(56–60) “They assign to that which they know nothing of a share of what We have provided them. By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to fabricate. * They assign daughters to Allah—glory be to Him!—while for themselves they claim what they desire. * When one of them is given glad tidings of a daughter, his face turns dark and he suppresses his grief. * He hides himself from his people because of the evil tidings he has received. Should he keep her in humiliation, or bury her in the earth? How evil is their judgment! * Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have the description of evil, while Allah has the most exalted description. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
Allah Most High informs us of the ignorance, injustice, and lies against Him of the polytheists. They assign to their idols—which have no knowledge and can neither benefit nor harm—a share of the provision and blessings Allah has bestowed upon them. Thus, they use His provision to assist them in associating partners with Him and offer it to carved idols as a means of drawing near to them. Allah Most High says:
“They assign to Allah a share of the crops and livestock He created and say, according to their claim, ‘This is for Allah, and this is for our partners.’ Yet what is for their partners does not reach Allah…”—to the end of the verse. ⦗443⦘
“You will surely be questioned about what you used to fabricate,” and it will be said to them, “Did Allah give you permission, or are you fabricating lies against Allah?” He will then punish them for this with the severest punishment.
“They assign daughters to Allah”: they claimed that the angels—servants brought near to Him—were Allah’s daughters, “while for themselves they claim what they desire,” namely sons. Indeed, they hated daughters intensely. Thus, “when one of them is given glad tidings of a daughter, his face turns dark” from the distress that has befallen him, “and he suppresses his grief”; that is, he keeps his sorrow and anguish pent up upon being told of a daughter. He even feels disgraced before his peers and hides from them because of the evil tidings he has received.
He then turns his corrupt thought and judgment to deciding what to do with the daughter whose birth has been announced to him: “Should he keep her in humiliation?” That is, should he leave her alive, without killing her, but subject her to humiliation and abasement? “Or bury her in the earth?” That is, should he bury her alive? This is the female infanticide for which Allah condemned the polytheists. “How evil is their judgment!” For they described Allah in a manner unbefitting His majesty by attributing offspring to Him.
Nor did they stop there: they attributed to Him the inferior of the two sexes—females—whom they themselves disdained and hated. How, then, could they attribute them to Allah Most High? How wretched their judgment!
Since this was among the evil descriptions attributed to Him by His polytheistic enemies, Allah Most High said, “Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have the description of evil,” meaning the deficient description and utter imperfection, “while Allah has the most exalted description.” This encompasses every perfect attribute and every perfection found in existence, for Allah is more entitled to it than anyone else, without this entailing any deficiency whatsoever. In the hearts of His devoted servants, He is accorded the highest regard: they revere and glorify Him, love Him, turn to Him, and know Him. “He is the Almighty,” who has subdued all things and to whom all creation submits, “the All-Wise,” who places everything in its proper place. He neither commands nor does anything except that for which He is praised and His perfection extolled.