Chapter: Allah the Exalted says, “They recognize Allah’s favor, yet then they deny it.”
Mujahid explained this to mean: “It is a man’s statement, ‘This is my wealth; I inherited it from my fathers.’” ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allah said: “They say, ‘Were it not for so-and-so, such-and-such would not have happened.’” Ibn Qutaybah commented: “They say, ‘This is due to the intercession of our idols.’”
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The remainder of the verse reads: “but most of them are unbelievers” (Surah al-Nahl, 16:83).
Relevance of this chapter to the Book of Monotheism: Through it the author wishes to demonstrate the necessity of observing proper etiquette toward divine lordship by avoiding subtle expressions of polytheism, such as attributing favors to anyone other than Allah, for that contradicts the perfection of tawḥīd.
Biographical notes:
- Mujahid: the leading exegete Mujahid ibn Jabr al-Makki, a god-fearing imam and student of Ibn ʿAbbas, d. 104 AH (strongest view).
- ʿAwn: ʿAwn ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUtbah ibn Masʿud al-Hudhali, trustworthy and devout, d. about 120 AH.
- Ibn Qutaybah: ʿAbd Allah ibn Muslim ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari, the ḥāfiẓ, author of a tafsīr and many other works, d. 276 AH.
“They recognize” means: the polytheists recognize.
“Allah’s favor”: scholars have differed about what is intended by it, and the author has cited a number of