سُوْرَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ
Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 81
قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْعَـٰبِدِينَ ﴿81﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم): "If the Most Gracious (Allâh) had a son (or children as you pretend), then I am the first of Allâh’s worshippers [who deny and refute this claim of yours (and the first to believe in Allâh Alone and testify that He has no children)]." [Tafsir At-Tabarî].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِن
in
If
كَانَ
kāna
had
لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
lilrraḥmāni
the Most Gracious
وَلَدٌۭ
waladun
a son
فَأَنَا۠
fa-anā
Then, I
أَوَّلُ
awwalu
(would be the) first
ٱلْعَـٰبِدِينَ
l-ʿābidīna
(of) the worshippers
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 81) {قُلْ اِنْ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَلَدٌ … :} The disbelievers used to consider the angels as daughters of Allah. In the previous verses, Allah has refuted this. Now the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is commanded to say to them that if the Most Merciful had any offspring, then I would be the first to worship it. The meaning is that my denial of Allah having offspring and my refusal to worship those whom you declare as Allah’s offspring is not due to stubbornness or obstinacy, but because it is impossible for the Pure Being whose name is the Most Merciful to have offspring. For details, see the commentary of Surah Maryam, verses (88 to 98). The meaning is that if the Most Merciful had any offspring, as the disbelievers claim, then I would be the first to worship that offspring, because my relationship of servitude with Him is the strongest, just as the servants of a king honor the king’s children out of respect for their father. But the Most Merciful has no offspring, so I worship none but Allah, the One.
Remember that this is a conditional sentence; in it, the existence of the condition, or even its possibility, is not necessary. Sometimes, even an impossible thing is mentioned as a hypothetical condition, as He said: « لَوْ اَرَادَ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّاصْطَفٰى مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ سُبْحٰنَهٗ هُوَ اللّٰهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ» [ الزمر : ۴ ] “If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen whomever He willed from what He creates. Exalted is He! He is Allah, the One, the Prevailing.” And He said: «لَوْ كَانَ فِيْهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا » [ الأنبیاء : ۲۲ ] “If there were in them (the heavens and the earth) other gods besides Allah, they would both have been ruined.”
Remember that this is a conditional sentence; in it, the existence of the condition, or even its possibility, is not necessary. Sometimes, even an impossible thing is mentioned as a hypothetical condition, as He said: « لَوْ اَرَادَ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّاصْطَفٰى مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ سُبْحٰنَهٗ هُوَ اللّٰهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ» [ الزمر : ۴ ] “If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen whomever He willed from what He creates. Exalted is He! He is Allah, the One, the Prevailing.” And He said: «لَوْ كَانَ فِيْهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَفَسَدَتَا » [ الأنبیاء : ۲۲ ] “If there were in them (the heavens and the earth) other gods besides Allah, they would both have been ruined.”
