Surah As-Saffat — Verse 149

Key Words and Their Meanings:

• "Fa-staftihim" (فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ): Ask them, seek their opinion or verdict — here, it means to ask in a tone of rebuke and astonishment.
• "Al-banat" (الْبَنَاتُ): Daughters — used here to refer to the angels, whom the pagans claimed were Allah’s daughters.
• "Al-banun" (الْبَنُونَ): Sons — the male children whom the pagans preferred for themselves.

Explanation of the Verse:

O Messenger, ask these polytheists who claim that the angels are Allah’s daughters — a claim that was made by certain tribes like Juhaynah and Banu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Dar — a question that exposes the absurdity of their belief: “Does your Lord have daughters while you have sons?” This is a rhetorical question meant to shame them, for they themselves despised daughters and buried them alive, yet they attributed daughters to Allah, the Most High, while reserving sons for themselves. What an unjust and irrational division! They assigned to Allah what they detested for themselves, and kept for themselves what they loved and cherished. This question strikes at the very core of their corrupted logic, for no sound mind would accept that the Creator of the heavens and the earth would be given the lesser share while His creatures take the better one. The verse is a powerful indictment of their false beliefs, calling them to reflect on the sheer inconsistency and injustice of their claims.

A Da’wah Reflection:

This verse invites us to ponder the perfection of Allah’s nature and the purity of His attributes. How could the All-Wise, All-Powerful Creator be associated with something that His own creatures reject and disdain? Islam elevates the status of daughters, honoring them as a blessing and a trust from Allah, while the pre-Islamic Arabs buried them alive out of shame. Yet, they dared to attribute daughters to Allah! This is a call for us to purify our belief in Allah’s majesty, to worship Him as He deserves — free from any imperfection or false attribution. It also reminds us to value what Allah has honored, for He created both male and female, and He alone knows what is best for His creation. Let this verse deepen your love for Allah, who is far above any deficiency, and strengthen your gratitude for the guidance of Islam, which corrects all false notions and leads us to the straight path. Indeed, in the Quran’s powerful arguments lies a mercy for those who reflect and a proof for those who seek the truth.