سُوْرَةُ الْاِخْلَاصِ
Surah Al-Ikhlaas (112) — Ayah 3
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿3﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"He begets not, nor was He begotten.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَمْ
lam
Not
يَلِدْ
yalid
He begets
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
يُولَدْ
yūlad
He is begotten
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 3) ➊ { لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُوْلَدْ:} "He neither begot anyone nor was He begotten." In this verse is a refutation of the Christians who consider Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام to be the son of Allah, a refutation of the Jews who consider Uzair عليه السلام to be the son of Allah, a refutation of the Arab polytheists who consider the angels to be the daughters of Allah, a refutation of the philosophers who say that the ten intellects originated from Allah and now they are running the system of the universe, a refutation of the Hindus who consider millions of creatures to be gods, and also a refutation of those who call themselves Muslims and say that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt were created from the personal light of Allah.
➋ Allah Almighty has presented many arguments in the Noble Quran to negate offspring for Himself. Among them, the clearest are four. The first argument is that offspring are necessarily from the same species as the father, whereas Allah Almighty has no species at all. This verse alludes to this argument: « مَا الْمَسِيْحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اِلَّا رَسُوْلٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَ اُمُّهٗ صِدِّيْقَةٌ كَانَا يَاْكُلٰنِ الطَّعَامَ» [ المائدۃ : ۷۵ ] "The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; messengers had passed on before him, and his mother was a woman of truth. They both used to eat food." That is, many messengers passed before the Messiah, son of Mary عليهما السلام; he was not there before, then he was born, he was created, whereas Allah Almighty has always existed. The species of the father and offspring are the same, whereas Allah Almighty has always existed and Isa عليه السلام is created. Similarly, Allah Almighty does not eat, and they both used to eat. If the species is not the same, how can there be offspring? The second argument is that a father seeks offspring because he is in need of them, whereas Allah has no need of anyone. In this verse, it is stated: « قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحٰنَهٗ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ » [ یونس : ۶۸ ] "They say, 'Allah has taken a son.' Exalted is He; He is the Self-Sufficient." That is, He alone is the Self-Sufficient, who has no need of anyone; why would He make offspring? The third argument is that all creation are servants and slaves of Allah, and being a servant cannot be combined with being a son. It is said: « وَ مَا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (92) اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا» [ مریم : ۹۲، ۹۳ ] "And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant." That is, how can the Most Merciful have offspring, when everyone in the heavens and the earth will come to the Most Merciful as a slave and servant? To be a son and a slave at the same time is not possible. The fourth argument is that offspring are only for one who has a wife, and Allah Almighty has no wife, so how can He have offspring? Allah Almighty said: « اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لَهٗ وَلَدٌ وَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهٗ صَاحِبَةٌ » [ الأنعام : ۱۰۱ ] "How can He have a son when He does not have a companion (wife)?"
➌ Abu Hurairah رضي اللہ عنہ narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said that Allah Almighty said: [ كَذَّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذٰلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِيْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذٰلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيْبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ لَنْ يُّعِيْدَنِيْ كَمَا بَدَأَنِيْ، وَلَيْسَ أَوَّلُ الْخَلْقِ بِأَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا، وَ أَنَا الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ أَلِدْ وَلَمْ أُوْلَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِيْ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ « قل ھو اللہ أحد» : ۴۹۷۴ ] "The son of Adam has denied Me, and he had no right to do so, and he has abused Me, and he had no right to do so. His denying Me is his saying that just as He created me the first time, He will not bring me back again. Whereas creating the first time is not easier for Me than recreating. And his abusing Me is his saying that Allah has taken a son, whereas I am Ahad (One), Samad (the Self-Sufficient). I neither begot anyone, nor was I begotten, and there is none equal to Me."
