Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 88

(Ayah 88 to 95) ➊ The relevance to the previous verses is that when intercession was negated, and the greatest right to intercession is held by offspring, these people had declared that Allah has offspring. So Allah negated their statement, so that the intercession of every special and general intercessor is negated, and every honor is negated which they considered their deities to be the cause of attaining. (Biqā‘ī)

➋ { وَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمٰنُ وَلَدًا :} Allah, while quoting their statement, also mentioned the proof of its falsehood, that they say the Most Merciful has taken a child, by whose immense mercy the entire universe came into existence and everything depends on Him for its survival, while He is not dependent on anyone, all are dependent on Him. He said: « يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَآءُ اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَ اللّٰهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيْدُ» [ فاطر : ۱۵ ] "O people! You are the ones in need of Allah, and Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy." A son is not dependent on the father, rather the father, due to his weakness, is dependent on the child, and the belief for which they declared the Messiah as the son of Allah for atonement, after accepting Allah as the Most Merciful, there remains no need for it.

➌ The Jews say ‘Uzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allah, and the Christians say the Messiah (Jesus) is the son of Allah, and the polytheists of Arabia say the angels are the daughters of Allah, while many ignorant among the Muslim Ummah consider the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as a part of Allah’s pure essence.

➍ { لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْـًٔا اِدًّا …:} Previously, those who declared offspring for Allah were mentioned in the third person, but in this verse, Allah, in the intensity of anger, addressed these wrongdoers directly, and with two emphatic words {’’لام‘‘} and {’’قَدْ‘‘}, whose combination gives the meaning of an oath, He said: By oath, you have come to a very grave matter, which is so dreadful and heavy that, due to the concept of Allah’s greatness and the burden of this statement, {’’سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ‘‘} that is, the seven very strong heavens are about to burst apart, this vast and firm earth is about to split, and the extremely solid and hard mountains are about to collapse like a decayed wall of dust, because these people (here again, the polytheists are mentioned in the third person with abhorrence) have claimed offspring for the Most Merciful, whereas it does not befit the Most Merciful that He (anyone, whether a prophet or an angel) should take offspring. The words in parentheses are the first object, which is omitted, {’’وَلَدًا‘‘} is the second object, meaning it is impossible and inconceivable for Him to have offspring, because offspring are of the same kind, and Allah has no peer. Then, offspring are for support in weakness, whereas Allah is free from every weakness and is independent in His essence and attributes from everyone. He has always been Mighty and Dominant and will always remain Mighty and Dominant. See the commentary of the last verse of Surah Bani Isra’il. Besides this, offspring are from a wife, and a husband is dependent on a wife; when Allah has no wife and is not dependent on anyone, then how can He have offspring? He said: «{ اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لَهٗ وَلَدٌ وَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهٗ صَاحِبَةٌ }» [ الأنعام : ۱۰۱ ] "How can He have a child when He has no wife?"

➎ { اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا :} Whoever is in the heavens and the earth is to come before Him as a servant. If there were any offspring, how could they be servants?

➏ { لَقَدْ اَحْصٰىهُمْ وَ عَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا :} Allah has encompassed all, each one is in His count, and all will come to Him individually. If there were anyone in the heavens and the earth who was His offspring, He would surely know. Are you more informed than Allah? He said: «{ قُلْ اَتُنَبِّـُٔوْنَ اللّٰهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ لَا فِي الْاَرْضِ }» [ یونس : ۱۸ ] "Say, do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or in the earth?" Also see Surah Yunus (68), Bani Isra’il (40), and Najm (19 to 22). Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ أَصْبَرَ عَلٰی أَذًی سَمِعَهٗ مِنَ اللّٰهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَدْعُوْنَ لَهٗ وَلَدًا وَ إِنَّهٗ لَيُعَافِيْهِمْ وَيَرْزُقُهُمْ ] [ بخاری، الأدب، باب الصبر في الأذی : ۶۰۹۹ ] "There is no one more patient over a hurtful thing he hears than Allah. They ascribe a child to Him, and yet He grants them well-being and provides for them."

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

The tafsir of this ayah is included with the following verse(s).