وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًا 88
Translations
And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son."
Transliteration
Wa qalū ittakhādha ar-Rahmānu waladan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the false claim of the disbelievers and those who associated partners with Allah, asserting that the Most Merciful (ar-Rahmān) has taken a child or offspring. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this statement represents one of the gravest forms of shirk (polytheism), whether directed at Allah or applied to the creation of Jesus Christ by Christian communities. The ayah presents their claim as utterly absurd and incompatible with Allah's absolute transcendence and perfection.
Revelation Context
Surah Maryam addresses Christian beliefs about Jesus being the son of God, as well as pagan Arab claims about angels being daughters of Allah. This ayah appears within a series of refutations of such false claims, establishing the theological foundation for understanding Jesus's true status as a messenger and human servant of Allah, not a divine offspring.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, 'Whoever says that Allah has a son has uttered a dreadful word' relates to the theme of this ayah's refutation of such claims.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to firmly reject false theological claims about Allah's nature and to understand that attributing offspring or human characteristics to the Divine represents a fundamental denial of His absolute transcendence. For modern Muslims, it reinforces the importance of maintaining pure monotheism and understanding Islamic theology correctly in interfaith contexts.
Related Ayahs
قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ
[Moses] said, "The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced."
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ ٱلْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allāh? Little do you remember.
۞ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ
And Allāh has said, "Do not take for yourselves two deities. He [i.e., Allāh] is but one God, so fear only Me."
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ
And for every [religious] community We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allāh over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muḥammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]