Tafseer of The Bee · An-Nahl · 16:58
And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
﴿ وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالأنْثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴾ (And when one of them is given the good news of a daughter, his face remains darkened and he is filled with grief) — Allah, exalted is His mention, says: And when one of these polytheists (mushrikīn) is given the good news of the birth of a daughter, his face becomes gloomy and his features cloud over with grief — and that is the meaning of muswaddun (becoming black): his countenance darkens and his expression changes. ﴿ وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴾ (And he is filled with grief) — the kāẓim is the one who swallows down his anger and sorrow and does not show it; it is from the root kaẓama al-ghayẓa — to swallow down anger.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word ﴿ وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴾: he said: filled with grief (mughīẓ).
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, the same.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word ﴿ وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالأنْثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴾: he said: gloomy and grieved, bearing his sorrow in silence.
