وَجَعَلُوا۟ لَهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ جُزْءًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌ مُّبِينٌ 15
Translations
But they have attributed to Him from His servants a portion. Indeed, man is clearly ungrateful.
Transliteration
Wa ja'alu lahu min 'ibadihi juz'an. Inna al-insana lakafurun mubeen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the pagan Arabs who attributed children to Allah, specifically claiming that angels (whom they considered Allah's servants) were daughters of Allah. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this represents the gravest form of shirk (associating partners with Allah), as the pagans both denied Allah's oneness and made false claims about His divine nature. The ayah concludes that humanity is deeply ungrateful and clearly manifest in this ingratitude, rejecting the clear signs of Allah's unity.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a Meccan surah that directly addresses the idolatrous beliefs of the Quraysh. The broader context (43:15-19) specifically refutes the pagan practice of assigning female offspring to Allah while keeping male children for themselves—a contradiction that highlights their irrationality and injustice in their religious beliefs.
Related Hadiths
The theme relates to a hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned that among the greatest sins is to associate partners with Allah and to attribute daughters to Him while keeping sons for oneself. This practice was particularly condemned as it reflected both theological error and social injustice.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers to guard against subtle forms of shirk and to reflect on how we sometimes contradict our beliefs through our actions and statements. It teaches us to be grateful for Allah's guidance and to recognize the clear signs of His oneness in creation.