According to the Quran, calling upon anyone or anything besides God—whether in prayer, supplication, or hope—is a grave act of association (shirk), signifying the attribution of partners to God. This act directly contradicts the Quran’s foundational principle of strict monotheism.
This article is a summary of the Quranic verses addressing the concept of “du‘ā” ( دُعَاء)—the act of imploring, invoking, or calling upon. These verses highlight the unwavering emphasis that in the religion, this act should be exclusive for God alone. Whether one is lost at sea, surrounded by stormy waves, or simply navigating the turbulent waters of life, a true believer’s imploring must be exclusively for God alone, as He is the only One who can harm or benefit us. To call upon other than God is to have faith in other than God and place trust in the creation instead of the Creator.
These Quranic verses remind us that all supplication, reliance, and worship belong solely to God. To implore anyone else—whether alongside God or in place of Him—is an act of idol worship that nullifies one’s deeds and leads to Hell. As Abraham declared with unwavering conviction:
19:48 “ I abandon you and what you call from beside GOD. I will implore only my Lord. By imploring my Lord alone, I cannot go wrong. “
72:18 The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call anyone with GOD.
When GOD’s servant stood up calling on Him alone, almost all of them banded together to oppose him.
Say, “Only I call upon my Lord; I never associate partners with Him.”
4:116 GOD does not forgive idol worship (shirk), and He forgives lesser offenses for whomever He wills. Anyone who associates partners with GOD has strayed far astray.
4:117 Indeed they call from beside Him female (idols); as a matter of fact, they only call a rebellious devil.
40:12 This is because when GOD ALONE was invoked, you disbelieved, but when others were associated with Him, you believed. Therefore, GOD’s judgment has been issued; He is the Most High, the Great.
40:13 He is the One who continuously shows you His proofs, and sends down to you from the sky provisions. Only those who totally submit will be able to take heed.
40:14 Therefore, you shall implore God ALONE exclusively devoted to Him the religion, even if the disbelievers dislike it.
35:40 Say, “Consider the idols you call beside God; show me what on earth have they created.” Do they own any partnership in the heavens? Have we given them a book wherein there is no doubt? Indeed, what the transgressors promise one another is no more than an illusion.
40:73 They will be asked, “ Where is what you used to associate,
40:74 beside GOD?” They will say, “They have abandoned us. In fact, when we implored them, we were upon nothing.” Thus does GOD send the disbelievers astray.
6:56 Say, “ I am forbidden from worshiping what you invoke besides GOD.” Say, “I will not follow your opinions. Otherwise, I will go astray, and not be guided.”
26:72 He said, “Can they hear you when you implore?
26:73 “Can they benefit you, or harm you?”
26:74 They said, “No; but we found our parents doing this.”
26:75 He said, “Do you see these idols that you worship.
26:76 You and your ancestors.
26:77 I am against them, for I am devoted only to the Lord of the universe.
26:78 The One who created me, and guided me.”
6:71 Say, “ Shall we implore, beside GOD, what possesses no power to benefit us or hurt us, and turn back on our heels after GOD has guided us? In that case, we would join those possessed by the devils, and rendered utterly confused, while their friends try to invite them to the guidance: ‘Stay with us on the right path.'” Say, “GOD’s guidance is the right guidance. We are commanded to submit to the Lord of the universe.
17:56 Say, “ Implore whatever idols you have set up beside Him.” They have no power to relieve your afflictions, nor can they prevent them.
17:57 Even the idols that they implore are seeking the ways and means (ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ) towards their Lord. They hope for His mercy, and fear His retribution. Surely, the retribution of your Lord is dreadful.
22:12 He calls beside GOD what possesses no power to harm him or benefit him; such is the real straying.
22:13 He calls what is more apt to harm him than benefit him. What a miserable lord! What a miserable companion!
35:18 No soul can carry the sins of another soul. If a soul that is loaded with sins implores another to bear part of its load, no other soul can carry any part of it, even if they were related. The only people to heed your warnings are those who reverence their Lord, even when alone in their privacy, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat). Whoever purifies his soul, does so for his own good. To God is the final destiny.
39:38 If you ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will say, “GOD.” Say, “Why then do you invoke from beside GOD? If GOD willed any adversity for me, can they relieve such an adversity? And if He willed a blessing for me, can they prevent such a blessing?” Say, “GOD is sufficient for me.” In Him the trusters shall trust.
7:29 Say, “ My Lord advocates justice, and to stand devoted to Him alone at every place of worship. You shall exclusively implore Him alone in the religion. Just as He initiated you, you will ultimately go back to Him.”
40:65 He is the Living; there is no god except He. You shall implore Him alone, exclusively devoting the religion. Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.
10:22 He is the One who moves you across the land and sea. You get onto the ships, and they sail smoothly in nice breeze. Then, while rejoicing therein, violent wind blows, and the waves surround them from every side. This is when they implore GOD, sincerely devoting the religion to Him alone: “If You only save us this time, we will be eternally appreciative.”
31:32 When violent waves surround them, they implore GOD, sincerely devoting the religion to Him alone. But as soon as He saves them to the shore, some of them revert. None discards our revelations except those who are betrayers, unappreciative.
7:37 Who is more evil than those who invent lies about GOD, or reject His revelations? These will get their share, in accordance with the scripture, then, when our messengers come to terminate their lives, they will say, “Where are the idols you used to implore beside GOD?” They will say, “They have abandoned us.” They will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.
40:73 They will be asked, “ Where are the idols you used to associate,
40:74 beside GOD?” They will say, “They have abandoned us. In fact, when we implored them, we were upon nothing.” Thus does GOD send the disbelievers astray.
46:5 Who is farther astray than those who call beside GOD who can never respond to them until the Day of Resurrection and are totally unaware of their calling?
13:14 Imploring Him is the only truth (legitimate supplication), while the idols they implore beside Him, cannot ever respond in anything. Thus, they are like those who stretch their hands to the water, but nothing reaches their mouths. The supplications of the disbelievers are in vain.
35:13 He merges the night into the day, and merges the day into the night. He has committed the sun and the moon to run for a predetermined period of time. Such is GOD your Lord; to Him belongs all kingship. Those you call from beside Him do not possess as much as a seed’s shell.
35:14 I f you call on them, they cannot hear you. Even if they hear you, they cannot respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your your idol worship. None can inform you like the Most Cognizant.
22:73 O people, here is a parable that you must ponder carefully: the idols you invoke beside GOD can never create a fly, even if they banded together to do so. Furthermore, if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it; weak is the pursuer and the pursued.
46:4 Say, “Consider what you call beside GOD. Show me what on earth did they create. Do they own part of the heavens? Show me any other scripture before this one, or any piece of established knowledge (that supports your idolatry), if you are truthful.”
35:40 Say, “Consider the idols you call beside God; show me what on earth have they created.” Do they own any partnership in the heavens? Have we given them a book wherein there is no doubt? Indeed, what the transgressors promise one another is no more than an illusion.
10:66 Absolutely, to GOD belongs everyone in the heavens and everyone on earth. Those who call partners from beside GOD are following nothing except conjecture. They only guess.
40:66 Say, “I have been enjoined from calling from what you call from beside God when the clear revelations came to me from my Lord. I was commanded to submit to the Lord of the universe.”
6:56 Say, “ I am forbidden from worshiping what you invoke besides GOD.” Say, “I will not follow your opinions. Otherwise, I will go astray, and not be guided.”