Surah Az-Zukhruf — Verse 18

Word Meanings:

• يُنَشَّأُ (yunashsha'u): Raised, nurtured, or brought up.
• الْحِلْيَةِ (al-hilyah): Adornment, ornament, or beauty—referring to feminine adornments like jewelry and decorative attire.
• الْخِصَامِ (al-khisam): Argumentation, dispute, or contention.
• غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ (ghayru mubin): One who cannot express clearly or articulate a decisive argument.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues the Quranic refutation of the polytheists' claim that angels are Allah's daughters. The Arabs of that time considered daughters inferior and would even bury them alive, yet they dared to attribute daughters to Allah, the Almighty. The verse exposes the contradiction in their thinking with a powerful rhetorical question: "Do you attribute to Allah one who is raised in adornment and who, in dispute, cannot express herself clearly?"

The meaning is: How can you assign to Allah—the Creator of the heavens and earth—a being that you yourselves deem weak and deficient? A female child is raised amidst ornaments and beautification, and when it comes to argumentation or conflict, she cannot articulate her point decisively due to her natural disposition. This is not a criticism of women's inherent worth—for Allah has honored women and elevated their status—but rather a rebuke of the polytheists' own flawed logic. They chose for Allah what they themselves despised, revealing the absurdity of their claim.

The verse highlights the sheer illogical nature of attributing daughters to Allah. If they considered daughters a source of shame and weakness for themselves, how could they ascribe such a thing to the Lord of all creation? This rhetorical device forces the listener to confront the inconsistency in their belief system.

A Da'wah Reflection:

This verse invites us to reflect on the perfection of Allah's nature and the purity of His attributes. He is far above any deficiency, weakness, or imperfection. When we understand who Allah truly is—the Most High, the Most Powerful, the All-Wise—we naturally purify our belief in Him. The Quran challenges us to use our intellect and reason, for true faith is not blind imitation but a conscious, rational submission to the truth. This verse also teaches us the importance of fairness and justice in our speech about Allah: we should never attribute to Him anything we would not accept for ourselves. Let this be a reminder to approach the Quran with an open heart and a sound mind, for it addresses every human being with clarity and wisdom, calling them to the purest form of monotheism.