Quran Universe
21:43

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ ءَالِهَةٞ تَمۡنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَاۚ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصۡحَبُونَ

Am lahum alihatun tamnaAAuhum min doonina la yastateeAAoona nasra anfusihim wala hum minna yushaboona

Or do they have gods to defend them other than Us? They are unable [even] to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us.

Word by word
  1. أَمۡOr
  2. لَهُمۡhave they
  3. ءَالِهَةٞgods
  4. تَمۡنَعُهُم(to) defend them
  5. مِّنfrom
  6. دُونِنَاۚUs
  7. لَاNot
  8. يَسۡتَطِيعُونَthey are able
  9. نَصۡرَ(to) help
  10. أَنفُسِهِمۡthemselves
  11. وَلَاand not
  12. هُمthey
  13. مِّنَّاfrom Us
  14. يُصۡحَبُونَcan be protected
Al-Anbya · 21:43Makkah

Their gods cannot even help themselves.

The weakness of what people rely on besides Allah

Their protectors
other godsrelied upon
cannot
help themselves
be shieldedfrom Allah
The question
they protect me
who protects them?no one but Allah

Allah asks, in a question meant to rebuke: do they have gods who can protect them other than Us? The tafsir answers: these gods cannot even help themselves, nor can they be guarded from Allah.

You count on the bank, the government scheme, the influential uncle. When the market drops or the uncle falls ill, they cannot save themselves. Lean on what cannot fall.

With the right backing, I am covered.

Anything that cannot protect itself cannot truly protect me. Only Allah can.

Try this

In one worry today, say Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil before you act.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 21:41)

Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but the scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock (41)Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the Most Gracious?" Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord (42)Or have they gods who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us (43)

The Lessons to be learned from Those Who mocked the Messengers in the Past

Allah says consoling His Messenger ﷺ for the pain and insult caused by the mockery and disbelief of the idolators,

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you, but the scoffers were surrounded by what they used to mock.) meaning, the punishment which they thought would never come to pass. This is like the Ayah:

وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّىٰ أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا ۚ وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(Verily, Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt; till Our help reached them, and none can alter the Words of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you))(6:34).

Then Allah menitons His favor for His creatures; He protects them by night and by day, taking care of them and watching over them with His Eye that never sleeps.

قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ

(Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the Most Gracious?") means, other than the Most Gracious Himself?

بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ

(Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord.) means, they do not recognize the blessings and favor of Allah towards them; they turn away from His signs and blessings.

أَمْ لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ تَمْنَعُهُم مِّن دُونِنَا

(Or have they gods who can guard them from Us?) This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking. The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us? It is not as they imagine or as they claim. Allah says:

لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَ أَنفُسِهِمْ

(They have no power to help themselves,) these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

وَلَا هُم مِّنَّا يُصْحَبُونَ

(nor can they be protected from Us.) Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas,"Nor can they be guarded from Us."