سُوْرَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ
Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 19
وَجَعَلُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبَـٰدُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ إِنَـٰثًا ۚ أَشَهِدُوا۟ خَلْقَهُمْ ۚ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَـٰدَتُهُمْ وَيُسْـَٔلُونَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they make the angels who themselves are slaves of the Most Gracious (Allâh) females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَعَلُوا۟
wajaʿalū
And they made
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ
l-malāikata
the Angels
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
هُمْ
hum
themselves
عِبَـٰدُ
ʿibādu
(are) slaves
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
l-raḥmāni
(of) the Most Gracious
إِنَـٰثًا ۚ
ināthan
females
أَشَهِدُوا۟
ashahidū
Did they witness
خَلْقَهُمْ ۚ
khalqahum
their creation
سَتُكْتَبُ
satuk'tabu
Will be recorded
شَهَـٰدَتُهُمْ
shahādatuhum
their testimony
وَيُسْـَٔلُونَ
wayus'alūna
and they will be questioned
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 19) ➊ { وَ جَعَلُوا الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عِبٰدُ الرَّحْمٰنِ اِنَاثًا:} In declaring the angels to be Allah’s daughters, they committed two injustices: first, that the angels, who are Allah’s servants, were elevated beyond their rank and made into Allah’s offspring, which is clear shirk, and servitude and offspring can never be combined in any way. The second injustice is that the angels, who are above and beyond masculinity and femininity and whose creation is entirely different from humans, were degraded to the extent that, instead of assigning them the superior gender of male, they were attributed the weaker gender of female. The lies of liars and slanderers are always exposed by such contradictions.
➋ {اَشَهِدُوْا خَلْقَهُمْ:} This can have two meanings: first, that when Allah created the angels, were these people present so that they came to know of their being feminine? Second, have they seen the structure of their bodies that they are declaring them to be women? Obviously, neither of these is true, so what proof do they have for this claim?
➌ { سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ وَ يُسْـَٔلُوْنَ:} That is, this false testimony they are giving about the angels being female will be written in their record of deeds, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be questioned about their false testimony.
➍ Shah Abdul Qadir writes: “Where it is said that they are servants of the Most Merciful, meaning they are not daughters, and it is understood that although angels are neither male nor female, words used for males should be used for them.” (Muwadhih)
➋ {اَشَهِدُوْا خَلْقَهُمْ:} This can have two meanings: first, that when Allah created the angels, were these people present so that they came to know of their being feminine? Second, have they seen the structure of their bodies that they are declaring them to be women? Obviously, neither of these is true, so what proof do they have for this claim?
➌ { سَتُكْتَبُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ وَ يُسْـَٔلُوْنَ:} That is, this false testimony they are giving about the angels being female will be written in their record of deeds, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be questioned about their false testimony.
➍ Shah Abdul Qadir writes: “Where it is said that they are servants of the Most Merciful, meaning they are not daughters, and it is understood that although angels are neither male nor female, words used for males should be used for them.” (Muwadhih)
