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Surah Al-Mu'minun

Surah Al-Mu'minun, Ayah 91

Quran 23:91 · The Believers · Makki · Para 18 · Page 348

Read in contextPage 348

Translations

Tafsir

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مَا اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ مِنْ وَّلَدٍ وَّمَا كَانَ مَعَهٗ مِنْ اِلٰهٍ اِذًا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ اِلٰهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلٰی بَعْضٍ ؕ سُبْحٰنَ اللّٰهِ عَمَّا یَصِفُوْنَ ۟ۙ

Transliteration

Ma ittakhatha Allahumin waladin wama kana maAAahu min ilahin ithanlathahaba kullu ilahin bima khalaqa walaAAalabaAAduhum AAala baAAdin subhana AllahiAAamma yasifoon

Saheeh International

Allāh has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have [sought to] overcome others. Exalted is Allāh above what they describe [concerning Him].

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir

Allah has not taken a child as the disbelievers claim, nor is there any true deity alongside Him. If there were to be any true deity alongside Him, every deity would take his share of the creation he made and they would dominate one another, causing the order of the Universe to become corrupt. The reality is that none of this has occurred, proving that the true deity is Allah alone. He is pure and holy of what the idolaters describe Him with, namely partners and children which are unbefitting for Him.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 23:91–23:92

No son (or offspring) did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him. (If there had been many gods), then each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allah above all that they attribute to Him (91)All-Knower of the unseen and the seen! Exalted be He over all that they associate as partners to Him (92)

Allah Has No Partner or Associate

Allah declares Himself to be above having any child or partner in dominion, control and worship. He says:

مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ ۚ إِذًا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَٰهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ

(No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him. (If there had been many gods), then each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others.) meaning, if it were decreed that there should be a plurality of deities, each of them would have exclusive control over whatever he had created, so there would never be any order in the universe. But what we see is that the universe is ordered and cohesive, with the upper and lower realms connected to one another in the most perfect fashion.

مَّا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِن تَفَاوُتٍ

(you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious)(67:3). Moreover, if there were a number of gods, each of them would try to subdue the other with enmity, and one would prevail over the other. This has been mentioned by the scholars of 'Ilm-ul-Kalam, who discussed it using the evidence of mutual resistance or counteraction. This idea states that if there were two or more creators, one would want to make a body move while the other would want to keep it immobile, and if neither of them could achieve what they wanted, then both would be incapable, but the One Whose existence is essential [i.e., Allah] cannot be incapable. It is impossible for the will of both to be fulfilled because of the conflict. This dilemma only arises when a plurality of gods is suggested, so it is impossible for there to be such a plurality, because if the will of one is fulfilled and not the other, the one who prevails will be the one whose existence is essential (i.e., God) and the one who is prevailed over will be merely possible (i.e., he is not divine), because it is not befitting for the one to be defeated whose existence is essential. Allah says:

وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

(and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allah above all that they attribute to Him!) meaning, high above all that the stubborn wrongdoers say when they claim that He has a son or partner.

عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ

(All-Knower of the unseen and the seen!) means, He knows what is hidden from His creatures and what they see.

فَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Exalted be He over all that they associate as partners to Him!) means, sanctified and glorified and exalted be He above all that the wrongdoers and liars say.

Mishari Rashid al-`Afasy0:00

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