Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:191
Do they associate with Him those who create nothing and they are [themselves] created?
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.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying: أَيُشْرِكُونَ مَا لا يَخْلُقُ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ (Do they associate as partners that which creates nothing, while they themselves are created?) (191)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: Do they, in the worship of Allah, ascribe partners, and do they worship besides Him = "that which creates nothing," while Allah creates them and brings them into being? Indeed, pure worship is due only to the Creator, not to that which is created.
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Ibn Zayd used to say concerning this, as follows: —
15532 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: A child was born to Ādam and Ḥawwāʾ, and they named it "ʿAbd Allāh" (servant of Allah). Then Iblīs came to them and said: What have you named your son, O Ādam and O Ḥawwāʾ? He said: and earlier a child had already been born to them which they had named "ʿAbd Allāh," and it had died. So they said: we have named it "ʿAbd Allāh." Then Iblīs said: Do you think that Allah will leave His servant with you? No, by Allah, He will surely take him away just as He took away the previous one! But I will direct you to a name that will remain with you as long as you remain: name him "ʿAbd Shams" (servant of the sun)! He said: that is the saying of Allah, hallowed and exalted is He: (Do they associate as partners that which creates nothing, while they themselves are created?) Does the sun then create anything, that it should have a servant? Indeed, it is only created! And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "He deceived them twice: he deceived them in the Garden, and he deceived them on earth."
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It has been said: (while they themselves are created), where He expressed their pronoun in the manner of the pronoun of the Children of Ādam, (Do they associate as partners that which...), where He expressed their mention with "mā" (that which) and not with "man" (who), in the manner of reporting about beings other than the Children of Ādam, because that which they worshipped was only a stone, or wood, or copper, or something of the things about which one reports with "mā" and not with "man." Therefore "mā" was used concerning it, and then "wa-hum" (and they) was said, where their designation was expressed in the manner of the designation of the Children of Ādam, because the report about it—namely, about its glorification by the polytheists (mushrikīn)—is equivalent to the report about the glorification of people among one another.
