( ما تعبدون من دونه ) أي : من دون الله ، وإنما ذكر بلفظ الجمع وقد ابتدأ الخطاب للاثنين لأنه أراد جميع أهل السجن ، وكل من هو على مثل حالهما من [ أهل ] الشرك ( إلا أسماء سميتموها ) آلهة وأربابا خالية عن المعنى لا حقيقة لتلك الأسماء ( أنتم وآباؤكم ما أنزل الله بها من سلطان ) حجة وبرهان ( إن الحكم ) ما القضاء والأمر والنهي ( إلا لله أمر ألا تعبدوا إلا إياه ذلك الدين القيم ) المستقيم ( ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون ) ثم فسر رؤياهما فقال : ( يا صاحبي السجن أما أحدكما ) .
Joseph told them that they only worshipped names besides Allah, which have not been designated by Allah, but were what they and their ancestors had called gods – yet they had no share in divinity. Allah had sent no proof showing that giving these names was correct. The command in all creation is Allah’s alone, and does not belong to these names, which they and their ancestors had come up with. Allah, glory be to Him, has instructed that you worship Him alone, and has forbidden that you should associate others with Him. Worshipping Allah alone is the straight path, which has no deviation in it. Most people do not know this, and therefore they associate other things with Allah, worshipping some of what Allah has created.