ما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ وَلا لِآبائِهِم ۚ كَبُرَت كَلِمَةً تَخرُجُ مِن أَفواهِهِم ۚ إِن يَقولونَ إِلّا كَذِبًا

They do not have any knowledge of that, nor did their fathers. Monstrous is the utterance that comes out of their mouths, and they say nothing but a lie.

EXEGESIS

Of that could be referring to God, as the Arabic pronoun can mean ‘him’ or ‘it’. If it is understood as ‘him’, it would mean those who claim that God has a son do not have any knowledge of God and do not know and understand that such a thing is impossible and not befitting Him.^{‎[1]Tibyan, 7/7; Tabari, 15/129.} Or it could have the meaning of ‘it’ and be referring to the ‘taking’ in the previous statement that God had begotten or taken children for Himself; those who claim such a thing, claim it based on ignorance. They have no knowledge or proof that God has actually done that.^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 6/694.}

Some have said that is referring to son in the previous verse.^{‎[3]Zamakhshari, 2/703; Muhit, 7/137; Alusi, 8/195; Shawkani, 3/320.} However, this is unlikely.

The min (from/of) is redundant, and its use is meant to convey that they do not have even partial, nay even the slightest bit of knowledge regarding what they speak.^{‎[4]Alusi, 8/195; Tantawi, 8/468.}

Kaburat (monstrous is) comes from kabīr meaning big, large, great, and so on. When used in this way in the past tense it indicates the wretchedness or reprehensibility of something,^{‎[5]Tantawi, 8/469.} in a way saying ‘great evil’ or ‘huge mistake’.

Kalimah (utterance) comes from kalām (speech) and means ‘a word’. The expression can also be used for a statement, or something like a short poem (qaṣīdah).^{‎[6]Muhit, 7/138.} The utterance being referred to here is their claim that God had offspring.^{‎[7]Razi, 21/425.}

EXPOSITION

The claim that God has begotten offspring is a claim that is based on ignorance of the true nature of God and what it means to be God, Whoever invokes besides Allah another god has no proof of it (23:117). See also the commentary on verse 6:100.

The verse is also a general lesson to never follow anything without knowledge.^{‎[8]Nemuneh, 12/345.}

Nor did their fathers: as mentioned in the previous verse, this warning was issued to previous nations as well. The criterion to judge the soundness of a belief is not that it has been traditionally held. Their fathers had no knowledge of God either, and also spoke based on ignorance.

While the preposition They includes their predecessors as well, their fathers is specified for emphasis so they should not think that even though they might not have specific knowledge of it, someone at some point must have had it.^{‎[9]Mizan, 13/239.}

Ascribing partners to God should never be thought of lightly, and hence Monstrous is the utterance that comes out of their mouths. Words have effect, and one of their greatest effects is on the human soul. False belief scars the heart and twists the human psyche and the ability to discern truth from falsehood and good from evil.

The claim that God has offspring is a vile claim because it twists the reality of God on so many levels. It reduces God to the likeness of physical beings, having the same sort of feelings of dependency and human emotions, having partners and equals, and being in need of others.^{‎[10]Nemuneh, 12/344.}

Describing their utterance as being words that come out of their mouths is in a way divorcing the action from their thoughts. As if to say this is something that only flows from their tongues, without registering in their minds.^{‎[11]Razi, 21/425.}

The expression mouths and the singular utterance both resonate with the main theme of the surah. Even though what they uttered was a series of words, the singular utterance is used to give the sense of diminutiveness, as in what they speak is based on very limited knowledge (this is also in contrast to the expression kaburat that denotes hugeness), like a toddler that only knows a few words and cannot speak much else. While only a word might be spoken, that word can have vast and huge underlying effects that unfold in ways that the speaker may never presume. Saying that God has a son might not seem like a big deal to some, but as per 19:90-91 its effects can be catastrophic. In contrast to this, the surah began with the praise of God who revealed the Quran to His servant. The Quran too is only words, yet its effects are momentous. This all plays into the surah’s theme and the restricted worldview and knowledge that some possess.

And they say nothing but a lie is a categorical denial of any truth being in this claim. As per the theme of the surah, God gives the ‘true account’, and those who invent falsehoods contrary to that are lying.

Rāzī is inspired by the verse to ponder the definition of a lie. He says that a lie is defined as saying something contrary to the truth, whereas some have conditioned this to also be intentional, in other words knowingly claiming something contrary to the truth. Rāzī argues that the verse disproves this latter definition as it describes people who say nothing but a lie whilst They do not have any knowledge of that.^{‎[12]Razi, 21/426-427.} There is food for thought here. Even unwittingly being wrong about something does not mean all of its consequences are removed. One may hold a mistaken belief that some activity is not harmful and then engage in it. The very real harm would then befall them, regardless of whether it was purposeful or not. For example, if one drinks alcohol intentionally, they will have committed a sin and will have to deal with the worldly and otherworldly consequences of that action. As for the worldly, they might make some mistakes or undertake some foolish actions while intoxicated. As for the otherworldly, they will have to answer for that sin on the Day of Judgement. However, if we suppose someone were to imbibe alcohol without knowledge, they may not have sinned or be held responsible in the hereafter, however the worldly consequences would nonetheless stand.

Similarly, false beliefs about God can cause very real harm, even if they are unwitting. This is why their belief is described as Monstrous. To speak falsehood about God opens the door to all other sins. The doer might not know the full consequences of his action nor perceive the great harm that will result from that, however that action will ripple through time and may cause a tsunami of woe for future generations. This is also why a person should never try to make God fit into their own preconceptions, but understand Him as He is, Clear is Allah of whatever they allege (37:159). This is worth pondering in the light of the surah’s main theme and how man is ignorant of the realities and the true consequences of his actions.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some have claimed that describing kalimah as coming out of mouths is proof that words have physical aspects (jism), because it ascribes motion to them.^{‎[13]Razi, 21/425.} Ālūsī responds to this by saying it is the air that comes out of their mouths.^{‎[14]Alusi, 8/195. See also Shawkani, 3/320.} Such conclusions and arguments are just as misplaced as those who claim that God has hands, and is based on a lack of comprehending common expressions.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.^{‎[15]Proverbs 2:6.}

[1] Tibyan, 7/7; Tabari, 15/129.
[2] Tabrisi, 6/694.
[3] Zamakhshari, 2/703; Muhit, 7/137; Alusi, 8/195; Shawkani, 3/320.
[4] Alusi, 8/195; Tantawi, 8/468.
[5] Tantawi, 8/469.
[6] Muhit, 7/138.
[7] Razi, 21/425.
[8] Nemuneh, 12/345.
[9] Mizan, 13/239.
[10] Nemuneh, 12/344.
[11] Razi, 21/425.
[12] Razi, 21/426-427.
[13] Razi, 21/425.
[14] Alusi, 8/195. See also Shawkani, 3/320.
[15] Proverbs 2:6.