لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِّلَّهِ وَلَا ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا 172
Translations
Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allāh, nor would the angels near [to Him]. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant - He will gather them to Himself all together.
Transliteration
Lan yastankif al-masih an yakun abdan lillah wa la al-mala'ikah al-muqarrabun. Wa man yastankif an ibadatih wa yastakbir fa-sayahshuruhum ilayh jami'a
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the Christian claim of Christ's divinity by emphasizing that 'Isa (Jesus) himself would never disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels closest to Allah. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this demonstrates the absolute servitude of all creation to Allah, including the most honored beings. The ayah concludes with a stern warning that those who reject this truth and arrogantly refuse to worship Allah alone will be gathered before Him on the Day of Judgment to face His reckoning.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the section of Surah An-Nisa addressing theological disputes with the People of the Book (Christians and Jews), particularly regarding the nature of 'Isa (Jesus). The broader context (4:171-172) directly addresses Christian claims about Christ's divinity and his relationship to Allah, presenting Islamic monotheism as the correct understanding.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, the hadith emphasizing that 'Isa will himself deny any claims of divinity on the Day of Judgment is thematically related to this ayah's message about his servitude.
Themes
Key Lesson
True honor and nobility lie in humble servitude to Allah alone, not in pride or claims to divinity. The ayah teaches that rejecting monotheism and arrogantly refusing to acknowledge Allah's oneness invites divine punishment, while submission to Allah elevates even the most honored creatures in creation.