وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ٱلْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ ۖ وَخَرَقُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَنِينَ وَبَنَـٰتٍۭ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ 100
Translations
But they have attributed to Allāh 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.
Transliteration
Wa ja'alu lilLahi shurakaa'a al-jinna wa khalaqahum, wa kharaqoo lahu banina wa banatin bighayri 'ilm. Subhanahu wa ta'ala 'amma yasfun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns the polytheists of Mecca who associated the jinn as partners with Allah in worship, despite Allah being their Creator. Ibn Kathir explains that the Quraysh attributed false offspring (sons and daughters) to Allah without any knowledge or evidence, which is an absurd claim that contradicts divine perfection. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the ayah serves to exonerate Allah from such false attributions through the phrase 'Subhanahu wa ta'ala' (Glorified and Exalted is He), highlighting the vast distance between Allah's perfect nature and the baseless claims of the idolaters.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period when the pagan Arabs of Mecca engaged in rampant shirk (polytheism). It addresses their specific belief that jinn possessed divine authority and their false claim that angels were daughters of Allah. The broader context of Surah Al-An'am emphasizes tawhid (monotheism) and refutes various forms of polytheistic practices prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (4:54:445) where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The most grievous sin is to associate partners with Allah,' directly relates to the prohibition mentioned in this ayah. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the severity of shirk reinforces the importance of this Quranic message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that associating partners with Allah in worship or attributing false characteristics to Him is fundamentally irrational and sinful, regardless of how widespread such beliefs may be in society. Muslims should recognize that true knowledge comes from revelation, not from cultural traditions or false claims, and should steadfastly maintain belief in Allah's absolute oneness and perfect attributes.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْثَـٰنًا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًا فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۖ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
You only worship, besides Allāh, idols, and you produce a falsehood. Indeed, those you worship besides Allāh do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allāh provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned."
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
And those they invoke other than Allāh create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allāh, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allāh.
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـٰلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.