Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:43

أم لهم آلهة تمنعهم من دوننا

Or have they gods who can guard them from Us! This is a rhetorical question aimed at denouncing and rebuking. The meaning is, do they have any gods who can protect them and take care of them other than Us. It is not as they imagine or as they claim. Allah says:

ﻻ يستطيعون نصر أنفسهم

They have no power to help themselves, these gods on whom they rely instead of Allah cannot even help themselves.

وﻻ هم منا يصحبون

nor can they be protected from Us. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas, "Nor can they be guarded from Us.''