Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:16
Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] sons?
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.
And we have chosen the view that we chose in the explanation thereof only because Allah, whose praise is mighty, made His statement follow upon it: أَمِ اتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ بَنَاتٍ وَأَصْفَاكُمْ بِالْبَنِينَ ("Or has He taken daughters from among what He creates and favored you with the sons?") — as a reproach to them for their statement; and thus it became known that His reproach to them by this pertains only to that which He reported about them concerning their claim which they alleged, namely the ascription of the daughters to Allah, whose praise is mighty.
And His statement: إِنَّ الإنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُبِينٌ ("Indeed, man is plainly ungrateful") — the Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: indeed, man denies the favors of his Lord which He has bestowed upon him, and is plain (mubīn) — He says: his ingratitude toward His favors to him becomes plain to whoever considers him with the reflection of his heart and ponders his condition.
And His statement: أَمِ اتَّخَذَ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ بَنَاتٍ ("Or has He taken daughters from among what He creates?") — He, whose praise is mighty, says, while reproaching these polytheists (mushrikīn) who described Him with the claim that the angels are His daughters: has your Lord, O ignorant ones, taken daughters from among what He creates — while you do not accept them for yourselves — وَأَصْفَاكُمْ بِالْبَنِينَ ("and favored you with the sons?") — He says: and reserved the sons for you, so that He has designated them for you.
