Quran Universe
17:22

لَّا تَجۡعَلۡ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقۡعُدَ مَذۡمُومٗا مَّخۡذُولٗا

La tajAAal maAAa Allahi ilahan akhara fataqAAuda mathmooman makhthoolan

Do not make [as equal] with Allah another deity and [thereby] become censured and forsaken.

Word by word
  1. لَّا(Do) not
  2. تَجۡعَلۡmake
  3. مَعَwith
  4. ٱللَّهِAllah
  5. إِلَٰهًاgod
  6. ءَاخَرَanother
  7. فَتَقۡعُدَlest you will sit
  8. مَذۡمُومٗاdisgraced
  9. مَّخۡذُولٗاforsaken
Al-Isra · 17:22Makkah

Lean on another god and you are left to it.

The loneliness of a false support

The result
you
set up beside Allah
another godno power to help or harm
leaves you
blamed and forsakensitting alone
Where to bring the need
to people onlythe need stays
to Allahsooner or later He provides

This begins a series of commands in the surah, starting with the core one. Ibn Kathir explains that Allah leaves such a person to what they worshipped, which cannot help them. He cites the Prophet ﷺ: whoever brings his need to people alone stays in need, but whoever brings it to Allah, Allah provides for him sooner or later.

When the bill comes, your first call is to a friend, a loan app, a lucky charm, a horoscope. Not wrong to ask people. But if your heart rests on them, you will feel alone when they let you down. Turn to Allah first.

When I am in trouble, the right person or thing will rescue me.

Only Allah can truly help, and leaning elsewhere leaves me forsaken.

Try this

The next time you need something, make dua for it before you text anyone.

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

Set not up with Allah any other ilah (god), or you will sit down reproved, forsaken (in the Hellfire)(22)

Do not associate Anything in Worship with Allah

Addressing those who are responsible among this Ummah, Allah says, "Do not admit any partner into your worship of your Lord."

فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا

(or you will sit down reproved,) meaning, because of associating others with Him.

مَّخْذُولًا

(forsaken.) means, because the Lord, may He be exalted, will not help you; He will leave you to the one whom you worshipped, and he has no power either to benefit or to harm, because the Only One Who has the power to benefit or to harm is Allah alone, with no partner or associate. Imam Ahmad reported that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فَاقَةٌ فَأَنْزَلَهَا بِالنَّاسِ لَمْ تُسَدَّ فَاقَتُهُ، وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهَا بِاللهِ أَرْسَلَ اللهُ لَهُ بِالْغِنَى إِمَّا آجِلًا وَإِمَّا غِنىً عَاجِلًا

(Whoever is afflicted with poverty and goes and asks people for help, will never get rid of his poverty, but if he asks Allah for help, then Allah will grant him the means of independence sooner or later.) This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib".