This passage and others in the Quran contain profound insights and demonstrations of conclusive proofs concerning matters of religion that cannot be discussed here. The purpose is merely to draw attention to them.
The same applies to the arguments He, glorified is He, employs to declare Himself free and exalted above the begetting they attribute to Him, whether they call it physical or intellectual. Thus, the Christians claim that the Word—which they make the substance of the Son—was begotten of Him. Likewise, the Sabian philosophers claim that the ten intellects and the nine celestial souls were begotten of Him, although they are inconsistent concerning these: are they substances or accidents? They may treat the intellects as males and the souls as females, regarding them as their fathers and mothers, their gods and their proximate lords.
Their knowledge of the souls is more clearly established because circular motion exists, indicating voluntary motion, which in turn indicates a soul that imparts motion. Most of them, however, consider the celestial soul an accident, not a self-subsisting substance. This resembles the assertion of the Arab polytheists and others who attributed sons and daughters to Him. He, exalted is He, said:
“They have made the jinn partners with Allah, although He created them, and have falsely attributed to Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Glorified and exalted is He above what they ascribe to Him.”
He, exalted is He, also said:
“Indeed, out of their falsehood they say, ‘Allah has begotten offspring.’ They are surely liars.”
They used to say that the angels were Allah’s daughters, just as these men claim that the intellects—or the intellects and souls—“are the angels” and are begotten of Allah. Allah, exalted is He, therefore said:
“They attribute daughters to Allah—glorified is He!—while for themselves they have what they desire.
“When one of them is given news of a female child, his face darkens, and he is filled with suppressed grief.
“He hides from his people because of the bad news he has received. Should he keep her in humiliation or bury her in the dust? How evil is their judgment!
“Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have an evil description, while Allah’s description is