Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd, Ayah 33

The term nafs has here apparently the general meaning of "soul" or "living being", applying both to humans and animals.

Lit., "Name them!" Most of the commentators explain this phrase as an expression of utter contempt for those allegedly "divine" beings: i.e., "they are so unreal and meaningless as not to deserve even a name". It is also conceivable that we have here an echo of the statement, to be found in 7:71 , 12:40 and 53:23 , to the effect that those false objects of worship are but "[empty] names which you have invented". However, in view of the next sentence - which refers to God's omniscience and is similar to 10:18 , where imaginary "intercessors" are explicitly mentioned - it is possible to interpret the above phrase still more precisely, viz., "Call them 'divine intercessors', if you so like: but...", etc. (According to Zamakhshari, the particle am, which usually denotes "or", stands here for bal, "nay, but" or simply "but".)

Lit., "what it has acquired" - i.e., according to the exigencies of its life, and - in the case of a human being - according to his or her moral deserts as well.

Lit., "or [do you say this] in the outward appearance (bi-zahir) of a saying". Cf. the second part of 10:18 (preceded by a reference to deified "intercessors") and the corresponding note [27].

Lit., "their cunning [or "artful"] device (makr)": but since, as Tabari points out, this term relates here mainly to conscious shirk ("the attribution of divine qualities to aught but God") and, hence, to false religious ideas in general, it can be suitably rendered as above.

See surah {7}, note [152], and surah {14}, note [4].

Cf. xii. 40. 'You have but to name your false gods, and you will see that they are nothing but names. There is no reality behind them, whereas Allah is the One great Reality. He penetrates everything through and through and knows all things. Do you dare to tell Him of something on earth that He does not know? Or is it just a trick or a show of words?

All pretences and fancies seem attractive to their inventors, but alas! They are a great obstruction to the Path of Religion and Truth. However, if by their contumacy, they have cut themselves off from Allah's grace, who can guide them or reclaim them from their errors?