Al-An'am · Makki · ayah 100 of 165

Al-An'am 6:100

وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ٱلْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ ۖ وَخَرَقُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَنِينَ وَبَنَـٰتٍۭ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

“But they have attributed to Allāh partners - the jinn, while He has created them - and have fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe.”

Saheeh International

Essence

After every sign of creation, people still tore out partners and children for Him without knowledge, and He stands far above all they describe.

A reflection

He keeps feeding them

A café owner reads a review of her place online. It is cruel and personal. It mocks her accent and calls her food fit for dogs. She knows who wrote it: a regular, who comes in every Tuesday. The next Tuesday he comes in. She serves him the same breakfast, hot and on time. It costs her everything she has not to say a word.

Now place that beside this ayah. People took the jinn as partners of Allah, though He created them. They invented sons and daughters for Him. A sound narration in both Sahihs reports the Prophet ﷺ describing Allah's response. No one is more patient with hurtful words than Allah. They ascribe a child to Him, and still He keeps them well and gives them provision.

The ayah does not answer the insult with lightning. It answers with two words of exaltation: subḥānahu wa-taʿālā. Glory be to Him, and high is He above what they describe.

One classical commentator draws a fine distinction between the two. Subḥān belongs to the speech of those who glorify Him. Taʿālā belongs to His own being, true of Him whether anyone says it or not. Our words of praise reach towards a height that was already there.

This is where the ego shrinks. We cannot bear one unkind comment under a photo. We replay a slight from a cousin for years. He is described in the worst ways by the very creatures He feeds, and He keeps feeding them.

Someone may ask: why does God need to declare Himself exalted? Is that not insecurity? But the declaration adds nothing to Him. It is for us, so we know where the insult falls. It falls far short of Him, and lands only on the one who spoke it.

The café owner's patience was heroic for a human. His is beyond comparison, and it is still holding the door open.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.