Surah Maryam — Verse 91

Word Meanings:

• Daʿaw (دَعَوْا): They claimed, asserted, or attributed — here it means they made a false claim and ascribed something to Allah.
• Al-Raḥmān (الرَّحْمَٰنِ): The Most Merciful — one of Allah’s most beautiful names, emphasizing His boundless mercy and compassion.
• Waladan (وَلَدًا): A son or offspring — a direct denial of Allah’s absolute uniqueness and transcendence.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse reveals the profound reason behind the cosmic upheaval described in the preceding verses — the heavens nearly split apart, the earth almost cracks open, and the mountains are about to crumble and fall. All of this is because the disbelievers made an appalling claim: they attributed a son to the Most Merciful, Allah.

This was not a minor error or a simple misunderstanding — it was a grave offense against the very essence of Allah’s majesty and perfection. To claim that Allah, the Creator of all that exists, has a child, is to strip Him of His uniqueness and to liken Him to His creation, who reproduce and need offspring. Allah is far above and beyond any such need or attribute. He is One, Eternal, Self-Sufficient, and absolutely unlike anything in His creation.

The severity of this claim is so immense that the entire universe — the heavens, the earth, and the mountains — reacts with horror and trembling. Yet, Allah, in His infinite mercy and patience, does not destroy the offenders immediately; instead, He gives them time to reflect, repent, and return to the truth.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, ponder the greatness of this truth: Allah is the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, yet He is also the Most High, far above any imperfection. When we truly understand who Allah is — the Creator of every atom, the Sustainer of every soul — we realize how absurd and impossible it is to attribute a child to Him.

This verse invites us to purify our belief and to stand in awe of Allah’s majesty. It calls us to reject every false notion about Him and to embrace the pure, untainted faith that the prophets preached: *“Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”* (Al-Ikhlāṣ 112:1-4).

Let this verse strengthen your love for Allah and your gratitude for the gift of true knowledge. The heavens and the earth tremble at the very thought of dishonoring Him — how much more should we, His servants, strive to honor Him in our words, our beliefs, and our actions? Turn to Him with a sincere heart, for He is the Most Merciful, ever ready to forgive those who repent and return to Him.