مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ 154
Translations
What is [wrong] with you? How do you make judgement?
Transliteration
Maa lakum kayfa tahkumuun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is Allah's rhetorical question expressing disapproval and astonishment at the people's misguided judgments and irrational reasoning. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this is directed at the polytheists of Mecca who attributed daughters to Allah while considering sons superior for themselves—a clear logical contradiction that exposes the absurdity of their claims. The ayah emphasizes that such faulty judgment (hukm) contradicts basic reason and divine wisdom.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the context of Surah As-Saffat's refutation of polytheistic beliefs, specifically addressing the pagan Arabs' irrational doctrine of assigning female angels as daughters of Allah. The surah systematically dismantles these false beliefs through logical argumentation and historical references to previous prophets and nations.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Surah An-Nahl 16:57-59 presents a related theme about the hypocrisy of those who attribute daughters to Allah. The broader theme connects to authentic reports about the Prophet's refutation of pagan Arab beliefs regarding angels and Allah's attributes.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to use reason ('aql) as a gift from Allah to evaluate beliefs and reject contradictory ideologies. For modern readers, it emphasizes that true faith is rational and coherent, free from logical inconsistencies, and that abandoning reason in matters of belief leads to spiritual and intellectual ruin.