Surah Az-Zukhruf — Verse 19

Word Meanings:

• "Ja‘alū" (made/declared): They claimed and asserted without any basis.
• "Ināthan" (females): They described the angels as female beings.
• "Ash-hidū" (did they witness): Were they present to observe the creation of the angels?
• "Shatuhdab" (will be written): Their false testimony will be recorded against them.

Tafsir (Explanation):

In this verse, Allah rebukes the polytheists of Makkah for their baseless claim that the angels—who are honored servants of the Most Merciful—are female. They went beyond this false description and even claimed that these angels were daughters of Allah, a grave slander against His majesty and perfection.

Allah challenges them with a powerful rhetorical question: "Did they witness the creation of the angels?" This exposes the absurdity of their claim. They were not present at the moment of creation, nor did they receive any revelation or knowledge about it. Their assertion is pure conjecture and fabrication, born from ignorance and arrogance.

The verse then delivers a stern warning: "Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned." Every false word they uttered is being documented by the recording angels, and on the Day of Judgment, they will be held accountable for this lie. They will be asked about the basis of their claim, and they will have no answer—only regret and punishment for their slander against Allah’s creation.

This verse carries a profound lesson for all of us: we must never speak about Allah or His creation without knowledge. The polytheists’ error was not just a mistake—it was a deliberate distortion of the truth, driven by their rejection of the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They tried to degrade the angels by assigning them a gender they themselves considered inferior, reflecting their own flawed worldview.

A Da‘wah Reflection:

Dear reader, this verse invites us to reflect on the majesty of Allah’s creation and the honor He has bestowed upon the angels. They are obedient servants who never disobey His command. How can anyone attribute to them something so baseless?

Islam teaches us to speak with knowledge and to avoid speculation, especially regarding matters of the unseen. When we submit to Allah’s revelation, we free ourselves from the chains of ignorance and false assumptions. The Qur’an repeatedly calls us to use our intellect and to seek truth with sincerity.

Let this verse be a reminder that every word we speak is recorded, and we will be questioned about it. So, let us fill our tongues with truth, our hearts with humility, and our lives with obedience to the Most Merciful, who created everything with wisdom and perfection. Embrace the beauty of Islam, which elevates the human soul from darkness to light, and from falsehood to certainty.