Calling upon others apart from God
يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ
yadʿūna min dūnihi — they call upon, apart from Him
The fixed frame 'call upon X apart from Y' recurs across the verses with shifting subjects, addressees and objects, and in each case the frame sets the called-upon parties apart from Allah; in most cases the verse then denies them something (any reality, response, ownership, decree or help), while the remaining verses challenge, quote a rejection, specify the fillers or forbid reviling them.
The frame consists of a verb from the root د ع و followed by the preposition مِن and the noun دُون, 'apart from', whose genitive complement varies: ٱللَّه (10:66, 19:48, 35:40, 46:4, 6:108, 7:194), a 3MS pronoun referring to Allah (13:14, 22:62, 29:42, 35:13, 40:20, 4:117, 7:197), and a 2MS pronoun in the speech of those who joined others (16:86). The verb's subject also varies: 3MP يَدْعُونَ (10:66, 13:14, 22:62, 29:42, 40:20, 4:117, 6:108), 2MP تَدْعُونَ (19:48, 35:13, 35:40, 46:4, 7:194, 7:197), and 1P نَدْعُوا۟ in the quoted admission (16:86). In every occurrence the frame marks the called-upon parties as outside Allah; in most of them the verse then denies them something: they follow only conjecture (10:66), do not respond (13:14), are the nullity (22:62), do not own even a qitmeer (35:13), do not decree anything (40:20), are servants like the addressees (7:194), and cannot help (7:197). Two verses turn the frame into a challenge: 'Show me' (35:40, 46:4). One verse reports the partners themselves rejecting the claim (16:86), and one forbids reviling the called-upon parties lest Allah be reviled in return (6:108).
Where it occurs
- 10:66 States that what those who call upon others apart from Allah follow is nothing but conjecture.
- 13:14 Contrasts the true call belonging to Him with those called upon apart from Him who do not respond.
- 16:86 Quotes those who joined others admitting they used to call upon partners apart from Him; the partners then call them liars.
- 19:48 A speaker withdraws from what the addressees call upon apart from Allah and calls upon his Lord instead.
- 22:62 Declares that what they call upon apart from Him is the nullity, while Allah is the Reality.
- 29:42 States that Allah knows whatever they call to apart from Him of anything.
- 35:13 States that those whom you call upon apart from Him do not own even a qitmeer, while to Him belongs the dominion.
- 35:40 Frames a challenge: 'Show me' what the partners called upon apart from Allah have created.
- 40:20 Contrasts Allah, who decrees with the truth, with those called upon apart from Him who do not decree anything.
- 46:4 Frames a challenge to show what those called upon apart from Allah have created, or to bring a prior book or trace of knowledge.
- 4:117 Specifies the fillers: they call, apart from Him, upon none but females and a defiant satan.
- 6:108 Forbids reviling those whom they call upon apart from Allah, lest Allah be reviled in hostility without knowledge.
- 7:194 Identifies those called upon apart from Allah as servants like the addressees, and dares them to call and be answered.
- 7:197 States that those called upon apart from Him cannot help the callers nor themselves.
All Qur'anic expressions