As-Saffat 37:153
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 451
أَصۡطَفَى ٱلۡبَنَاتِ عَلَى ٱلۡبَنِينَ ١٥٣
Has He chosen daughters over sons?
Tafsir · in Arabic
At-Tabari
Detailed · The early generations' views, with their chains.
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Commentary on 37:153
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ (153)
يقول تعالى ذكره موَبّخا هؤلاء القائلين لله البنات من مشركي قريش: ( أَصْطَفَى ) الله أيها القوم ( الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ ) ؟ والعرب إذا وجهوا الاستفهام إلى التوبيخ أثبتوا ألف الاستفهام أحيانا وطرحوها أحيانا، كما قيل: أَذْهَبْتُمْ بالقصر طَيِّبَاتِكُمْ فِي حَيَاتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا يستفهم بها، ولا يستفهم بها، والمعنى في الحالين واحد، وإذا لم يستفهم في قوله ( أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ ) ذهبت ألف اصطفى في الوصل، ويبتدأ بها بالكسر، وإذا استفهم فتحت وقطعت.
وقد ذُكر عن بعض أهل المدينة أنه قرأ ذلك بترك الاستفهام والوصل. فأما قرّاء الكوفة والبصرة، فإنهم في ذلك على قراءته بالاستفهام، وفتح ألفه في الأحوال كلها، وهي القراءة التي نختار لإجماع الحجة من القرّاء عليها.
Page 451
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?