The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 792
CH. 37 AȘ-ṢĀFFĀT PT. 23 females while they were witnesses? 152. Now, surely it is one of their fabrications that they say, 153. 'Allah has begotten children;' and they are certainly liars. آمْ خَلَقْنَا الْمَلَيْكَةَ إِنَاثًا وَهُمْ شُهِدُونَ Did We create the angels. 151 أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِّنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ وَلَدَ اللهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَذِبُونَ اَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ تخف مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ) أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ أَمْ لَكُمُ سُلْطَنٌ مُّبِينٌ فَأْتُوْا بِكِثْبِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَدِقِيْنَ 154. "Has He chosen daughters in preference to sons?3359 155. What is the matter with you? How judge ye? 156. Will you not reflect?3359A 157. Or have you a clear authority? 158. Then produce your Book, if you are truthful. 3360 ª17:41; 37:151; 43:20; 52:40. 43:17; 53:22. 52:39. to idolatry. Among different peoples Shirk (ascribing Divine powers and attributes to beings and things other than God) has taken different forms. Some people worship forces of nature, others idols of stone, and yet others ascribe Divine powers angels, believing them to be God's daughters. It is this form of idolatry which was prevalent among the Arabs and in the Holy Prophet's time and which has been condemned here. 3359. Commentary: The verse means to say that all Shirk (idolatry), in whatever form it may be practised, is reprehensible, but to believe that God has preferred daughters to sons (a thing which 2706 disbelievers would not like for themselves), is nothing but foolish and condemnable. 3359A. Commentary: The verse seems to administer a rebuke to disbelievers in the words, "Cannot you understand this simple fact that the ascription of Divine powers and attributes to weak human beings, to the forces of nature, to inanimate things or even to angels who themselves have been created by God, offends against reason and is an insult to human intelligence?" 3360. Commentary: The verse purports to say that apart from human reason and intelligence