وَأَنَّهُ تَعالىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنا مَا اتَّخَذَ صاحِبَةً وَلا وَلَدًا

Exalted be the majesty of our Lord, He has taken neither any spouse nor child.

EXEGESIS

Taʿālā is a perfect tense verb which lexically derives from the root verb ʿalā, meaning to ascend, to rise, or to be high. Taʿālā is the form 6 of the verb ʿalā, which means to be high – especially referring to God – and to be above someone or something.^{‎[1]Hans Wehr, under ʿ-l-w and ʿ-l-y.} It implies in the case of God that the reality of His essence and attributes are beyond human comprehension.^{‎[2]Raghib, under ʿ-l-ʾ.}

Jadd is a noun that is said to imply a wide range of meanings in the Arabic language, such as grandfather, fortune, respect, position and standing, livelihood, greatness,^{‎[3]Lisan, under j-d-d.} or even reign.^{‎[4]Bahrayn, under j-d-d.} However, the explanation offered by Ṭūsī in regard to the lexical meaning of the term jadd appears to be more accurate and inclusive. He maintains that the word originally signifies disconnection, separation, or break off. The different meanings stated for the word jadd involve, in one way or the other, the idea of disconnection.^{‎[5]Tibyan, 10/147.} In other words, the word suggests some kind of unique feature in all instances of its usage such that they stand out and are distinct from other members of their own kind. Having said this, a matchless kind of greatness is referred to as jadd since it is discrete from other similar forms of greatness. In view of this, a grandfather is known as jadd in Arabic because he is cut off from those beneath him by virtue of his superior paternal standing. Fortune and status are also referred to as jadd due to their being distinct in the importance and value that people attach to them. The term jadd also connotes seriousness since it is devoid of any kind of silliness.^{‎[6]Tibyan, 10/147; see also Tabrisi, 10/553.}

The term jadd has appeared only once in the Quran which is in the verse under discussion, and it implies here the greatness and majesty of God.^{‎[7]Tabrisi, 10/555; Zamakhshari, 4/623; Alusi, 15/95.}

Ittakhadha is a verb that derives from the root verb akhadha which implies to take or to obtain something.^{‎[8]Lisan, under ʾ-kh-dh.} According to Muṣṭafawī, akhdh is the acquisition of a thing followed by possession of it, whereas ittikhādh is to carefully and attentively take hold of something; as such, it would be lexically closer in meaning to the term intikhāb which means to choose or to select.^{‎[9]Tahqiq, under ʾ-kh-dh.} Nevertheless, in addition to what has been said, Qurashī argues that a close examination of the occasions where the verb ittakhadha has occurred in the Quran, like in 4:125, reveals that the verb also incorporates the idea of obtaining something out of one’s volition and pleasure.^{‎[10] Qamus, under ittikhādh.} Negated by the negative particle mā, the verb ittakhadha signifies here that God has neither taken nor chosen for Himself a spouse or a child.

Ṣāḥibah is the feminine form of the noun ṣāḥib. It derives from the root ṣaḥiba which means to be in the company of somebody or to have association with that person.^{‎[11] Lisan, under ṣ-ḥ-b.} However, the noun ṣāḥib (companion) is normally used in the Arabic language in the case of a person or a thing with whom one’s association is persistent. Hence, the owner of a thing is also called the companion of it.^{‎[12] Raghib, under ṣ-ḥ-b.} A wife is also known as ṣāḥibah in Arabic.^{‎[13] Bahrayn, under ṣ-ḥ-b.} This word has appeared only two times in the Quran, in this verse and in 6:101, and implies a wife in both cases.

Walad means child. It is a generic noun which refers to both the male and the female child of a person, and is applicable in the case of one child or more than one.^{‎[14] Ayn and Lisan, under w-l-d.} Rāghib holds that the term wuld can either be used as a substitute for walad or as the plural of it. Nonetheless, according to another view cited by him, the noun wuld signifies sometimes the family of a person, that is, his wife and children.^{‎[15] Raghib, under w-l-d.} The term walad in this verse means child.^{‎[16] Kashif, 7/435.}

EXPOSITION

Further to proclamation of belief in God and His oneness before their community, this group of jinn speak of an important divine attribute in this verse, namely God’s non-resemblance to anyone among His creation:^{‎[17] Ithna Ashari, 13/342; Alusi, 15/95; Nemuneh, 25/104; Shawkani, 5/365; Zamakhshari, 4/623.} Exalted be the majesty of our Lord. God is self-sufficient and above all kinds of deficiency and need that would make Him similar to the creation: Nothing is like Him (42:11). As such, for God to take a spouse or a child would be completely out of the question: He has taken neither any spouse nor child.

The focus on the renunciation by the jinn of the idea that God has a wife and children, could possibly be in reaction to a belief that was commonly held by the polytheists amongst them, similar to what the idolaters from among the humans believed regarding the angels being the daughters of God^{‎[18] 43:19 possibly alludes to this very belief.} from a spouse who is a genie: And they have set up a kinship between Him and the jinn (37:158).^{‎[19] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/374; Nemuneh, 25/105; Qutb, 6/3727.} By coming into contact with the message of the Quran, the jinn realised that this was naught but a myth, and thus exalted the divine plane of such anthropomorphic ascriptions: He has taken neither any spouse nor child.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ṭabarī cites a group of people who are of the opinion that the word jadd in the verse implied grandfather, and that this is what the jinn actually meant out of their ignorance in respect of God.^{‎[20] Tabari, 29/66.} Based on this, the verse would mean: Exalted is the grandfather of our Lord; that is, God has extremely noble descent.   

Nonetheless, Rāzī has offered a somewhat different explanation of the verse based on the figurative meaning of the word jadd (grandfather). He maintains that since a grandfather is the source to which one owes his existence, the term jadd figuratively stands for the origin and source of a thing. Based on this, the verse would mean: Exalted is the origin of our Lord. In other words, it would imply that the origin and reality of God’s existence is such that it makes Him a necessary being, free of all forms of dependency on other than Himself. As such, it would be impossible for such an existent to have a spouse or a child.^{‎[21] Razi, 30/667.}

[1] Hans Wehr, under ʿ-l-w and ʿ-l-y.
[2] Raghib, under ʿ-l-ʾ.
[3] Lisan, under j-d-d.
[4] Bahrayn, under j-d-d.
[5] Tibyan, 10/147.
[6] Tibyan, 10/147; see also Tabrisi, 10/553.
[7] Tabrisi, 10/555; Zamakhshari, 4/623; Alusi, 15/95.
[8] Lisan, under ʾ-kh-dh.
[9] Tahqiq, under ʾ-kh-dh.
[10] Qamus, under ittikhādh.
[11] Lisan, under ṣ-ḥ-b.
[12] Raghib, under ṣ-ḥ-b.
[13] Bahrayn, under ṣ-ḥ-b.
[14] Ayn and Lisan, under w-l-d.
[15] Raghib, under w-l-d.
[16] Kashif, 7/435.
[17] Ithna Ashari, 13/342; Alusi, 15/95; Nemuneh, 25/104; Shawkani, 5/365; Zamakhshari, 4/623.
[18] 43:19 possibly alludes to this very belief.
[19] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/374; Nemuneh, 25/105; Qutb, 6/3727.
[20] Tabari, 29/66.
[21] Razi, 30/667.