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What is the correct interpretation of the Almighty’s saying: (while you know) in Surat Al-Baqarah, given that its object is omitted?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

The noble verse "So do not set up rivals unto Allah when you know" is interpreted as a general command for all people to worship Allah alone, believe His word, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. The obligation to worship Him alone is supported by the fact that He is the Lord who created you and those before you, and bestowed upon you apparent and hidden blessings, such as making the earth a resting place and the heaven a canopy, and sending down water from the sky to bring forth fruits as a provision for you.

Therefore, it is not permissible for you to set up equals or likenesses to Allah from among creation, whom you worship or love as you love Allah, while you know that He has no partner in creation, sustenance, or governance.

The verse also combines the command to worship Allah alone and the prohibition of worshipping anyone else, along with a clear proof of the obligation to worship Him and the invalidity of worshipping others. As for "that you may become righteous," it means that your worship of Allah alone is a reason for guarding against His wrath and punishment, and by it you become among the righteous.

Grammatical analysis of "So do not set up rivals unto Allah": "So" (فلا) the fa is for causation, "not" (لا) is a prohibitive particle, "set up" (تجعلوا) is a jussive verb with the omission of the nun, "unto Allah" (لله) is a prepositional phrase (jar majrur) in the accusative case as a preposed second object, "rivals" (أندادًا) is the first object in the accusative case. This clause is a causal clause with no grammatical position.

Grammatical analysis of "when you know": "The waw" (الواو) is for the state, "you" (أنتم) is a separate pronoun functioning as a subject, "know" (تعلمون) is a verb and its subject, and the verbal clause is the predicate of the subject, and the clause "when you know" (وأنتم تعلمون) is in the accusative case as a circumstantial clause (حال).

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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