Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Anbiya -> The Refutation of Those Who claim that the Angels are the Daughters of Allah; description of their Deeds and Status

Here Allah refutes those who claim that He has offspring among the angels -- exalted and sanctified be He. Some of the Arabs believed that the angels were the daughters of Allah, but Allah says:

﴿ط³ظڈط¨ظ’ط­ظژط§ظ†ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¨ظژظ„ظ’ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظڈظƒظ’ط±ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(Glory to Him! They are but honored servants.) meaning, the angels are servants of Allah who are honored by Him and who hold high positions of noble status. They obey Him to the utmost in all their words and deeds.

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’ط¨ظگظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظگ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظ‡ظگ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His command.) meaning, they do not initiate any matter before Him or go against His commands; on the contrary, they hasten to do as He commands, and He encompasses them with His knowledge so that nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.

﴿ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظ…ظژط§ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ط£ظژظٹظ’ط¯ظگظٹظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ط®ظژظ„ظ’ظپظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(He knows what is before them, and what is behind them,)

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط´ظ’ظپظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ„ظگظ…ظژظ†ظگ ط§ط±ظ’طھظژط¶ظژظ‰﴾

(and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased.) This is like the Ayat:

﴿ظ…ظژظ† ط°ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ظٹظژط´ظ’ظپظژط¹ظڈ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط¨ظگط¥ظگط°ظ’ظ†ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) ﴿2:255﴾

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ†ظپظژط¹ظڈ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظپظژظ€ط¹ظژط©ظڈ ط¹ظگظ†ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ„ظگظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط°ظگظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ﴾

(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits) ﴿34:23﴾. There are many Ayat which say similar things.

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط®ظژط´ظ’ظٹظژطھظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(And they for fear of Him) means, because they fear Him.

﴿ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ظپظگظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظژظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(And they stand in awe. And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am a god besides Him,'') meaning, whoever claims to be a god instead of Allah, i.e., alongside Allah,

﴿ظپظژط°ظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¬ظ’ط²ظگظٹظ‡ظگ ط¬ظژظ‡ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژ ظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ†ظژط¬ظ’ط²ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط¸ظ‘ظژظ€ظ„ظگظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(such We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the wrongdoers.) meaning, everyone who says this. This is a conditional sentence, and the condition stated does not necessarily have to take place. This is like the Ayat:

﴿ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ظ„ظگظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظژط¯ظŒ ظپظژط£ظژظ†ظژط§ظ’ ط£ظژظˆظ‘ظژظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ط¨ظگط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(Say: "If the Most Gracious had a son, then I am the first of worshippers.'') ﴿43:81﴾

﴿ظ„ظژط¦ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط´ظ’ط±ظژظƒظ’طھظژ ظ„ظژظٹظژط­ظ’ط¨ظژط·ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژظ…ظژظ„ظڈظƒظژ ظˆظژظ„ظژطھظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ€ط³ظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.) ﴿39:65﴾

﴿ط£ظژظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظژط§ ط±ظژطھظ’ظ‚ط§ظ‹ ظپظژظپظژطھظژظ‚ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط¢ط،ظگ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظژ ط´ظژظ‰ظ’ط،ظچ ط­ظژظ‰ظ‘ظچ ط£ظژظپظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ط±ظژظˆظژط§ط³ظگظ‰ظژ ط£ظژظ† طھظژظ…ظگظٹط¯ظژ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ظپظگط¬ظژط§ط¬ط§ظ‹ ط³ظڈط¨ظڈظ„ط§ظ‹ ظ„ظ‘ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظژ ط³ظژظ‚ظ’ظپط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظپظڈظˆط¸ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ‡ظژط§ ظ…ظڈط¹ظ’ط±ظگط¶ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژظ€ط±ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظŒ ظپظگظ‰ ظپظژظ„ظژظƒظچ ظٹظژط³ظ’ط¨ظژط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(30. Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe) (31. And We have placed on the earth firm mountains, lest it should shake with them, and We placed therein broad highways for them to pass through, that they may be guided.) (32. And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well-guarded. Yet they turn away from its signs). (33. And He it is Who has created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each in an orbit floating.)