Quran Universe
10:104

قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمۡ فِي شَكّٖ مِّن دِينِي فَلَآ أَعۡبُدُ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنۡ أَعۡبُدُ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمۡۖ وَأُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Qul ya ayyuha alnnasu in kuntum fee shakkin min deenee fala aAAbudu allatheena taAAbudoona min dooni Allahi walakin aAAbudu Allaha allathee yatawaffakum waomirtu an akoona mina almumineena

Say, [O Muhammad], "O people, if you are in doubt as to my religion - then I do not worship those which you worship besides Allah; but I worship Allah, who causes your death. And I have been commanded to be of the believers

Word by word
  1. قُلۡSay
  2. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO mankind
  3. ٱلنَّاسُO mankind
  4. إِنIf
  5. كُنتُمۡyou are
  6. فِيin
  7. شَكّٖdoubt
  8. مِّنof
  9. دِينِيmy religion
  10. فَلَآthen not
  11. أَعۡبُدُI worship
  12. ٱلَّذِينَthose whom
  13. تَعۡبُدُونَyou worship
  14. مِنbesides Allah
  15. دُونِbesides Allah
  16. ٱللَّهِbesides Allah
  17. وَلَٰكِنۡbut
  18. أَعۡبُدُI worship
  19. ٱللَّهَAllah
  20. ٱلَّذِيthe One Who
  21. يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمۡۖcauses you to die
  22. وَأُمِرۡتُAnd I am commanded
  23. أَنۡthat
  24. أَكُونَI be
  25. مِنَof
  26. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
Yunus · 10:104Makkah

If you doubt my faith, here it is plainly.

I worship the One who takes your life

The declaration
what you worshipI will not worship
but
Allahwho causes your death
commandedto be a believer
Why worship Him
the familiar godswhat everyone does
the One who holds lifegives it, takes it back

The Prophet ﷺ was told to say to people in doubt: I do not worship what you worship besides Allah. Ibn Kathir explains: I worship Allah alone, the One who causes you to die just as He gives you life, and to Him is your return.

A coworker asks why you step out at lunch to pray. You mumble something vague. You are not sure how to say it. It can be simple: I worship the One who gave me life and will take it.

My faith is private. I do not need to say what I believe.

When asked, I can state it simply and without apology.

Try this

Write one clear sentence that explains your faith. Keep it ready for when someone asks.

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

Say:"O people! If you are in doubt about my religion - I will never worship those whom you worship besides Allah, rather, I will worship Allah, the One Who cause you to die. And I was commanded to be one of the believers (104)And (I was commanded), "Direct your face toward the Hanif (monotheism) religion, and not be one of the idolators. (105)"And do not invoke besides Allah what will not benefit you nor harm you. For if you did, you would certainly be one of the wrongdoers. (106)And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can lift it but He. And if He intends good for you, then none can repel His favor which He causes to reach whom He wills among His servants. And He is the Pardoning, the Merciful (107)

The Command to worship Allah Alone and rely upon Him

Allah, the Exalted, says to His Messenger, Muhammad , 'Say: O mankind! If you are in doubt about the correctness of that which I have been sent with the Hanif (monotheism) religion - the religion which Allah has revealed to me – then know that I do not worship those whom you worship besides Allah. Rather, I worship Allah alone, ascribing no partners to Him. He is the One Who causes you to die just as He gives you life. Then, unto Him is your final return. If the gods that you call upon are real, I still refuse to worship them. So call upon them and ask them to harm me, and you will see that they can bring no harm or benefit. The only One Who holds the power of harm and benefit in His Hand is Allah alone, Who has no partners.'

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And I was commanded to be one of the believers.)[10:104] Concerning Allah's statement,

وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا

(And that you direct your face towards the Hanif religion) This means to make one's intention in worship solely for Allah alone, being a Hanif. Hanif means one who turns away from associating partners with Allah. For this reason Allah says,

وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(and not be one of the idolators.) This statement is directly connected with the previous statement,

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And I was commanded to be one of the believers.) Concerning His statement,

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ

(And if Allah touches you with harm,) This verse contains the explanation that good, evil, benefit and harm only come from Allah alone and no one shares with His power over these things. Therefore, He is the One Who deserves to be worshipped alone, without ascription of partners. Concerning His statement,

وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

(And He is the Pardoning, the Merciful.) This means that He is forgiving and merciful towards those who turn to Him in repentance, regardless of what sin the person has committed. Even if the person associated a partner with Allah, verily Allah would forgive him if he repented from it.