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
شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Allāh witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
ءَأَنتُمْ تَخْلُقُونَهُۥٓ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ
Is it you who creates it, or are We the Creator?
إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.