10:3

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٖ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖ يُدَبِّرُ ٱلۡأَمۡرَۖ مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ إِذۡنِهِۦۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُوهُۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Inna rabbakumu Allahu allathee khalaqa alssamawati waalarda fee sittati ayyamin thumma istawa AAala alAAarshi yudabbiru alamra ma min shafeeAAin illa min baAAdi ithnihi thalikumu Allahu rabbukum faoAAbudoohu afala tathakkaroona

Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne, arranging the matter [of His creation]. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will you not remember?

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. رَبَّكُمُyour Lord
  3. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allah
  4. ٱلَّذِيthe One Who
  5. خَلَقَcreated
  6. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavens
  7. وَٱلۡأَرۡضَand the earth
  8. فِيin
  9. سِتَّةِsix
  10. أَيَّامٖperiods
  11. ثُمَّthen
  12. ٱسۡتَوَىٰHe established
  13. عَلَىon
  14. ٱلۡعَرۡشِۖthe Throne
  15. يُدَبِّرُdisposing
  16. ٱلۡأَمۡرَۖthe affairs
  17. مَاNot
  18. مِن(is) any intercessor
  19. شَفِيعٍ(is) any intercessor
  20. إِلَّاexcept
  21. مِنۢafter
  22. بَعۡدِafter
  23. إِذۡنِهِۦۚHis permission
  24. ذَٰلِكُمُThat
  25. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allah
  26. رَبُّكُمۡyour Lord
  27. فَٱعۡبُدُوهُۚso worship Him
  28. أَفَلَاThen will not
  29. تَذَكَّرُونَyou remember
Yunus · 10:3Makkah

The One who runs everything deserves your worship.

Creator, ruler, and the only one to worship


Who is in charge
created it allheavens and earthsix days
then
arranges every affairbig and small alike
so
worship Himalone
Who can speak for you
my go-betweensomeone to pull strings
only by His leaveno one speaks without permission

The people of Makkah admitted Allah created the heavens and the earth. Yet they worshipped other gods hoping those would plead for them. Ibn Kathir notes no request of His creatures troubles Him, and He governs small things as He governs big ones. So the verse asks: will you not remember?

Your rent, your test result, your visa, your child's fever. You may be lining up people to pull strings for you. The One who arranges every affair is not too busy for yours. Ask Him first.

My problem is too small for Allah, so I chase people who can fix it.

He governs every detail, so I can bring Him the small things too.

Try this

Pick one small worry you have not prayed about. Ask Allah about it, plainly, today.

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

"Surely, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawa) the Throne, arranging the affair [of all things]. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after He permits. That is Allah, your Lord; so worship Him (alone). Then, will you not remember (3)

Allah is the Creator Who arranges the Affairs of the Universe

Allah tells us that He is the Lord of the entire existence. He tells us that He created the heavens and the earth in six days. It was said: "Like these days (meaning our worldly days)." It was also said: "Every day is like a thousand years of what we reckon." Later, this will be discussed further.

ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ

(and then rose over (Istawa) the Throne.)"

The Throne is the greatest of the creatures and is like a ceiling for them. Allah's statement:

يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ

(arranging the affair [of all things].) means that He controls the affairs of the creatures.

لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ

(Not even the weight of a speck of dust escapes His Knowledge in the heavens or in the earth.)(34:3)

No affair distract' Him from other affairs. No matter troubles Him. The persistent requests of His creatures do not annoy Him. He governs big things as He governs small things everywhere, on the mountains, in the oceans, in populated areas, or in wastelands.

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا

(And no moving creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah.)(11:6)

وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.)(6:59)

Ad-Darawardi narrated from Sa'd bin Ishaq bin Ka'b bin 'Ujrah that he said: "When this Ayah was revealed,

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ

(Surely, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth) they met a great caravan whom they thought should be Arabs. They said to them: 'Who are you?' They replied: 'We are Jinns. We left Al-Madinah because of this Ayah.'" This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. Allah said:

مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ

(No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after He permits.)

This is similar to what is in the following Ayat:

مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ

(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission?)(2:255) and,

وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ

(And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with.)(53:26), and;

وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ

(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits.)(34:23). Allah then said:

ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(That is Allah, your Lord; so worship Him (alone). Then, will you not remember?) meaning worship Him alone with no partners.

أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(Then will you not remember?) meaning "O idolators, you worship gods with Allah while you know that He alone is the Creator," as He said:

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

(And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: "Allah.")(43:87),

قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ - سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

("Say: "Who is (the) Lord of the seven heavens, and (the) Lord of the Great Throne? They will say: "Allah." Say: "Will you not then have Taqwa?")(23:86-87),

Similar is mentioned in the Ayah before this Ayah and after it.