37. Surah As-Saffat

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ أَلِرَبِّكَ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ الْبَنُونَ ﴿١٤٩﴾

37:149. Now ask them their opinion: is it that thy Lord has (only) daughters, and they have sons? --

C4129. We begin a new argument here. The Pagan Arabs called angels daughters of Allah. They themselves were ashamed of having daughters, and preferred to have sons, to add to their power and dignity.

See 16:57-59, and n. 2082. Yet they invented daughters for Allah!

أَمْ خَلَقْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِنَاثًا وَهُمْ شَاهِدُونَ ﴿١٥٠﴾

37:150. Or that We created the angels female, and they are witnesses (thereto)?

أَلَا إِنَّهُم مِّنْ إِفْكِهِمْ لَيَقُولُونَ ﴿١٥١﴾

37:151. Is it not that they say, from their own invention,

وَلَدَ اللَّهُ...

37:152. "Allah has begotten children"?

C4130. Any attribution to Allah of ideas derogatory to His Oneness and His supreme height above all creatures is likely to degrade our own conception of Allah's Universal plan, and is condemned in the strongest terms.

...وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ﴿١٥٢﴾

But they are liars!

أَصْطَفَى الْبَنَاتِ عَلَى الْبَنِينَ ﴿١٥٣﴾

37:153. Did He (then) choose daughters rather than sons?

C4131. There is the strongest irony in this passage.

مَا لَكُمْ...

37:154. What is the matter with you?

...كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ﴿١٥٤﴾

How judge ye?

أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿١٥٥﴾

37:155. Will ye not then receive admonition?

Asad’s Version:

37:149 AND NOW ask them 61 to enlighten thee: Has thy Sustainer daughters, whereas they would have [only] sons? 62

(37:150) - or is it that We have created the angels female, and they [who

believe them to be divine] have witnessed [that act of creation]?

37:151 Oh, verily, it is out of their own [inclination to] falsehood that some people 63 assert,

(37:152) "God has begotten [a son]"; and, verily, they are lying [too, when they say],

(37:153) "He has chosen daughters in preference to sons"! 64

37:154 What is amiss with you and your judgment? 65

(37: 155) Will you not, then, bethink yourselves?