22:71

وَيَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ سُلۡطَٰنٗا وَمَا لَيۡسَ لَهُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞۗ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٖ

WayaAAbudoona min dooni Allahi ma lam yunazzil bihi sultanan wama laysa lahum bihi AAilmun wama lilththalimeena min naseerin

And they worship besides Allah that for which He has not sent down authority and that of which they have no knowledge. And there will not be for the wrongdoers any helper.

Word by word
  1. وَيَعۡبُدُونَAnd they worship
  2. مِنbesides Allah
  3. دُونِbesides Allah
  4. ٱللَّهِbesides Allah
  5. مَاwhat
  6. لَمۡnot
  7. يُنَزِّلۡHe (has) sent down
  8. بِهِۦfor it
  9. سُلۡطَٰنٗاany authority
  10. وَمَاand what
  11. لَيۡسَnot
  12. لَهُمthey have
  13. بِهِۦof it
  14. عِلۡمٞۗany knowledge
  15. وَمَاAnd not
  16. لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ(will be) for the wrongdoers
  17. مِنany
  18. نَّصِيرٖhelper
Al-Hajj · 22:71Madinah

Worship with no proof, only habit handed down.

No authority, no knowledge, no helper


What they rely on
no authorityno proof sent down
no knowledgejust from ancestors
so
no helperagainst Allah
Why they do it
evidenceit was proven
inheritancemade attractive by Shaytan

Ibn Kathir says it was handed down from their fathers and ancestors with no evidence, and Shaytan made it attractive. The listeners in Makkah defended old ways simply because they were old.

Your family has always done a certain ritual at weddings or funerals, and no one knows where it comes from. Questioning it feels rude. The verse asks: what is the proof? Habit is not authority.

If my family has always done it, it must be right.

What I do in worship should rest on proof from Allah, not just habit.

Try this

Pick one religious habit you have and find its source this week.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they worship besides Allah others for which He has sent down no authority, and of which they have no knowledge; and for the wrongdoers there is no helper (71)And when Our clear Ayat are recited to them, you will notice a denial on the faces of the disbelievers! They are nearly ready to attack with violence those who recite Our Ayat to them. Say: "Shall I tell you of something worse than that The Fire which Allah has promised to those who disbelieved, and worst indeed is that destination! (72)

The Idolators' worship of others besides Allah and Their vehement rejection of the Ayat of Allah

Allah tells us that the idolators, in their ignorance and disbelief, worship besides Allah others which He has sent down no authority for, i.e., no proof or evidence for such behavior. This is like the Ayah:

وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ

(And whoever calls upon, besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not be successful.)(23:117) So Allah says here:

مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ

(for which He has sent down no authority, and of which they have no knowledge;) meaning, they have no knowledge in the subject that they fabricate lies about; it is only something which was handed down to them from their fathers and ancestors, with no evidence or proof, and its origins lie in that which the Shaytan beautified for them and made attractive to them. Allah warned them:

وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

(and for the wrongdoers there is no helper.) meaning, no one to help them against Allah when He sends His punishment and torment upon them. Then Allah says:

وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ

(And when Our clear Ayat are recited to them,) means, when the Ayat of the Qur'an and clear evidence and proof for Tawhid of Allah are mentioned to them, and they are told that there is no god besides Allah and that the Messengers spoke the truth,

يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا

(They are nearly ready to attack with violence those who recite Our Ayat to them.) then they nearly attack and do harm to those who bring proof to them from the Qur'an, and cause them harm using their tongues and hands.

قُلْ

(Say) O Muhammad to these people,

أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(Shall I tell you of something worse than that? The Fire which Allah has promised to those who disbelieved,)

The fire and wrath and torment of Allah are far worse than that with which you are trying to scare the believing close friends of Allah in this world. The punishment in the Hereafter for these deeds of yours is worse than that what you claim you want to do to the believers.

وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

(and worst indeed is that destination!) how terrible is the Fire as a final destination and abode!

إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا

(Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.)(25:66)