Quran Universe
16:74

فَلَا تَضۡرِبُواْ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

Fala tadriboo lillahi alamthala inna Allaha yaAAlamu waantum la taAAlamoona

So do not assert similarities to Allah. Indeed, Allah knows and you do not know.

Word by word
  1. فَلَاSo (do) not
  2. تَضۡرِبُواْput forth
  3. لِلَّهِfor Allah
  4. ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَۚthe similitude
  5. إِنَّIndeed
  6. ٱللَّهَAllah
  7. يَعۡلَمُknows
  8. وَأَنتُمۡand you
  9. لَا(do) not
  10. تَعۡلَمُونَknow
An-Nahl · 16:74Makkah

Do not draw Allah in the shape of anything.

He knows, and we do not

What people do
peoplelimited, guessing
set up
likenesses for Allahrivals, comparisons
Who knows
I can picture Himlike a king, like a person
Allah knows, you do notnothing is like Him

Following the idols that provide nothing, the verse tells people not to set up examples or rivals for Allah, nor describe anything as being like Him. Ibn Kathir says Allah knows and bears witness that there is no god but Him, while people associate others out of ignorance.

In a hard week you catch yourself thinking Allah is like a tired manager who stopped reading your emails. Or like a strict parent who is never pleased. Those pictures come from your world, not from Him.

I imagine Allah the way I imagine powerful people I know.

Allah is not like anything I can compare. I learn about Him from what He says.

Try this

Read the meaning of one of Allah's names today and replace one wrong picture with it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:73)

And they worship others besides Allah such as do not have power to grant them any provision from the heavens or the earth nor the ability to do so (73)So do not give examples on behalf of Allah. Truly, Allah knows and you know not (74)

Denouncing the Worship of anything besides Allah

Allah tells us about the Mushrikin who worship others besides Him, even though He alone is the bountiful Provider, the Creator and Sustainer, without partners or associates, but they still worship idols and make rivals for Him. He says:

مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ شَيْئًا

(such as do not have power to grant them any provision from the heavens or the earth) meaning, nobody can cause rain to fall, or make plants and trees grow. They cannot do these things for themselves, even if they wanted to. Thus Allah says:

فَلَا تَضْرِبُوا لِلَّهِ الْأَمْثَالَ

(So do not give examples on behalf of Allah.) meaning, do not set up rivals to Him or describe anything as being like Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

(Truly, Allah knows and you know not.) meaning, He knows and bears witness that there is no god but Him, but you are ignorant and associate others in worship with Him.