Transliteration:( Afahasibal lazeena kafarooo any yattakhizoo 'ibaadee min dooneee awliyaaa'; innaaa a'tadnaa jahannama lil kaafireena nuzulaa )
"Do then the infidels think [224], that they will make My bondsmen [225], as their supporters [226], beside Me? Indeed We have already prepared hell for the hospitality of the infidels [227]."
This verse criticizes the disbelievers, particularly the Jews and Christians, though it applies to all who wrongly associate partners with Allah. They falsely assume that they can take Allah’s servants as protectors or deities besides Him.
The “bondsmen” refers to those like Hazrat Isa (Jesus) and Hazrat Uzair, or even idols. All of them—whether righteous prophets or lifeless statues—are merely created beings, wholly submissive to Allah, and not worthy of worship.
The word "besides" implies a cut-off relationship. Those who are worshipped besides Allah are either:
Lifeless or powerless entities (like idols), completely cut off from Allah.
Prophets and saints who have been wrongly elevated to divine status by their followers, despite being true friends of Allah in reality.
These misattributions sever the connection between the people and true Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). Worshipping anyone—be it out of reverence or love—apart from Allah, nullifies faith and falls into shirk (polytheism).
Allah makes it clear that Hell has already been prepared for such disbelievers. Those who ascribe divinity to anyone besides Allah, even if it's a Prophet or a Saint, have violated the core of monotheism.
The saints and prophets themselves disown any worship directed toward them, and have no part in such deviant beliefs. Only Allah is to be worshipped, and His Prophets are to be followed, not deified.
The tafsir of Surah Kahf verse 102 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Kahf ayat 100 which provides the complete commentary from verse 100 through 102.
(18:102) Do the unbelievers,[74] then, believe that they can take any of My creatures as their guardians beside Me?[75] Verily We have prepared Hell to welcome the unbelievers.
74. This is the conclusion of the whole Surah and is not connected with the story of Zul-Qarnain only but with the subject matter of this Surah as a whole. That theme was enunciated at the beginning of the (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 1-8): The Prophet (peace be upon him) invited his people. (1) To give up shirk and adopt the doctrine of Tauhid instead. (2) To give up the worship of the world and to believe in the life of the Hereafter. But the chiefs of his people, who were puffed up with their wealth and grandeur, not only rejected his invitation but also persecuted and insulted those righteous people who had accepted his invitation. The discourse deals with the same themes and utilizes in an excellent manner the three stories which were related in answer to the questions put by the opponents of Islam as a test of his Prophethood.
75. That is, do they still stick to their presumption even after hearing all this and believe that their attitude will be profitable for them?
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