وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ٱلْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ ۖ وَخَرَقُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَنِينَ وَبَنَـٰتٍۭ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ 100
Translations
But they have attributed to Allāh partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.
Transliteration
Wa ja'alu lilLahi shurakaa'a al-jinna wa khalaqahum, wa kharaqoo lahu banina wa banatin bighayri 'ilm. Subhanahu wa ta'ala 'amma yasfun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the polytheists of Mecca who associated the jinn as partners with Allah in worship, despite Allah being their Creator. Ibn Kathir explains that the Quraysh attributed false offspring (sons and daughters) to Allah without any knowledge or evidence, which is an absurd claim that contradicts divine perfection. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the ayah serves to exonerate Allah from such false attributions through the phrase 'Subhanahu wa ta'ala' (Glorified and Exalted is He), highlighting the vast distance between Allah's perfect nature and the baseless claims of the idolaters.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period when the pagan Arabs of Mecca engaged in rampant shirk (polytheism). It addresses their specific belief that jinn possessed divine authority and their false claim that angels were daughters of Allah. The broader context of Surah Al-An'am emphasizes tawhid (monotheism) and refutes various forms of polytheistic practices prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (4:54:445) where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The most grievous sin is to associate partners with Allah,' directly relates to the prohibition mentioned in this ayah. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the severity of shirk reinforces the importance of this Quranic message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that associating partners with Allah in worship or attributing false characteristics to Him is fundamentally irrational and sinful, regardless of how widespread such beliefs may be in society. Muslims should recognize that true knowledge comes from revelation, not from cultural traditions or false claims, and should steadfastly maintain belief in Allah's absolute oneness and perfect attributes.