وَٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةًۭ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
But they have taken besides Allah [false] deities that perhaps they would be helped.
Translation · Saheeh International
Tafsir
Ibn Kathīr (abridged)
The gods of the Idolators are not able to help Them
Allah denounces the idolators for taking the idols as gods alongside Allah, hoping that those gods will help them and provide for them and bring them closer to Allah. Allah says:
لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ
(They cannot help them,) meaning, those gods cannot help their worshippers; they are too weak, too insignificant and too powerless. Rather they cannot even help themselves or take revenge on those who want to harm them, because they are inanimate and can neither hear nor comprehend. Allah's saying:
وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُندٌ مٌّحْضَرُونَ
(but they will be brought forward as a troop.) means, at the time of Reckoning according to the view of Mujahid. This means that those idols will be gathered together and will be present when their worshippers are brought to account, as this will add to their grief and will be more effective in establishing proof against them. Qatadah said:
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