سُوْرَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ
Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 149
فَٱسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَلِرَبِّكَ ٱلْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ ٱلْبَنُونَ ﴿149﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Now ask them (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَٱسْتَفْتِهِمْ
fa-is'taftihim
Then ask them
أَلِرَبِّكَ
alirabbika
Does your Lord
ٱلْبَنَاتُ
l-banātu
(have) daughters
وَلَهُمُ
walahumu
while for them
ٱلْبَنُونَ
l-banūna
(are) sons
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 149) {فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ … :} The connection of these verses with the previous ones is that among the worst beliefs of the polytheists was the denial of the Resurrection and also polytheism, one form of which was to declare the angels as daughters of Allah and to make idols of them and worship them. In several places in the Quran, this belief of theirs has been mentioned and refuted. See Surah An-Nisa (117), An-Nahl (57, 58), Bani Isra'il (40), Az-Zukhruf (16 to 19), and An-Najm (21 to 27). Here, at the beginning of the Surah, regarding their denial of the Resurrection, it is said: « فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَهُمْ اَشَدُّ خَلْقًا اَمْ مَّنْ خَلَقْنَا اِنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُمْ مِّنْ طِيْنٍ لَّازِبٍ » [ الصافات : ۱۱ ] "So ask them, are they more difficult to create, or those whom We have created? Indeed, We created them from sticky clay."
Now, refuting the second belief, it is said: « فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَ لَهُمُ الْبَنُوْنَ » "So ask them, does your Lord have daughters and for them are sons?" Zamakhshari said: "This is connected to {’’ فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَهُمْ اَشَدُّ خَلْقًا ‘‘} at the beginning of the Surah, even though there is a great distance between them." By declaring the angels as daughters of Allah, they were committing three injustices: first, that they were attributing offspring to Allah, whereas He is free from this, because this is a sign of weakness and need. Second, that they declared daughters for Allah, while they themselves prefer sons. Third, that they declared Allah's close angels as feminine, whereas they are free from the distinction of masculine and feminine. Allah refuted all these things and expressed severe anger, thus He said: "Ask them, does your Lord have daughters and for them are sons?" Their own condition is that upon hearing the news of a daughter, their faces become dark and they begin to think of burying her alive, and they attribute to Allah a thing that they themselves dislike.
Now, refuting the second belief, it is said: « فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَ لَهُمُ الْبَنُوْنَ » "So ask them, does your Lord have daughters and for them are sons?" Zamakhshari said: "This is connected to {’’ فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ اَهُمْ اَشَدُّ خَلْقًا ‘‘} at the beginning of the Surah, even though there is a great distance between them." By declaring the angels as daughters of Allah, they were committing three injustices: first, that they were attributing offspring to Allah, whereas He is free from this, because this is a sign of weakness and need. Second, that they declared daughters for Allah, while they themselves prefer sons. Third, that they declared Allah's close angels as feminine, whereas they are free from the distinction of masculine and feminine. Allah refuted all these things and expressed severe anger, thus He said: "Ask them, does your Lord have daughters and for them are sons?" Their own condition is that upon hearing the news of a daughter, their faces become dark and they begin to think of burying her alive, and they attribute to Allah a thing that they themselves dislike.
