أَمْ لَكُمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ مُّبِينٌ 156
Translations
Or do you have a clear authority?
Transliteration
Am lakum sultanun mubin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is Allah's rhetorical challenge to the polytheists who claimed that angels are the daughters of Allah, asking them: 'Do you have any clear authority or proof for this claim?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Allah is refuting their baseless assertions about the divine nature and attributes, demanding evidence for their false doctrines. The word 'sultan' (authority/proof) emphasizes that they possess no valid scriptural or rational basis for their idolatrous beliefs.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the broader context of Surah As-Saffat, which condemns polytheistic beliefs and false claims about Allah's attributes. Specifically, it refutes the pagan Arabian belief that angels—or jinn—were daughters of Allah, a notion that contradicted monotheistic truth. The surah systematically dismantles these false beliefs through logical questioning.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific ayah, Surah An-Nahl 16:57 contains related themes about the same false belief. The general principle relates to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized that claims of knowledge require clear proof (bayyinah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to demand clear evidence before accepting religious claims and reminds us that false beliefs crumble under logical scrutiny. In our contemporary context, it encourages Muslims to base their faith on authentic sources and rational foundations rather than unfounded assumptions or cultural traditions.