أَوَمَن يُنَشَّؤُا۟ فِى ٱلْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ 18
Translations
So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allāh]?
Transliteration
Awa man yunashaʾu fil-hilyati wa huwa fil-khisami ghayru mubīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the absurdity of those who associate daughters with Allah, describing how women are raised adorned with jewelry yet are inarticulate in disputes and arguments. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as a rhetorical critique of the pagan Arabs who preferred daughters for themselves yet attributed daughters to Allah—highlighting the inconsistency and illogicality of their polytheistic beliefs. The ayah emphasizes that if they truly valued daughters, they would not reject them as divine attributes for God, and conversely, their dismissal of female offspring as inferior makes their theological position even more contradictory.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Az-Zukhruf (Chapter 43), a Meccan surah that comprehensively refutes polytheism and idol worship. The broader context (verses 15-18) addresses the pagan practice of attributing daughters to Allah while rejecting daughters for themselves, which was considered shameful in pre-Islamic Arabian society. This passage serves as a logical argument demonstrating the irrationality of their religious beliefs.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific ayah, Hadith Qudsi emphasizes Allah's rejection of such associations: 'The most grievous sin is when someone equates something with Me' (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, hadiths praising the rights and dignity of daughters are thematically relevant, such as: 'Whoever has daughters and treats them well will enter Paradise' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to examine the logical consistency of our beliefs and to recognize how societal prejudices can blind us to truth; it also reminds us that dignity and worth are not determined by gender, and that all humans deserve respect and proper articulation of their rights before Allah.