Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 18 Al-Kahf, Ayat 51-52

مَّاۤ اَشۡهَدْتُّهُمۡ خَلۡقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَلَا خَلۡقَ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ وَمَا كُنۡتُ مُتَّخِذَ الۡمُضِلِّيۡنَ عَضُدًا‏ ﴿18:51﴾ وَيَوۡمَ يَقُوۡلُ نَادُوۡا شُرَكَآءِىَ الَّذِيۡنَ زَعَمۡتُمۡ فَدَعَوۡهُمۡ فَلَمۡ يَسۡتَجِيۡبُوۡا لَهُمۡ وَجَعَلۡنَا بَيۡنَهُمۡ مَّوۡبِقًا‏ ﴿18:52﴾

(18:51) I did not call them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor in their own creation.49 I do not seek the aid of those who lead people astray. (18:52) What will such people do on the Day when the Lord will say: "Now call upon all those whom you believed to be My partners?"50 Thereupon they will call upon them, but they will not respond to their call; and We shall make them a common pit of doom,51


Notes

49. This thing has been asserted to impress on the disbelievers that the satans were not entitled to their submission and worship, for they had no share at all in the creation of the heavens and the earth, nay, they themselves were the creation of Allah: therefore Allah alone was worthy of worship.

50. This theme has already been stated at several places in the Quran. This is to impress that it is shirk to discard the commandments and the guidance of Allah and to follow the orders and guidance of any other than Allah, though one may not be professing with his tongue that there is any partner of Allah: nay, if one might be cursing others but at the same time following their orders instead of divine commandments, even then that one shall be guilty of shirk. For instance, we see that everyone in this world curses satans but still follows them. According to the Quran, in spite of cursing them, if people follow satans, they shall be guilty of setting up satans as partners with Allah. Though this will not be shirk in so many words, it will be tantamount to the practice of shirk and the Quran denounces this as shirk.

51. Generally the commentators have assigned two meanings to this. The one is the same that we have adopted in our translation and the other is this: We will cause enmity between them. That is: Their friendship in this world shall be turned into bitter enmity in the Hereafter.