An-Nahl: 73

Ayah

Word by Word

وَيَعۡبُدُونَ

And they worship

مِن

other than

دُونِ

other than

ٱللَّهِ

Allah

مَا

which

لَا

not

يَمۡلِكُ

possesses

لَهُمۡ

for them

رِزۡقٗا

any provision

مِّنَ

from

ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ

the heavens

وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ

and the earth

شَيۡـٔٗا

[anything]

وَلَا

and not

يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ

they are able

Translation

And worship others than Allah,- such as have no power of providing them, for sustenance, with anything in heavens or earth, and cannot possibly have such power?

Tafsir

Denouncing the Worship of anything besides Allah Allah tells وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ And they worship others 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 وَالَارْضِ شَيْيًا 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. وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ nor the ability to do so. They cannot do these things for them- selves, even if they wanted to. Thus Allah says فَلَ تَضْرِبُواْ لِلّهِ الَامْثَالَ 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 اللّهَ 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.