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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:21-22 [3/40] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُO mankind!
ٱعْبُدُواْworship
رَبَّكُمُyour Lord,
ٱلَّذِىthe One Who
خَلَقَكُمْcreated you
وَٱلَّذِينَand those [who]
مِن قَبْلِكُمْbefore you,
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَتَّقُونَbecome righteous.
﴿٢١﴾
ٱلَّذِىThe One Who
جَعَلَmade
لَكُمُfor you
ٱلْأَرْضَthe earth
فِرَٲشًاa resting place
وَٱلسَّمَآءَand the sky
بِنَآءًa canopy,
وَأَنزَلَand sent down
مِنَfrom
ٱلسَّمَآءِthe sky
مَآءًwater,
فَأَخْرَجَthen brought forth
بِهِۦtherewith
مِنَ[of]
ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِthe fruits
رِزْقًا(as) provision
لَّكُمْ‌ۖfor you.
فَلَاSo (do) not
تَجْعَلُواْset up
لِلَّهِto Allah
أَندَادًاrivals
وَأَنتُمْwhile you
تَعْلَمُونَ[you] know.
﴿٢٢﴾

يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعۡبُدُوۡا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَالَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ ۙ‏  الَّذِىۡ جَعَلَ لَـكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ فِرَاشًا وَّالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَّاَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَخۡرَجَ بِهٖ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ رِزۡقًا لَّـكُمۡ​ۚ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا وَّاَنۡـتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ‏ 
Translation
(2:21) O mankind,21 serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved.22 (2:22) It is He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from above wherewith He brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, set up rivals23 to Allah when you know (the Truth).
Commentary

21. Even though the message of the Qur'an is addressed to all, benefiting from it depends on ones willingness and on God's succour in relation to that willingness. This is why the Qur'an first explained which kind of people can and which kind of people cannot benefit from the Qur'an. As this has been explained in the foregoing verses, the quintessence of the message to which the Qur'an invites all mankind is now put forth.

22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next.

23. That is, when man recognizes that all those things were done by none but God, then worship, devotion and service must be exclusively for Him. For who besides the Creator can legitimately claim these things from man?

Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Qur'an itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Qur'an seeks to eradicate.