Tafseer of The Romans · Ar-Room · 30:40
Allah is the one who created you, then provided for you, then will cause you to die, and then will give you life. Are there any of your "partners" who does anything of that? Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.
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 explanation of the saying of the Exalted: اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (30:40) ("Allah is the One who created you, then provided for you, then causes you to die, then brings you back to life. Is there among your associate-partners any who can do anything of that? Exalted is He and far above what they associate with Him.")
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to those who associate partners with Him, making known to them the ugliness of their deed and the corruption of their conduct: Allah, O people, is the One to whom alone worship is fitting, and to whom none other belongs. He is the One who created you when you were nothing, and then provided for you and apportioned to you your [possessions], whereas before that you possessed nothing, and who then causes you to die after He had created you alive, and who then brings you back to life after your death for the rising of the Day of Resurrection.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ: for the raising up after death.
His saying هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ("Is there among your associate-partners any who can do anything of that?") — the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: Is there among your gods and idols, which you associate with Allah as partners in your worship of Him, any who can do even a single thing of that — who creates, or provides, or causes to die, or raises up? This is from Allah a rebuke to these polytheists. The meaning of the words is only that their associate-partners can do nothing of that; how then can that which does nothing of that be worshipped alongside Allah? Then the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, declared Himself free of the slander which these polytheists have fabricated against Him by claiming that their gods are partners of His, and He, whose praise is exalted, said سُبْحَانَهُ ("Exalted is He") — that is: a glorification of Allah and an exoneration; وَتَعَالَى ("and far above is He") — that is: and an exaltedness for Him; عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ("above what they associate as partners") — that is: above the shirk of these polytheists with Him.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning that, the exegetes have spoken.
* The mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ: No, by Allah; سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ: He glorifies Himself when the lie is uttered against Him.
