Quran Universe
35:40

قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ شُرَكَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شِرۡكٞ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ أَمۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡ كِتَٰبٗا فَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَتٖ مِّنۡهُۚ بَلۡ إِن يَعِدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ بَعۡضُهُم بَعۡضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا

Qul araaytum shurakaakumu allatheena tadAAoona min dooni Allahi aroonee matha khalaqoo mina alardi am lahum shirkun fee alssamawati am ataynahum kitaban fahum AAala bayyinatin minhu bal in yaAAidu alththalimoona baAAduhum baAAdan illa ghurooran

Say, "Have you considered your 'partners' whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created from the earth, or have they partnership [with Him] in the heavens? Or have We given them a book so they are [standing] on evidence therefrom? [No], rather, the wrongdoers do not promise each other except delusion."

Word by word
  1. قُلۡSay
  2. أَرَءَيۡتُمۡHave you seen
  3. شُرَكَآءَكُمُyour partners
  4. ٱلَّذِينَthose whom
  5. تَدۡعُونَyou call
  6. مِنbesides
  7. دُونِbesides
  8. ٱللَّهِAllah
  9. أَرُونِيShow Me
  10. مَاذَاwhat
  11. خَلَقُواْthey have created
  12. مِنَfrom
  13. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  14. أَمۡor
  15. لَهُمۡfor them
  16. شِرۡكٞ(is) a share
  17. فِيin
  18. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavens
  19. أَمۡOr
  20. ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡhave We given them
  21. كِتَٰبٗاa Book
  22. فَهُمۡso they
  23. عَلَىٰ(are) on
  24. بَيِّنَتٖa clear proof
  25. مِّنۡهُۚtherefrom
  26. بَلۡNay
  27. إِنnot
  28. يَعِدُpromise
  29. ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَthe wrongdoers
  30. بَعۡضُهُمsome of them
  31. بَعۡضًا(to) others
  32. إِلَّاexcept
  33. غُرُورًاdelusion
Fatir · 35:40Makkah

Show me what they created.

A challenge to every false partner

The challenge
created on earth?nothing
a share in the heavens?none
a book as proof?none given
only
delusionspromised to each other
What holds the belief up
evidence
wishes and whimspassed around

The Prophet ﷺ is told to ask the idol worshippers three plain questions. Ibn Kathir says they had nothing of that, not even the skin of a date seed. They were following their own whims and wishes, promising each other comfort.

Your friends reassure each other that a certain habit is fine because everyone does it. Nobody can point to proof, just to each other. The verse asks: show me where it came from.

If enough people around me believe it, it must be okay.

A belief needs real proof, not people reassuring each other.

Try this

Pick one thing you do because everyone does it, and ask yourself honestly what it is based on.

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

Say: "Have you considered your partners whom you call upon besides Allah? Show Me, what they have created of the earth. Or have they any share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book, so that they act on clear proof therefrom? Nay, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusions. (40)Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving (41)

The Helplessness of the false gods and the Power of Allah

Allah tells His Messenger ﷺ to say to the idolators:

أَرَأَيْتُمْ شُرَكَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ

(Have you considered your partners whom you call upon besides Allah?) the idols and rivals.

 أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ

(Show Me what they have created of the earth. Or have they any share in the heavens?) meaning, they have nothing at all of that, they do not possess even the membrane covering the stone of a date.

 أَمْ آتَيْنَاهُمْ كِتَابًا فَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَتٍ مِنْهُ

(Or have We given them a Book, so that they act on clear proof therefrom?) meaning, 'have We revealed to them a Book on which they base their Shirk and disbelief?' This is not the case at all.

بَلْ إِنْ يَعِدُ الظَّالِمُونَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا 

(Nay, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusions.) means, they are merely following their own whims, opinions and wishes which are their personal desires, and they are no more than misguidance and falsehood.

Then Allah tells us of His mighty power, by which the heavens and the earth stand by His command, and the forces that He has placed between them to hold them. He says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولَا ۚ 

(Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places,) means, lest they should shift from where they are. This is like the Ayat:

وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ

(He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His leave)(22:65), and

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ ۚ 

(And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His command)(30:25).

وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ۚ 

(and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him.) means, no one can make them stay and preserve them except Him. He is Ever Most Forbearing and Oft-Forgiving because He sees His servants disbelieving in Him and disobeying Him, yet He is patient and gives them time, He waits and does not hasten the punishment, and He conceals the faults of others and forgives them. He says:

إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.)