The people of ignorance used to attribute to Allah such things that are defects and flaws for Him, such as Allah having offspring, or being in need of anyone. This is because the Christians said that Jesus Christ is the son of Allah, and a group of Arabs said that angels are the daughters of Allah, and some philosophers believed in the creation of intellect. The Jews said that Uzair was the son of Allah, and so on. Allah Almighty has declared His essence free from these things and has negated all of them, as He said:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ ٭ اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ ٭ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٭ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
“Say: Allah is One, Allah is Self-Sufficient, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.”
And He said:
أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ ٭ وَلَدَ اللَّـهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
“See, they say a lie against Allah that He has offspring, and indeed they are liars.”
Also He said:
وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّـهِ شُرَكَاءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُوا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٭ بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“And those who associate jinn with Allah have made them partners, though He created them, and they have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above what they attribute. He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has no consort? He created all things and He has full knowledge of everything.”
This verse is general towards all such claims made by certain groups about this matter. For example, when Allah denied having a son for Himself, this denial includes all kinds of offspring claims, meaning not only Allah but whoever claims offspring for Allah. As He said regarding the claims of Jews and Christians about sonship:
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّـهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُمْ بِذُنُوبِكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ يَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلِلَّـهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ
“The Jews and the Christians say: ‘We are the sons of Allah and His beloved.’ Say: ‘Then why does He punish you for your sins?’ Nay, you are but His creatures. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and to Him is the return.”
There is a narration from Sadi that the Children of Israel said that Allah revealed to them that their boy is My first boy, and I will cast people into Hell, where they will remain for forty days; the fire will consume their sins and purify them, then a caller will announce: “Take out all circumcised Children of Israel from Hell.”
In refutation of this, Allah said:
مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّـهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَـهٍ
“Allah has not taken a son, nor is there any deity with Him.”
Also He said:
وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا
“And say: All praise is due to Allah, who has not taken a son, nor has He any partner in His dominion, nor is He in need of a protector because of weakness.”
Also He said:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا ٭ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
“Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion (Quran) upon His servant that he may be to the worlds a warner—He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has not taken a son and has no partner in dominion, and has created all things and determined them with precise determination.”
وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ ٭ لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ ٭ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى وَهُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ ٭ وَمَنْ يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّي إِلَـهٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَذَلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ
“And those they invoke besides Him do not possess power to intercede except for one whom He approves, and they are fearful of Him. And whoever of them says, ‘I am a god besides Him,’ We will recompense him with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.”
Also He said:
وَقَالَ اللَّـهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا إِلَـهَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ ٭ وَلَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الدِّينُ وَاصِبًا أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّـهِ تَتَّقُونَ ٭ وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّـهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ ٭ ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ الضُّرَّ عَنْكُمْ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْكُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ ٭لِيَكْفُرُوا بِمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ فَتَمَتَّعُوا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٭ وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيبًا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ تَاللَّـهِ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَفْتَرُونَ ٭ وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِلَّـهِ الْبَنَاتِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَلَهُمْ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ
“And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and to Him is the religion, steadfastly. Do you fear other than Allah? Whatever blessing you have is from Allah, then when harm touches you, to Him you cry aloud. Then when He removes the harm from you, a party of you associates others with their Lord, to disbelieve in what We have given them. So enjoy yourselves; soon you will know. And they assign to Allah daughters—Glory be to Him!—while they have what they desire for themselves.”
Furthermore He said:
ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَى إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّـهِ إِلَـهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَى فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَدْحُورًا ٭ أَفَأَصْفَاكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِالْبَنِينَ وَاتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنَاثًا إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا ٭ وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِي هَـذَا الْقُرْآنِ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا ٭ قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ آلِهَةٌ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذًا لَابْتَغَوْا إِلَى ذِي الْعَرْشِ سَبِيلًا
“Has your Lord chosen sons for Himself and taken from the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave statement. And We have certainly diversified in this Quran so they may be reminded, but it only increases them in aversion. Say: If there were other gods with Him as they say, then they would have sought a way to the Owner of the Throne.”
