وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿۲۲﴾ أَأَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً إِنْ يُرِدْنِ الرَّحْمَنُ بِضُرٍّ لَا تُغْنِ عَنِّي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُنْقِذُونِ ﴿۲۳﴾ إِنِّي إِذًا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ ﴿۲۴﴾ إِنِّي آمَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ ﴿۲۵﴾

﴾22﴿ Wa maa liya laaa a'budul lazee fataranee wa ilaihi turja'oon
﴾23﴿ 'A-attakhizu min dooniheee aalihatan iny-yuridnir Rahmaanu bidurril-laa tughni 'annee shafaa 'atuhum shai 'anw-wa laa yunqizoon
﴾24﴿ Inneee izal-lafee dalaa-lim-mubeen
﴾25﴿ Inneee aamantu bi Rabbikum fasma'oon

﴾22﴿ And what reason do I have that I should not worship the One who created me in the first place, and to Him alone you will be returned
﴾23﴿ Should I take gods besides Allah, If the Most Merciful intends harm for me, their intercession will not avail me in the least, nor can they save me
﴾24﴿ Indeed, in that case, I would be in clear misguidance
﴾25﴿ Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me

[22] In this verse, the call to monotheism (tawḥīd) is made in the most beautiful manner (بطریقه أحسن).
This is because the speaker begins by referring to himself—starting the statement from his own perspective, so that the listener does not take offense.
Then he shifts the focus to the listener at the end of the sentence.
This is also the answer to a question: the people sarcastically said, “You are one of them too!”
He responded by saying: Indeed! But I have no excuse or justification to abandon the path of the messengers.
In "فَطَرَنِي" (the One who created me), there is a proof for monotheism in worship (توحید فی العبادة).
And in "وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ" (to Him you shall return), there is an affirmation of belief in resurrection after death (عقیده بعث بعدالموت).
[23] In the previous verse, the affirmation of monotheism (tawḥīd) was mentioned.
In this verse, polytheism (shirk) is refuted, and it also answers the second question of the polytheists—namely: Is it permissible to associate others in worship alongside Allah the Exalted?
The essence of the answer is that no one besides Allah can possess the qualities of divinity.
Two false beliefs are refuted here: 1. The first is the belief that someone can change Allah’s will through intercession (شفاعة قهریه)—meaning they think a person is so honored and beloved by Allah that they can force Him to accept their request and alter His will.
This belief assumes someone is so close to Allah that He is compelled to accept their intercession and abandon His own decision.
This is impossible and false.
2. The second is the belief that someone has power and strength independent of Allah—such that they can, by their own ability, override Allah’s will, and save someone from a calamity against what Allah has decreed.
This too is impossible and invalid.
[24] This is the answer to the third question of the polytheists.
They claimed that holding such a belief (in intercessors or partners) causes no harm.
The response given is that this is clear misguidance (ضلال مبین).
[25] This is the answer to the fourth question: Why are you so firm in opposing us (in rejecting shirk)?
The reply is that this is the demand of true faith—that a believer clearly and firmly rejects polytheism.