Surah Al-Ahqaf (الأحقاف) • The Wind-Curved Sandhills

Quran 46:28

46:28

فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا ءَالِهَةًۢ ۖ بَلْ ضَلُّوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ

falawlā naṣarahumu alladhīna ittakhadhū min dūni l-lahi qur'bānan ālihatan bal ḍallū ʿanhum wadhālika if'kuhum wamā kānū yaftarūna

Then why did those they took besides Allāh as deities by which to approach [Him] not aid them? But they had strayed [i.e., departed] from them. And that was their falsehood and what they were inventing.

— Saheeh International

so why did their gods not help them, those they set up as gods besides God to bring them nearer to Him? No indeed! They failed them utterly: it was all a lie of their own making.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Then why did those whom they had taken for âlihah (gods) besides Allâh, as a way of approach (to Allâh) not help them? Nay, but they vanished completely from them (when there came the torment). And that was their lie, and their inventions which they had been inventing (before their destruction).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 26Page 505meccan

Word by Word

فَلَوْلَاfalawlāThen why (did) not
نَصَرَهُمُnaṣarahumuhelp them
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose whom
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhūthey had taken
مِنminbesides
دُونِdūnibesides
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
قُرْبَانًاqur'bānangods as a way of approach
ءَالِهَةًۢۖālihatangods as a way of approach
بَلْbalNay
ضَلُّوا۟ḍallūthey were lost
عَنْهُمْۚʿanhumfrom them
وَذَٰلِكَwadhālikaAnd that
إِفْكُهُمْif'kuhum(was) their falsehood
وَمَاwamāand what
كَانُوا۟kānūthey were
يَفْتَرُونَyaftarūnainventing