Quran Universe
16:20

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخۡلُقُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُونَ

Waallatheena yadAAoona min dooni Allahi la yakhluqoona shayan wahum yukhlaqoona

And those they invoke other than Allah create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.

Word by word
  1. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those whom
  2. يَدۡعُونَthey invoke
  3. مِنbesides
  4. دُونِbesides
  5. ٱللَّهِAllah
  6. لَاnot
  7. يَخۡلُقُونَthey create
  8. شَيۡـٔٗاanything
  9. وَهُمۡbut (are) themselves
  10. يُخۡلَقُونَcreated
An-Nahl · 16:20Makkah

What they call on made nothing; it was made.

Idols cannot create, they are carved

Who made whom
the worshippercarves and shapes
makes
the idolthen prays to it
The reversal
it provides for meit made nothing
Allah made bothyou and what you make

Ibn Kathir links this to Ibrahim's words to his people: Do you worship what you yourselves carve, while Allah created you and what you make? The idols of Makkah were shaped by human hands, then asked for help.

You build a brand, a savings plan, a reputation, all with your own hands. Then slowly you start trusting it as if it holds you up. The thing you made becomes the thing you lean on.

What I built will keep me safe.

What I built was made by me, and I was made by Allah.

Try this

Look at one thing you worked hard to build and thank Allah for the hands that built it.

Related37:9537:96
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:19)

And Allah knows what you conceal and what you reveal (19)Those whom they invoke besides Allah have not created anything, but are themselves created (20)(They are) dead, not alive; and they do not know when they will be resurrected (21)

Allah tells us that He knows what is hidden in people's hearts as well as what is apparent. He will reward or punish everyone for their deeds on the Day of Resurrection. If their deeds are good then they will be rewarded, and if their deeds are evil, then they will be punished.

The gods of the Idolators are Created, they do not create

Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything, they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil (Ibrahim) said:

أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

("Do you worship that which you (yourselves) carve? While Allah has created you and what you make!")(37:95-96)

أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ

((They are) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless, they do not hear, see, or think.

وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

(and they know not when they will be resurrected.) meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.