۞ مَّآ أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ ٱلْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا 51
Translations
I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have taken the misguiders as assistants.
Transliteration
Mā ashhadtuhum khalqa as-samāwāti wa-al-ardi wa lā khalqa anfusihim wa mā kuntu muttakhiza al-mudillīna 'adudā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah declares that He did not make the angels (or jinn, particularly Iblis) witnesses to the creation of the heavens and earth, nor to their own creation, establishing that they possess no knowledge of the unseen and were not consulted in creation. Furthermore, Allah explicitly states He will never take the misleaders (those who lead others astray from His path) as supporters or allies, as mentioned by Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, emphasizing Allah's complete dissociation from those who oppose His guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Kahf's discussion of the Day of Judgment and the fate of the disbelievers. It specifically addresses the station and limitations of created beings, particularly in response to shirk (polytheism) and the worship of false deities or jinn. The surah refutes the claims of those who associate partners with Allah, establishing monotheism through the story of the People of the Cave and other narratives.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Muslim 2286: The Prophet ﷺ stated regarding Allah's knowledge: 'No one knows what is in the unsexed future except Allah,' indicating that knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to Allah alone, supporting this ayah's message about the limitations of created beings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that neither angels nor any created beings possess knowledge of the unseen or participated in creation, so we must rely solely on Allah's revelation and reject the claims of those who mislead us toward false paths of worship. It reinforces that true support and guidance come only from Allah, not from created intermediaries.