Quran Universe
46:28

فَلَوۡلَا نَصَرَهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قُرۡبَانًا ءَالِهَةَۢۖ بَلۡ ضَلُّواْ عَنۡهُمۡۚ وَذَٰلِكَ إِفۡكُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ

Falawla nasarahumu allatheena ittakhathoo min dooni Allahi qurbanan alihatan bal dalloo AAanhum wathalika ifkuhum wama kanoo yaftaroona

Then why did those they took besides Allah as deities by which to approach [Him] not aid them? But they had strayed from them. And that was their falsehood and what they were inventing.

Word by word
  1. فَلَوۡلَاThen why (did) not
  2. نَصَرَهُمُhelp them
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose whom
  4. ٱتَّخَذُواْthey had taken
  5. مِنbesides
  6. دُونِbesides
  7. ٱللَّهِAllah
  8. قُرۡبَانًاgods as a way of approach
  9. ءَالِهَةَۢۖgods as a way of approach
  10. بَلۡNay
  11. ضَلُّواْthey were lost
  12. عَنۡهُمۡۚfrom them
  13. وَذَٰلِكَAnd that
  14. إِفۡكُهُمۡ(was) their falsehood
  15. وَمَاand what
  16. كَانُواْthey were
  17. يَفۡتَرُونَinventing
Al-Ahqaf · 46:28Makkah

Their go-betweens vanished when needed most.

What they used to approach Allah left them

The middlemen
false godsa way to reach Allah
when punishment came
vanisheddid not help
What they were
a bridge to Allahthey bring us close
a fabricationa lie they made

They claimed these gods were a means of getting closer to Allah. When the punishment came, the gods did not help; they were simply gone. Ibn Kathir says it was their lie, and they failed in their reliance on them.

You tell yourself you will get close to Allah once a certain person, a certain mood, a certain trip makes it easier. You do not need a go-between. You can pray right now, from where you are sitting.

I need something or someone in between before I can reach Allah.

Nothing I invent can bring me near; Allah is reached directly.

Try this

Make one dua today with no plan and no middle step, just you and Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 46:26)

And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule (26)And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways so that they might return (27)As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them Nay, but they vanished completely from them. And that was their falsehood, and what they were fabricating (28)

Allah says, 'We have granted the earlier nations wealth and offspring in the worldly life. That which We granted them, we did not give you anything similar or close to it.' Furthermore,

وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَارًا وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah's signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!) meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted. This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter. Allah then says,

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَىٰ

(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you,) This is addressed to the people of Makkah. Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as 'Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen, Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), Saba' who were in Yemen, the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well. Allah then says,

 وَصَرَّفْنَا الْآيَاتِ

(and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways) meaning, 'We explained and clarified them.'

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ - فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا آلِهَةً ۖ

(so that perhaps they might return. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them?) meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them?

بَلْ ضَلُّوا عَنْهُمْ

(but they vanished completely from them.) Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.

وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ

(And that was their falsehood,) meaning, their lie.

وَمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ 

(and what they were fabricating.) which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them – and Allah knows best.