إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿۱۹۶﴾ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَكُمْ وَلَا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَنْصُرُونَ ﴿۱۹۷﴾ وَإِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَى لَا يَسْمَعُوا وَتَرَاهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ ﴿۱۹۸﴾ خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ ﴿۱۹۹﴾

﴾196﴿ Inna waliyyial laahul lazee nazzalal Kitaaba wa Huwa yatawallas saaliheen
﴾197﴿ Wallazeena tad'oona min doonihee laa yastatee'oona nasrakum wa laaa anfusahum yansuroon
﴾198﴿ Wa in tad'oohum ilal hudaa laa yasma'oo wa taraahum yanzuroona ilaika wa hum laa yubsiroon
﴾199﴿ Khuzil 'afwa wa mur bil'urfi wa A'rid 'anil jaahileen

﴾196﴿ Indeed the savior is Allah, the Exalted, He who revealed the Book (with the issue of monotheism), and He saves all the doers of good
﴾197﴿ And those whom you call for help, except from Allah Almighty, have no power to help you, nor can they help themselves
﴾198﴿ And if you call them, for showing somthing of good They don't hear, and you think they are looking at you, but they don't see anything
﴾199﴿ Make a habit of forgiveness, declare monotheism, and turn away from the ignorant

[196] This verse provides the reason why a true monotheist (muwaḥḥid) does not fear anyone besides Allah. He declares: “My savior is Allah Most High—the One who has sent down the Qur’an.” This implies that the Qur’an itself is a clear proof and guide to tawḥīd, and it was revealed to call toward the oneness of Allah. It is also described as being from among the righteous, meaning it contains guidance that leads one to righteousness and salvation. It also signifies that Allah supports and assists the people of tawḥīd, giving them confidence, protection, and victory. Hence, the muwaḥḥid relies on Allah alone and fears none besides Him.
[197] This verse is also a refutation of shirk in supplication (shirk fī al-duʿā), emphasizing that these false deities have no power to help anyone—so why call out to them saying “Yā Madad”? The phrase (لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَكُمْ) clearly shows their complete inability to assist, which serves as a strong argument against seeking help from anyone other than Allah.
In contrast, verse 192 is a broader refutation of absolute shirk (shirk muṭlaq), or specifically shirk in naming (shirk fī al-tasmiyah)—i.e., calling someone a “partner” of Allah, whether in words, names, or belief.
Together, these verses dismantle every level of shirk—from naming others as divine, to worshipping them, to calling upon them for help—proving that none besides Allah has the power, worthiness, or right to be invoked.
[198] This verse is yet another refutation of shirk in supplication (shirk fī al-du‘ā), emphasizing that these so-called deities neither see your state nor hear your words—so why do you call upon them saying “Yā Madad”? (الْهُدَى) here refers to beneficial words or guidance, implying that they cannot provide any help, direction, or response. (وَتَرَاهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ) – There are two possible explanations based on the interpretation:
1. If the verse refers to idols, then this phrase points to the fact that idolaters carved eyes onto the idols, giving them the appearance of looking—hence the wording (tarāhum), “you see them [looking].” But in reality, these are lifeless figures without perception.
2. If the verse refers to the dead, then (tarāhum) is addressed to the polytheists, and "you see them looking" means you believe they are watching. Here, seeing implies belief or perception, i.e., the false assumption of the polytheists that the deceased are present, aware, and watching them—when in fact, they are completely unaware.
In both cases, the message is clear: those who are called upon besides Allah lack all ability to perceive, respond, or assist—so calling them is baseless and falls under shirk.
[199] After refuting the polytheists, this verse begins to outline how to respond to them. From here until the end of the Surah, ten etiquettes (ādāb) for the caller to truth (muballigh al-ḥaqq) are mentioned. In this verse, three etiquettes are taught:
1. (خُذِ الْعَفْوَ) – The word khudh here means “adopt” or “put into practice.” Ibn Kathīr and Ibn Jarīr explain that this refers to forgiving the polytheists when they engage in verbal abuse or oppression. By extension, it also includes forgiving fellow believers when they wrong you.
2. (وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ) – ‘Urf means what is known to be good, including all forms of obedience and virtue. This means: Even when forgiving others’ wrongs, continue to command what is right and deliver the message of truth clearly.
3. (وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ) – If, after your good advice, someone persists in ignorance or insults, then turn away from them gracefully. Don’t respond to ignorance with ignorance, but instead follow what was mentioned earlier in verse 62: “And when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace.” Together, these three instructions promote wisdom, patience, and dignity in delivering the truth.