Transliteration:( Maa ta'budoona min doonihee illaaa asmaaa'an sam maitumoohaaa antum wa aabaaa'ukum maaa anzalal laahu bihaa min sultan; inilhukmu illaa lillaah; amara allaa ta'budooo illaaa iyyaah; zaalikad deenul qaiyimu wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon )
"You worship nothing besides Him but mere names which you and your forefathers have invented. Allah has sent down no authority for them. Judgment belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. This is the true religion [91], but most people do not know."
This verse shows that most idols worshiped by polytheists are mere figments of imagination, having no truth. For example, Hindu idols like Hanuman, Ganesh, and Kishan are baseless creations, with faces of a monkey or elephant, and any attempt to claim them as prophets is foolish. These figures have never existed in reality.
Revelation has come to show that these idols are not gods, and no prophet has ever referred to them as deities. Authentic proof of prophethood is based on divine revelation and the words of prophets, not on conjecture or analogy. This teaches us that in matters of belief, only authentic proof is valid.
The judgment mentioned refers to absolute judgment, creational judgment, or divine command. Allah is the ultimate judge, but in socio-religious matters, kings and judges are given authority by Allah. This is evident in S4:V35, where arbitrators from both families are appointed in cases of disputes, showing that while Allah holds ultimate authority, human judges are also vested with decision-making powers in certain matters.
At the time, most Egyptians worshiped stars, while others worshiped trees, stones, and other idols. There were very few monotheists. Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) was the first person in Egypt to propagate the Oneness of Allah.
The true religion is that of the Prophets, the path that leads to Allah Almighty. It is the only true way to worship Allah, and monotheism is the foundation of the faith.
The tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 40 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yusuf ayat 39 which provides the complete commentary from verse 39 through 40.
(12:40) Those whom you serve beside Him are merely idle names that you and your fathers have fabricated, without Allah sending down any sanction for them. All authority to govern rests only with Allah. He has commanded that you serve none but Him. This is the Right Way of life, though most people are altogether unaware.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
[599]- The false objects of worship which you have called "gods."
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