verses, beginning with His word أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ الظِّلَّ (Have you not seen how your Lord extends the shadow?) up to His word قَدِيرًا (almighty). And among His power — the power which nothing He wills can withstand, and for which the performing of whatever deed He wills to perform is not difficult — is also the fact that when He willed to punish some of His servants who had obeyed Him, He brought upon them what He brought upon those whose characteristics He described, namely the people of Faraʿawn, the ʿĀd, the Thamūd, the people of al-Rass, and countless generations in between. And the one against whom He was wrathful had neither a helper nor anyone who could ward Him off from him.
وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (and the unbeliever (kāfir) is a helper against his Lord) — the Exalted and Praised says: the unbeliever is a helper of the devil (Shayṭān) against his Lord, and assists him in disobeying Him.
And in agreement with what we have said about this spoke the people of the exegetes.
The narration of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasah, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid — وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (and the unbeliever is a helper against his Lord): he said: "he assists the devil in disobedience to Allah through his own deeds."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, his word: عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (a helper against his Lord): he said: "a helper (muʿīn)."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — to the same effect. Ibn Jurayj said: "Abū Jahl was a helper, he assisted the devil against his Lord."
Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning his word وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (and the unbeliever is a helper against his Lord): he said: "a helper of the devil against his Lord in committing disobedience."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his word وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (and the unbeliever is a helper against his Lord): he said: "a helper (ʿawīn) against his Lord." And ẓahīr (helper) means: ʿawīn (helper). And he recited the word of Allah فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًا لِلْكَافِرِينَ (and be by no means a helper for the unbelievers): he said: "be by no means their helper." And he also recited the word of Allah وَأَنـزَلَ الَّذِينَ ظَاهَرُوهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مِنْ صَيَاصِيهِمْ (and He brought down those of the People of the Book who helped them from their fortresses): he said: "ẓāharūhum: they helped them."
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his word: وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا (and the unbeliever is a helper against his Lord): he means: Abū al-Ḥakam, whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ named Abū Jahl ibn Hishām.
Some of them explained the meaning of his word وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا thus: the unbeliever is of little account (hawīn) with his Lord — derived from the Arabic saying: ẓahara bihī, which means: I paid no heed to it and turned my back upon it. It would be as though the term ẓahīr (fāʿīl) in this view was turned around from mafʿūl to fāʿil, as if it had been said: the unbeliever is one whose back was turned upon (maẓhūr bihī). But the opinion we have adopted is the correct interpretation of the word and the sound meaning, for Allah, the Exalted and Praised, informs about the worship by these unbelievers of other than Him, and the most fitting is that this be followed by His censure of them and of their deed, and not by an account of their little worth with Him — all the more so because there was no prior mention anywhere of their arrogance toward Him, such that this would now be followed by an account of their little worth with Him.