➍ { وَ لَمْ يُوْلَدْ:} "And He was not begotten," meaning no one begot Him, He has no father. This is the answer to those who asked, "Tell us the lineage of your Lord," because whoever is born is created, he is not eternal, and Allah Almighty is eternal. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: [ كَانَ اللّٰهُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ قَبْلَهُ ] [ بخاري، التوحید، باب: «وکان عرشہ علی الماء… » : ۷۴۱۸ ] "Allah was, and there was nothing before Him." It is clear that whoever has passed through the stage of birth or the stage of creation cannot be Allah. Those who say that the Messiah is the son of Allah and is eternal (i.e., always has been), or that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم separated from the light of Allah, but in reality, he is the same and has always been, are mistaken. One should reflect: how can one who was born be eternal?
➋ Allah Almighty has presented many arguments in the Noble Quran to negate offspring for Himself. Among them, the clearest are four. The first argument is that offspring are necessarily from the same species as the father, whereas Allah Almighty has no species at all. This verse alludes to this argument: « مَا الْمَسِيْحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اِلَّا رَسُوْلٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَ اُمُّهٗ صِدِّيْقَةٌ كَانَا يَاْكُلٰنِ الطَّعَامَ» [ المائدۃ : ۷۵ ] "The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; messengers had passed on before him, and his mother was a woman of truth. They both used to eat food." That is, many messengers passed before the Messiah, son of Mary عليهما السلام; he was not there before, then he was born, he was created, whereas Allah Almighty has always existed. The species of the father and offspring are the same, whereas Allah Almighty has always existed and Isa عليه السلام is created. Similarly, Allah Almighty does not eat, and they both used to eat. If the species is not the same, how can there be offspring? The second argument is that a father seeks offspring because he is in need of them, whereas Allah has no need of anyone. In this verse, it is stated: « قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحٰنَهٗ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ » [ یونس : ۶۸ ] "They say, 'Allah has taken a son.' Exalted is He; He is the Self-Sufficient." That is, He alone is the Self-Sufficient, who has no need of anyone; why would He make offspring? The third argument is that all creation are servants and slaves of Allah, and being a servant cannot be combined with being a son. It is said: « وَ مَا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (92) اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا» [ مریم : ۹۲، ۹۳ ] "And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant." That is, how can the Most Merciful have offspring, when everyone in the heavens and the earth will come to the Most Merciful as a slave and servant? To be a son and a slave at the same time is not possible. The fourth argument is that offspring are only for one who has a wife, and Allah Almighty has no wife, so how can He have offspring? Allah Almighty said: « اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لَهٗ وَلَدٌ وَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهٗ صَاحِبَةٌ » [ الأنعام : ۱۰۱ ] "How can He have a son when He does not have a companion (wife)?"
➌ Abu Hurairah رضي اللہ عنہ narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said that Allah Almighty said: [ كَذَّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذٰلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِيْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذٰلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيْبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ لَنْ يُّعِيْدَنِيْ كَمَا بَدَأَنِيْ، وَلَيْسَ أَوَّلُ الْخَلْقِ بِأَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ وَلَدًا، وَ أَنَا الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ أَلِدْ وَلَمْ أُوْلَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِيْ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ « قل ھو اللہ أحد» : ۴۹۷۴ ] "The son of Adam has denied Me, and he had no right to do so, and he has abused Me, and he had no right to do so. His denying Me is his saying that just as He created me the first time, He will not bring me back again. Whereas creating the first time is not easier for Me than recreating. And his abusing Me is his saying that Allah has taken a son, whereas I am Ahad (One), Samad (the Self-Sufficient). I neither begot anyone, nor was I begotten, and there is none equal to Me."
➍ { وَ لَمْ يُوْلَدْ:} "And He was not begotten," meaning no one begot Him, He has no father. This is the answer to those who asked, "Tell us the lineage of your Lord," because whoever is born is created, he is not eternal, and Allah Almighty is eternal. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: [ كَانَ اللّٰهُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْءٌ قَبْلَهُ ] [ بخاري، التوحید، باب: «وکان عرشہ علی الماء… » : ۷۴۱۸ ] "Allah was, and there was nothing before Him." It is clear that whoever has passed through the stage of birth or the stage of creation cannot be Allah. Those who say that the Messiah is the son of Allah and is eternal (i.e., always has been), or that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم separated from the light of Allah, but in reality, he is the same and has always been, are mistaken. One should reflect: how can one who was born be eternal?
