As-Saffat 37:151
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 451
أَلَآ إِنَّهُم مِّنۡ إِفۡكِهِمۡ لَيَقُولُونَ ١٥١
Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say,
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Commentary on 37:149–160
Refutation of Those Who attribute Children to Allah and say that the Angels are His Daughters
Allah denounces those idolators who attribute daughters to Allah -- exalted be He above that -- and attributed to themselves what they desired, i.e., they wanted male offspring to themselves.
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالاٍّنْثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
(And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief!) (16:58), i.e., that upsets him, and he would only choose sons for himself. Allah says: `Then how can they attribute to Allah the share that they would not choose for themselves' Allah says:
فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ
(Now ask them) means, quiz them by way of denunciation,
أَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ الْبَنُونَ
(Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them) This is like the Ayah:
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الاٍّنثَى - تِلْكَ إِذاً قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى
(Is it for you the males and for Him the females That indeed is a division most unfair!) (53:21-22).
أَمْ خَلَقْنَا الْمَلَئِكَةَ إِنَثاً وَهُمْ شَهِدُونَ
(Or did We create the angels female while they were witnesses) means, how did they decide that the angels are female when they did not witness their creation This is like the Ayah:
وَجَعَلُواْ الْمَلَئِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَثاً أَشَهِدُواْ خَلْقَهُمْ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَدَتُهُمْ وَيُسَْلُونَ
(And they make the angels females who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!) (43:19), which means, they will be questioned about that on the Day of Resurrection.
أَلاَ إِنَّهُم مِّنْ إِفْكِهِمْ
(Verily, it is of their falsehood) means, it is a part of the lies they tell.
لَيَقُولُونَوَلَدَ اللَّهُ
(that they say: "Allah has begotten.") meaning, that offspring have been born to Him.
وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَذِبُونَ
(And verily, they are liars!) Allah mentions three of the things they said about the angels, which formed the utmost disbelief and falsehood. They said that they were the daughters of Allah and that Allah had offspring -- exalted and sanctified be He above that. Then they made these offspring female, then they worshipped them instead of Allah, exalted and sanctified be He -- any of which on its own would be sufficient to condemn them to spend eternity in Hell. Then Allah says, denouncing them:
أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ
(Has He (then) chosen daughters rather than sons) meaning, what would make Him choose daughters rather than sons This is like the Ayah,
أَفَأَصْفَكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِالْبَنِينَ وَاتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْمَلَئِكَةِ إِنَاثًا إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلاً عَظِيمًا
(Has then your Lord preferred for you sons, and taken for Himself from among the angels daughters Verily, you indeed utter an awful saying.) (17:40) Allah says:
مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
(What is the matter with you How do you decide) meaning, `what kind of reasoning makes you say that'
أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ - أَمْ لَكُمْ سُلْطَنٌ مُّبِينٌ
(Will you not then remember Or is there for you a plain authority) means, `evidence to prove what you say.'
فَأْتُواْ بِكِتَبِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَدِقِينَ
(Then bring your Book if you are truthful!) means, `produce evidence for that derived from a Book revealed from heaven by Allah, to prove that He has taken what you say (i.e., offspring). What you say is totally irrational.'
وَجَعَلُواْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَباً
(And they have invented a kinship between Him and the Jinn,) Mujahid said, "The idolators said that the angels were the daughters of Allah. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `Then who are their mothers' They said, `The daughters of the leaders of the Jinn."' Qatadah and Ibn Zayd also said this. Allah -- may He be blessed and exalted -- says:
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الجِنَّةُ
(but the jinn know) meaning, those to whom this is attributed
إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ
(know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him).) means, that those who say that will be brought forth for punishment on the Day of Reckoning, because of the lies and falsehood that they uttered without knowledge.
سُبْحَنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
(Glorified be Allah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him!) means, exalted, sanctified and glorified be He far above having any offspring and far above what the wrongdoers and heretics attribute to Him.
إِلاَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
(Except the servants of Allah, whom He chooses.) The pronoun in the verb translated as "they attribute" refers to all of mankind, then He excludes those whom He chooses, who are the ones who follow the truth revealed to every Prophet who was sent.
فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ - مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَتِنِينَ - إِلاَّ مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ - وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلاَّ لَهُ مَقَامٌ مَّعْلُومٌ - وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الصَّآفُّونَ - وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الْمُسَبِّحُونَ - وَإِن كَانُواْ لَيَقُولُونَ - لَوْ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكْراً مِّنَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ
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37:127
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَمُحۡضَرُونَ ١٢٧
And they denied him, so indeed, they will be brought [for punishment],
37:128
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٢٨
Except the chosen servants of Allāh.
37:129
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ١٢٩
And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
37:130
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلۡ يَاسِينَ ١٣٠
"Peace upon Elias."1
1 translator’s note
- Ilyāseen is said by some commentators to be a plural form, meaning "Elias and those who followed him." ↩
37:131
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٣١
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:132
إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٣٢
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
37:133
وَإِنَّ لُوطٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٣٣
And indeed, Lot was among the messengers.
37:134
إِذۡ نَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ أَجۡمَعِينَ ١٣٤
[So mention] when We saved him and his family, all,
37:135
إِلَّا عَجُوزٗا فِي ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ ١٣٥
Except an old woman [i.e., his wife] among those who remained [with the evildoers].
37:136
ثُمَّ دَمَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ ١٣٦
Then We destroyed the others.
37:137
وَإِنَّكُمۡ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيۡهِم مُّصۡبِحِينَ ١٣٧
And indeed, you pass by them in the morning
37:138
وَبِٱلَّيۡلِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ١٣٨
And at night. Then will you not use reason?
37:139
وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٣٩
And indeed, Jonah was among the messengers.
37:140
إِذۡ أَبَقَ إِلَى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ ١٤٠
[Mention] when he ran away to the laden ship.
37:141
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُدۡحَضِينَ ١٤١
And he drew lots1 and was among the losers.
1 translator’s note
- To determine who would be cast overboard in order to save the other passengers. Having been overloaded, the ship was on the verge of sinking. ↩
37:142
فَٱلۡتَقَمَهُ ٱلۡحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٞ ١٤٢
Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy.1
1 translator’s note
- For having given up hope on his people prematurely and having left them without permission from Allāh. ↩
37:143
فَلَوۡلَآ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحِينَ ١٤٣
And had he not been of those who exalt Allāh,
37:144
لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطۡنِهِۦٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ١٤٤
He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.1
1 translator’s note
- Meaning that the belly of the fish would have become his grave. ↩
37:145
۞ فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٞ ١٤٥
But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.
37:146
وَأَنۢبَتۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ شَجَرَةٗ مِّن يَقۡطِينٖ ١٤٦
And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.1
1 translator’s note
- Which is known to give cooling shade and to be a repellent of flies. ↩
37:147
وَأَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِاْئَةِ أَلۡفٍ أَوۡ يَزِيدُونَ ١٤٧
And We sent him1 to [his people of] a hundred thousand or more.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., returned him thereafter. ↩
37:148
فَـَٔامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ١٤٨
And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment [of life] for a time.
37:149
فَٱسۡتَفۡتِهِمۡ أَلِرَبِّكَ ٱلۡبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ ٱلۡبَنُونَ ١٤٩
So inquire of them, [O Muḥammad], "Does your Lord have daughters while they have sons?1
1 translator’s note
- The people of Makkah claimed that the angels were daughters of Allāh, yet they preferred sons for themselves. ↩
37:150
أَمۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ إِنَٰثٗا وَهُمۡ شَٰهِدُونَ ١٥٠
Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?"
37:151
أَلَآ إِنَّهُم مِّنۡ إِفۡكِهِمۡ لَيَقُولُونَ ١٥١
Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say,
37:152
وَلَدَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ١٥٢
"Allāh has begotten," and indeed, they are liars.
37:153
أَصۡطَفَى ٱلۡبَنَاتِ عَلَى ٱلۡبَنِينَ ١٥٣
Has He chosen daughters over sons?
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy