Are there gods unworthy of worship?

Sources

• ✓ 7:195 · Al-A'raaf

  7:195 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌۭ يَمْشُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍۢ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌۭ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَآ ۖ أَمْ لَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌۭ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۗ قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَكُمْ ثُمَّ كِيدُونِ فَلَا تُنظِرُونِ

  Have they feet wherewith they walk, or have they hands wherewith they hold, or have they eyes wherewith they see, or have they ears wherewith they hear? Say: Call upon your (so-called) partners (of Allah), and then contrive against me, spare me not!

• ✓ 36:23 · Yaseen

  36:23 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  ءَأَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةً إِن يُرِدْنِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ بِضُرٍّۢ لَّا تُغْنِ عَنِّى شَفَٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يُنقِذُونِ

  Shall I take (other) gods in place of Him when, if the Beneficent should wish me any harm, their intercession will avail me naught, nor can they save?

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 7:195

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 7:195

  This verse expresses God's strong condemnation of the polytheists who worship besides Him other gods — idols, images, and statues — which are all created beings fashioned by God. These idols have no power or control over anything; they neither benefit nor harm, nor can they defend their worshippers or themselves. They are inert objects without the ability to move, hear, or see. Yet their worshippers are even more deficient than these idols in terms of hearing, sight, and power. Hence God says: "Do they associate with Him that which cannot create anything, while they themselves are created?" That is, they worship alongside God objects that cannot create even the slightest thing, yet are themselves created. This theme is echoed in God's words elsewhere, where He mentions that those gods cannot even create a fly, and even if a fly were to snatch something from them, they cannot retrieve it. This illustrates the utter helplessness and futility of idols being objects of worship when they themselves cannot protect even against the smallest harm. God further clarifies: "They do not have the power to help their worshippers, nor can they even help themselves." This is highlighted by examples from the life of Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, who broke the idols of his people to show their impotence and humiliation. Similarly, Mu'adh bin Amr and Mu'adh bin Jabal, companions of the Prophet Muhammad, would break idols at night to demonstrate their lack of power. The story of Amr bin Jamooh is also mentioned, illustrating how he would care for an idol he worshipped until he realized the futility of this belief and subsequently embraced Islam. Additionally, God states that calling these idols to guidance is futile—they cannot hear the call, nor do they respond, regardless of who calls upon them. This is similar to Ibrahim's argument against his father worshipping objects that cannot hear or see and cannot benefit him. God also points out that these idols are servants just like their worshippers—all are created beings, but humans are more complete as they possess hearing, sight, and power, which idols lack. The command to "call upon your partners (the idols), then scheme against me, but do not give me respite" is a challenge to the polytheists to seek aid from their gods, but such efforts will be fruitless. God is sufficient as protector and helper, and He is the guardian of the righteous. This reflects the stance of the prophet Hud and Ibrahim who rejected idol worship and relied solely on God. Finally, the verse underscores the inability of idols to help either their worshippers or themselves, even if they looked at and seemed to respond. Their apparent gaze is like lifeless images, and God addresses them as if they were rational beings, highlighting the absurdity of worshipping what is powerless. Scholars such as Al-Suddi and Mujahid have interpreted "they look at you" as referring to the polytheists, but the former explanation, that it depicts the idols as lifeless and blind objects despite appearing to look, is stronger and aligns with Ibn Jarir and Qatadah's understanding.