Quran Universe
25:3

وَٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ ءَالِهَةٗ لَّا يَخۡلُقُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُونَ وَلَا يَمۡلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمۡ ضَرّٗا وَلَا نَفۡعٗا وَلَا يَمۡلِكُونَ مَوۡتٗا وَلَا حَيَوٰةٗ وَلَا نُشُورٗا

Waittakhathoo min doonihi alihatan la yakhluqoona shayan wahum yukhlaqoona wala yamlikoona lianfusihim darran wala nafAAan wala yamlikoona mawtan wala hayatan wala nushooran

But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit and possess not [power to cause] death or life or resurrection.

Word by word
  1. وَٱتَّخَذُواْYet they have taken
  2. مِنbesides Him
  3. دُونِهِۦٓbesides Him
  4. ءَالِهَةٗgods
  5. لَّاnot
  6. يَخۡلُقُونَthey create
  7. شَيۡـٔٗاanything
  8. وَهُمۡwhile they
  9. يُخۡلَقُونَare created
  10. وَلَاand not
  11. يَمۡلِكُونَthey possess
  12. لِأَنفُسِهِمۡfor themselves
  13. ضَرّٗاany harm
  14. وَلَاand not
  15. نَفۡعٗاany benefit
  16. وَلَاand not
  17. يَمۡلِكُونَthey control
  18. مَوۡتٗاdeath
  19. وَلَاand not
  20. حَيَوٰةٗlife
  21. وَلَاand not
  22. نُشُورٗاresurrection
Al-Furqan · 25:3Makkah

They worshipped things that cannot even help themselves.

Gods that create nothing and are created

What the idols could do
createnot even a gnat's wing
help or harmnot even themselves
life, death, raisingnone of it
Where the power sits
the things I lean oncreated, needy
Allah alonegives life, death, resurrection

The people of Makkah kept idols as gods beside Allah. Ibn Kathir calls this the ignorance of the idolators: idols who could not create the wing of a gnat, yet were treated as if they could protect their worshippers. Only Allah gives life, takes it, and brings everyone back.

Your mood depends on a number in your bank app. Or on one person's approval. Or on the boss liking your last email. These are not idols of stone, but you check them the way a worshipper checks a shrine. None of them can keep themselves alive, let alone you.

If I keep this person or this money on my side, I am safe.

Anything that cannot save itself cannot save me. Only the Living One can.

Try this

Notice the one thing you check most anxiously today. Each time, say quietly: this is created, Allah is the One I rely on.

Related31:2854:5036:53
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Yet they have taken besides Him other gods who created nothing but are themselves created, and possess neither harm nor benefit for themselves, and possess no power (of causing) death, nor (of giving) life, nor of raising the dead (3)

The Foolishness of the Idolators

Allah tells us of the ignorance of the idolators in taking other gods instead of Allah, the Creator of all things, the One Who controls the affairs of all things; whatever He wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen. In spite of that, they still worshipped others besides Him, idols who could not even create the wing of a gnat, but were themselves created. They could neither do harm nor bring benefit to themselves, so how could they do anything for their worshippers

وَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ مَوْتًا وَلَا حَيَاةً وَلَا نُشُورًا

(and possess no power (of causing) death, nor (of giving) life, nor of raising the dead.) means, they could not do any of that at all; that power belongs only to Allah, Who is the One Who gives life and death, and is the One Who will bring all people, the first and the last, back to life on the Day of Resurrection.

مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ

(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as (the creation and resurrection of) a single person)(31:28). This is like the Ayat;

وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.)(54:50)

فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ - فَإِذَا هُم بِالسَّاهِرَةِ

(But it will be only a single Zajrah. When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death.)(79:13-14)

فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَإِذَا هُمْ يَنظُرُونَ

(It will be a single Zajrah, and behold, they will be staring!)(37:19)

إِن كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ جَمِيعٌ لَّدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ

(It will be but a single Sayhah, so behold they will all be brought up before Us!)(36:53). He is Allah besides Whom there is no other God and besides Whom there is no other Lord. No one should be worshipped except Him because whatever He wills happens and whatever he does not will does not happen. He has no offspring nor progenitor, nor equal nor likeness nor rival nor peer. He is the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.