Transliteration:( Law araadal laahu aiyattakhiza waladal lastafaa mimmaa yakhluqu maa yashaaa'; Subhaanahoo Huwal laahul Waahidul Qahhaar )
"If Allah intended to take a son for Himself, He would have chosen [11] whom He had willed out of His creatures, and Sanctified is He. He is Allah, the only One, the Most Dominant [12]."
This statement presents an impossible scenario, built upon another impossibility, purely for argument’s sake. It means that if Allah had ever desired a son—which is utterly untrue—He would have chosen one by His own will, not as per the claims of disbelievers or their made-up stories.
The verse negates the idea that anyone can dictate or imagine such a relationship for Allah. It affirms that if such a thing were even remotely possible, the choice would belong solely to Allah, not based on their assumptions.
This refutes those who attributed sons or partners to Allah, without understanding His absolute transcendence and independence.
The verse immediately declares that Allah is Sanctified—completely pure and free from such human-like concepts. He is One and Unique, and none is like Him in nature or essence.
Being Al-Qahhaar (the Most Dominant), Allah has complete control over all creation and no need for family, support, or continuity.
A son is always of the same kind as the father and often chosen by those who are either overcome by desire, afraid of death, or in need of someone to carry their name.
But Allah is above all such weaknesses. He does not die, nor does He fear enemies or depend on lineage. Therefore, the very idea of Him having a child is baseless and false.
The tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar verse 4 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Zumar ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 4.
(39:4) If Allah had wanted to take to Himself a son, He could have chosen anyone He wanted out of those whom He creates.[8] Glory be to Him (that He should have a son). He is Allah: the One, the Overpowering.[9]
8. That is, it is just impossible that Allah should have begotten a son. The only possibility is that Allah should choose someone for Himself; and whomever He chooses will inevitably be from among the creatures, for everything in the world, apart from Allah, is His creation. Now, evidently, however exalted and chosen a creature might be, it cannot have the position of the offspring. For between the Creator and the created there exists a great disparity of nature and essence and character, and parenthood necessarily demands that there should be the unity of nature and essence between a father and his offspring. Besides, one should also bear in mind the point that the words: “If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He created” themselves give the meaning that Allah has never intended so. Here the object is to impress that not to speak of taking a son, Allah has never even intended so.
9. The following are the arguments by which the doctrine of parenthood has been refuted:
First, that Allah is free from every defect and fault and weakness. Obviously, children are needed by the one who is defective and weak. The one who is mortal and stands in need of them, so that his progeny should continue to live after him in the world. Likewise, he who adopts a son does so either because he feels the need of having an heir, being childless himself, or he adopts a son being overpowered by love of somebody. Attributing such human weaknesses to Allah and forming religious creeds on their basis is nothing but ignorance and shortsightedness.
The second argument is that Allah in His essence and Being is unique. He is not a member of a species, whereas, evidently, offspring must necessarily belong to a species. Furthermore, there can be no concept of offspring without marriage, and marriage can take place only between homogeneous individuals. Therefore, the one who proposes offspring for the Unique and Matchless Being like Allah, is ignorant and foolish.
The third argument is that Allah is Omnipotent, i.e. whatever is there in the world is subdued to Him and is held in His powerful grasp. No one in this Universe has any resemblance with Him in any way or degree on account of which it may be imagined that he has a relation with Allah.
[1340]- Refer to footnotes in 12:39.
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