5:73

لَّقَدۡ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَٰثَةٖۘ وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّآ إِلَٰهٞ وَٰحِدٞۚ وَإِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهُواْ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Laqad kafara allatheena qaloo inna Allaha thalithu thalathatin wama min ilahin illa ilahun wahidun wain lam yantahoo AAamma yaqooloona layamassanna allatheena kafaroo minhum AAathabun aleemun

They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allah is the third of three." And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.

Word by word
  1. لَّقَدۡCertainly
  2. كَفَرَdisbelieved
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  4. قَالُوٓاْsay
  5. إِنَّIndeed
  6. ٱللَّهَAllah
  7. ثَالِثُ(is the) third
  8. ثَلَٰثَةٖۘ(of) three
  9. وَمَاAnd (there is) no
  10. مِنۡ[of]
  11. إِلَٰهٍgod
  12. إِلَّآexcept
  13. إِلَٰهٞ(the) God
  14. وَٰحِدٞۚ(the) One
  15. وَإِنAnd if
  16. لَّمۡnot
  17. يَنتَهُواْthey desist
  18. عَمَّاfrom what
  19. يَقُولُونَthey are saying
  20. لَيَمَسَّنَّsurely will afflict
  21. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  22. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  23. مِنۡهُمۡamong them
  24. عَذَابٌa punishment
  25. أَلِيمٌpainful
Al-Ma'idah · 5:73Madinah

There is no god except One God.

The line the whole surah keeps returning to


The claim and the answer
third of threeAllah shared with others
answered by
One Godno partner, no share
What is asked
keep saying ita painful outcome
or
stopthe door is still there

The verse answers a belief that made Allah one of three. As-Suddi linked it to taking 'Isa and his mother as gods beside Allah, as the end of this surah also describes. The reply is short: there is no god but One God. The warning is tied to a condition: if they do not stop.

Your heart can split its trust three ways without saying a word: Allah, your salary, and your own cleverness. When the job wobbles, everything wobbles. One God means one place your heart finally rests. Everything else is a gift from Him, not a second pillar beside Him.

I trust Allah, plus my income, plus my plans, equally.

Only One is God. My plans and income are tools He gave me.

Try this

Before checking your bank app today, say: my provision is from Allah alone.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 5:72)

Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah ['Isa], son of Maryam." But the Messiah said: "O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers (72)Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the third of three." And there is no god but One God (Allah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them (73)Will they not repent to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (74)The Messiah ['Isa], son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam] was a Siddiqah. They both used to eat food. Look how We make the Ayat clear to them; yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth)(75)

The Disbelief of the Christians; 'Isa Only called to Tawhid

Allah states that the Christians such sects as Monarchite, Jacobite and Nestorite are disbelievers, those among them who say that 'Isa is Allah. Allah is far holier than what they attribute to Him. They made this claim in spite of the fact that 'Isa made it known that he was the servant of Allah and His Messenger. The first words that 'Isa uttered when he was still a baby in the cradle were, "I am 'Abdullah (the servant of Allah)." He did not say, "I am Allah," or, "I am the son of Allah." Rather, he said,

إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

(Verily, I am a servant of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.)[19:30] until he said,

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

("And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the straight path.")[19:36]

He also proclaimed to them when he was a man, after he was sent as a Prophet, commanding them to worship his Lord and their Lord, alone without partners,

وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ

(But the Messiah said, "O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners with Allah...) in worship;

فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ

(...then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode.) as He will send him to the Fire and forbid Paradise for him. Allah also said;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ

(Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.)[4:48] and,

وَنَادَىٰ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

(And the dwellers of the Fire will call to the dwellers of Paradise; "Pour on us some water or anything that Allah has provide you with." They will say: "Allah has forbidden both to the disbelievers.")

It is recorded in the Sahih that the Prophet ﷺ had someone proclaim to the people,

إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا إِلَّا نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ

(Only a Muslim soul shall enter Paradise.) In another narration,

مُؤْمِنَةٌ

(Only a believing soul...) This is why Allah said that 'Isa said to the Children of Israel,

إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

(Verily, whosoever sets up partners with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And there are no helpers for the wrongdoers.)

There is no help from Allah, nor anyone who will support or protect them from the state they will be in. Allah's statement,

لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ

(Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the third of three.")

Mujahid and several others said that this Ayah was revealed about the Christians in particular. As-Suddi and others said that this Ayah was revealed about taking 'Isa and his mother as gods besides Allah, thus making Allah the third in a trinity. As-Suddi said, "This is similar to Allah's statement towards the end of the Surah,

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ

(And (remember) when Allah will say: "O 'Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men: 'Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?' He will say, "Glory be to You!")[5:116]. Allah replied,

وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ

(But there is no god but One God.) meaning there are not many worthy of worship but there is only One God without partners, and He is the Lord of all creation and all that exists. Allah said next, while threatening and admonishing them,

وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ

(And if they cease not from what they say,) their lies and false claims,

 لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them.) in the Hereafter, shackled and tormented. Allah said next,

أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(Will they not repent to Allah and ask His Forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

This demonstrates Allah's generosity, kindness and mercy for His creatures, even though they committed this grave sin and invented such a lie and false allegation. Despite all of this, Allah calls them to repent so that He will forgive them, for Allah forgives those who sincerely repent to Him.

Isa is Allah's Servant and His Mother is a Truthful Believer

Allah said,

مَّا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ 

(The Messiah, son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him.)

'Isa is just like the previous Prophets, and he is one of the servants of Allah and one of His honorable Messengers. Allah said in another Ayah,

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

(He ['Isa] was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.)[43:59] Allah said next,

وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ

(His mother was a Siddiqah) for she believed in Allah with complete trust in Him. This is the highest rank she was given, which proves that she was not a Prophet. Allah said next,

كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ الطَّعَامَ

(They both used to eat food) needing nourishment and to relieve the call of nature. Therefore, they are just servants like other servants, not gods as ignorant Christian sects claim, may Allah's continued curses cover them until the Day of Resurrection. Allah said next,

انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ

(Look how We make the Ayat clear to them.) making them unequivocal and plain,

ثُمَّ انظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ

(yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth).) look at the opinions, misguided ideas, and claims they cling to, even after Our clarification and plain, unequivocal explanation.