But that is not so. They did not call these idols Allah’s daughters; rather, they said this of the angels, as Allah relates of them in His words later in this passage:

“Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter give the angels female names.”

He also said:

“And they have made the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, females. Did they witness their creation?”

And He, Most High, said:

“When one of them is given news of what he attributes to the Most Merciful, his face darkens and he is filled with suppressed grief.”

A child resembles its father, just as a partner resembles his partner. They thus set up females as counterparts to Him and made them partners with Allah, glorified is He, treating them as His equals. A partner is like a brother; thus, they attributed female children and female partners to Him, assigning Him daughters and sisters, although none of them liked having either a daughter or a sister. Indeed, if a father disliked having a daughter, he disliked having a sister even more. They did not allow daughters or sisters to inherit. This reveals their extreme ignorance and injustice: they assigned to Allah what they would not accept for themselves. Thus, in their own estimation, they were greater than Allah, glorified is He.

This is like the example He set forth for them when He, Most High, said:

“And they assign to what they do not know a share of what We have provided for them. By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to fabricate.”

“And they attribute daughters to Allah—glorified is He—while they have whatever they desire.”

Through to His words:

“Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have evil attributes, while Allah has the highest attributes. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”

And He, Most High, said:

“He sets forth for you an example drawn from yourselves: do you have, among those whom your right hands possess, any partners in what We have provided for you, so that you are