Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:40
Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying.
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.
Allah the Exalted says to those among the Arab polytheists (mushrikīn) who said that the angels are daughters of Allah: أَفَأَصْفَاكُمْ — O people — رَبُّكُمْ بِالْبَنِينَ — has your Lord chosen you exclusively with male offspring — وَاتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنَاثًا — while you yourselves do not accept those very ones for yourselves, but rather even bury them alive (waʾd) and kill them? Thus you ascribe to Allah what you do not accept for yourselves. إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا — Allah the Exalted says to these polytheists who uttered concerning Allah the slanderous statement which We mentioned: You indeed say, O people, by saying that the angels are daughters of Allah, a tremendous statement, and you fabricate against Allah a lie out of your own impulse.
Qatāda used to say concerning this verse what Muḥammad related to us — he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda — وَاتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنَاثًا : 'The Jews said: The angels are daughters of Allah.'