And He said:
فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ الْبَنُونَ ٭ أَمْ خَلَقْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِنَاثًا وَهُمْ شَاهِدُونَ ٭ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ ٭ وَلَدَ اللَّـهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ٭ أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ٭ مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ٭ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٭ أَمْ لَكُمْ سُلْطَانٌ مُبِينٌ ٭ ﴾ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابِكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ٭ وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ ٭ سُبْحَانَ اللَّـهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ٭ إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّـهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ٭ فَإِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ ٭ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ ٭ إِلَّا مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ
“Or did We create the angels females while they were witnesses? Indeed, they are, from their own falsehood, saying: ‘Allah has begotten.’ And indeed, they are liars. He has preferred the daughters over the sons. What is wrong with you? How do you judge? Do you not reflect? Or do you have a clear authority? Then bring your scripture if you should be truthful. And they have attributed to Him kinship with the jinn, while the jinn know that they will be brought before Him. Glory be to Allah above what they describe, except for His sincere servants. Indeed, you and what you worship are not able to mislead [Him], except the one who is to be thrown into Hellfire.”
And He said:
أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّى ٭ وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَى ٭ أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَى ٭ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى ٭ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى ٭ أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى ٭ فَلِلَّـهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَى ٭ وَكَمْ مِنْ مَلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ اللَّـهُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى ٭ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنْثَى
“Then Manat, the third, the other—Is for you the male and for Him the female? That, then, is an unfair division. Indeed, they are but names which you have named—yourselves and your forefathers—without authority from Allah. They follow not except assumption and what their souls desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance. Or is there for man whatever he wishes? But to Allah belongs the Hereafter and the first [life]. And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except after Allah permits whom He wills and approves. Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names.”
Also He said:
وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا
“And they assigned to Allah from His servants a portion.”
Some commentators say that here جُزْءًا means a portion, and others say the verse means that they assigned offspring to Allah. Qatadah and Muqatil say that جُزْءًا means عدلا, i.e., equal to Allah, and both opinions are correct because offspring are equal and similar to the father. That is why in Surah Az-Zukhruf verse 17 it is said:
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ مَثَلًا ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا
“And when there comes to them a sign from the Most Merciful, their faces become darkened, and they are filled with gloom.”
Meaning they considered daughters as equal to Allah and assigned a portion of Allah among His servants, because offspring are a part of the father, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
انما فاطمه بضعة مني Fatimah is a part of my body.
And the divine command is:
وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّـهِ شُرَكَاءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُوا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ
“And they have taken the devils as partners with Allah, and they have made them into sons and daughters without knowledge.”
Al-Kalbi said that this verse was revealed about the heretics who believed (God forbid) that Allah and Iblis are partners. Allah is the Creator of light, humans, and animals, and Iblis is the Creator of darkness, beasts, and snakes.
وجعلوا بينه وبين الجنة نسبا This means that these oppressors considered angels as daughters of Allah, and in the verse angels are called jinn because angels are unseen. This is the opinion of the famous commentators Mujahid and Qatadah. Some say that the jinn mentioned in the verse are a special kind of angels called jinn, among whom is Iblis. These kinds of angels were considered daughters of Allah.
Al-Kalbi said that these cursed ones believed that the jinn mentioned here are the lineage from which angels are born, and regarding the interpretation of verse خرقواله بنين وبنات بغير علم, some commentators say it refers to the Arab disbelievers who believed that angels and idols are daughters of Allah, and the Jews said that Uzair was the son of Allah, and the Arabs who believed that angels are daughters of Allah. They claimed (God forbid) that Allah married the jinn, from whom angels were born. Allah denied having a wife and offspring, refuting their belief because Allah is As-Samad (Self-Sufficient).
And verse ولم تكن له صاحبة states that He has no consort because birth occurs from the union of two origins, whether of essence or attributes, and the birth of essence happens when a part (a drop of semen) separates from the father’s body. Since it is impossible for Allah to have a wife, it is also impossible for Him to have offspring. Everyone knows that Allah has no wife, neither among angels, jinn, humans, nor among the Arab disbelievers. Thus, this verse is evidence against their claim.
As for the claim attributed to some Arab disbelievers that Allah (God forbid) married the jinn, it is clear that if they indeed said this, it has been refuted in many ways. Similarly, the claim of the Christians that Jesus Christ is the son of Allah, and the claim of a group of Jews that Uzair is the son of Allah, have also been refuted by Allah Almighty. This entire discussion is detailed in the book of Sheikh al-Islam, Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, “Al-Jawab As-Sahih liman Badal Din al-Masih,” and “Tafsir Surah Ikhlas,” among others.
