Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:45
And when Allah is mentioned alone, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion, but when those [worshipped] other than Him are mentioned, immediately they rejoice.
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 discourse on the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: Wa-idhā dhukira Allāhu waḥdahu ishmaʾazzat qulūbu alladhīna lā yuʾminūna bi-al-ākhirati wa-idhā dhukira alladhīna min dūnihi idhā hum yastabshirūn ("And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion; but when those besides Him are mentioned, behold, they rejoice") (45).
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: and when Allah, whose praise is exalted, is singled out alone in remembrance, so that He alone is invoked and it is said "there is no god but Allah" (lā ilāha illā Allāh), then the hearts of those who do not believe in the Return and the Resurrection after death shrink with aversion. And by His statement ishmaʾazzat ("shrink with aversion") He meant: they recoiled from professing the oneness of Allah (tawḥīd). Wa-idhā dhukira alladhīna min dūnih ("but when those besides Him are mentioned") — He says: and when the gods whom they invoke alongside Allah are mentioned together with Allah, so that it is said "those are the exalted cranes, and indeed their intercession is to be hoped for," then those who do not believe in the Hereafter rejoice over that and are glad.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: Wa-idhā dhukira Allāhu waḥdahu ishmaʾazzat qulūbu alladhīna lā yuʾminūna bi-al-ākhira ("And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion") — that is to say: their hearts recoiled and grew arrogant. Wa-idhā dhukira alladhīna min dūnih ("but when those besides Him are mentioned"), the gods, idhā hum yastabshirūn ("behold, they rejoice").
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: ishmaʾazzat ("shrink with aversion") — he said: they drew together. He said: and that was on the day when he recited "al-Najm" to them at the door of the Kaʿba.
Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His statement: ishmaʾazzat ("shrink with aversion") — he said: they recoiled. Wa-idhā dhukira alladhīna min dūnih ("but when those besides Him are mentioned") — their idols.
