Surah Al Hajj Tafseer

The Idolators' worship of others besides Allah and Their vehement rejection of the Ayat of Allah

Allah says:

وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا

And they worship besides Allah others for which He has sent down no authority,

Allah tells us that the idolators, in their ignorance and disbelief, worship besides Allah others which He has sent down no authority for, i.e., no proof or evidence for such behavior.

This is like the Ayah:

وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَـفِرُونَ

And whoever calls upon, besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not be successful. (23:117)

So Allah says here:

مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ

for which He has sent down no authority, and of which they have no knowledge;

meaning, they have no knowledge in the subject that they fabricate lies about; it is only something which was handed down to them from their fathers and ancestors, with no evidence or proof, and its origins lie in that which the Shaytan beautified for them and made attractive to them.

Allah warned them:

وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

and for the wrongdoers there is no helper.

meaning, no one to help them against Allah when He sends His punishment and torment upon them.

Then Allah says