Authored by: Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (رحمہ اللہ)
Translated by: Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi (حفظ اللہ)
The people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) ascribed attributes to Allah (سبحانہ وتعالى) that would imply flaws and deficiencies, such as claiming that He has offspring or is in need of anything. For example:
"قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ ٭ اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ ٭ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٭ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ"
"Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.'" (Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)
Allah rebukes the claim that He has offspring, stating:
"أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ ٭ وَلَدَ اللَّـهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ"
"Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say, 'Allah has begotten [a son].' And indeed, they are liars." (Surah As-Saffat 37:151-152)
Negation of a Partner or a Spouse
Allah negates any possibility of a partner or spouse:
"بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ"
"[He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion, and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing." (Surah Al-An’am 6:101)
Rejection of All Forms of Offspring
Allah addresses and refutes the specific claims of Jews and Christians:
"وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّـهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُمْ بِذُنُوبِكُمْ"
"The Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?'" (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:18)
Rebuke of the Arab Polytheists
The Arabs who claimed that angels were the daughters of Allah were also rebuked:
"وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّـهِ شُرَكَاءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُوا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ"
"But they have attributed to Allah partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe." (Surah Al-An’am 6:100)
Allah’s independence and self-sufficiency negate the need for offspring:
"وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا"
"And say, 'Praise to Allah, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need for a] protector out of weakness, and glorify Him with [great] glorification.'" (Surah Al-Isra 17:111)
The Illogicality of Partners or Offspring
Allah emphasizes that associating partners or offspring with Him contradicts logic and reality:
"وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ"
"And they say, 'The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son.' Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants." (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:26)
Criticism of Pagan Arab Beliefs
The Arabs are reprimanded for their flawed reasoning:
"أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَى ٭ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى"
"Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That, then, is an unjust division." (Surah An-Najm 53:21-22)
For further detailed discussions:
Refer to works like "Al-Jawab Al-Sahih Liman Baddala Din Al-Masih" and the Tafsir of Surah Al-Ikhlas by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
Translated by: Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi (حفظ اللہ)
The people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) ascribed attributes to Allah (سبحانہ وتعالى) that would imply flaws and deficiencies, such as claiming that He has offspring or is in need of anything. For example:
- The Christians claim that Prophet Isa (عليه السلام) is the son of Allah.
- Certain Arab tribes say that angels are Allah's daughters.
- Some philosophers theorize that intellect itself is a creation of Allah.
- The Jews claim that Uzair (عليه السلام) is the son of Allah.
"قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ ٭ اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ ٭ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٭ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ"
"Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.'" (Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)
Refutation of Specific Claims
Allah’s Non-Need for OffspringAllah rebukes the claim that He has offspring, stating:
"أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ ٭ وَلَدَ اللَّـهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ"
"Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say, 'Allah has begotten [a son].' And indeed, they are liars." (Surah As-Saffat 37:151-152)
Negation of a Partner or a Spouse
Allah negates any possibility of a partner or spouse:
"بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ"
"[He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion, and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing." (Surah Al-An’am 6:101)
Rejection of All Forms of Offspring
Allah addresses and refutes the specific claims of Jews and Christians:
"وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّـهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُمْ بِذُنُوبِكُمْ"
"The Jews and the Christians say, 'We are the children of Allah and His beloved.' Say, 'Then why does He punish you for your sins?'" (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:18)
Rebuke of the Arab Polytheists
The Arabs who claimed that angels were the daughters of Allah were also rebuked:
"وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّـهِ شُرَكَاءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُوا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ"
"But they have attributed to Allah partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe." (Surah Al-An’am 6:100)
General Negation of Deficiencies in Allah
Allah is Self-SufficientAllah’s independence and self-sufficiency negate the need for offspring:
"وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا"
"And say, 'Praise to Allah, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need for a] protector out of weakness, and glorify Him with [great] glorification.'" (Surah Al-Isra 17:111)
The Illogicality of Partners or Offspring
Allah emphasizes that associating partners or offspring with Him contradicts logic and reality:
"وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ"
"And they say, 'The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son.' Exalted is He! Rather, they are [but] honored servants." (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:26)
Criticism of Pagan Arab Beliefs
The Arabs are reprimanded for their flawed reasoning:
"أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَى ٭ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى"
"Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That, then, is an unjust division." (Surah An-Najm 53:21-22)
Conclusion
These misconceptions and ascriptions of flaws to Allah stem from ignorance, baseless traditions, and a failure to understand the true nature of Allah as described in the Quran and by the Prophets. Allah has no partner, no child, and no deficiency. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Master of all things, free from all that His creation falsely ascribes to Him.For further detailed discussions:
Refer to works like "Al-Jawab Al-Sahih Liman Baddala Din Al-Masih" and the Tafsir of Surah Al-Ikhlas by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.