وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًا 88
Translations
And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son."
Transliteration
Wa qalū ittakhādha ar-Rahmānu waladan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the false claim of the disbelievers and those who associated partners with Allah, asserting that the Most Merciful (ar-Rahmān) has taken a child or offspring. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this statement represents one of the gravest forms of shirk (polytheism), whether directed at Allah or applied to the creation of Jesus Christ by Christian communities. The ayah presents their claim as utterly absurd and incompatible with Allah's absolute transcendence and perfection.
Revelation Context
Surah Maryam addresses Christian beliefs about Jesus being the son of God, as well as pagan Arab claims about angels being daughters of Allah. This ayah appears within a series of refutations of such false claims, establishing the theological foundation for understanding Jesus's true status as a messenger and human servant of Allah, not a divine offspring.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, 'Whoever says that Allah has a son has uttered a dreadful word' relates to the theme of this ayah's refutation of such claims.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to firmly reject false theological claims about Allah's nature and to understand that attributing offspring or human characteristics to the Divine represents a fundamental denial of His absolute transcendence. For modern Muslims, it reinforces the importance of maintaining pure monotheism and understanding Islamic theology correctly in interfaith contexts.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلنَّهَارَ سَرْمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِلَيْلٍ تَسْكُنُونَ فِيهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ
Say, "Have you considered: if Allāh should make for you the day continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allāh could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see?"
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.
وَٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْفُلْكِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount
إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ
Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.