Tafseer of 43:18

[Hassan_'Abd_Allah]

assalamu 'alaikum

I came across this verse in the Qur'an and I wonder how we should understand this:

(Do they then like for Allah) a creature who is brought up in adornments (wearing silk and gold ornaments, i.e. women), and in dispute cannot make herself clear? [43:18]

I went ahead and checked Ibn Katheer's tafsir who writes:

(43:17) (And if one of them is informed of the news of that which he sets forth as a parable to the Most Gracious, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with grief!) means, if one of these people is given the news that there has been born to him one of those which he attributes to Allah, i.e., a daughter, he hates this news and it depresses and overwhelms him so much that he keeps away from people because he feels so ashamed. Allah says, so how can they dislike that so much and yet they attribute it to Allah.

(43:18) (A creature who is brought up in adornments, and who in dispute cannot make itself clear) means, women are regarded as lacking something, which they make up for with jewelry and adornments from the time of childhood onwards, and when there is a dispute, they cannot speak up and defend themselves clearly, so how can this be attributed to Allah.

So does this mean that women being brought up in trinkets and (especially) their inability to make themselves clear are facts? Or is Allah appealing to general public belief i.e. this is how people of Arabia used to regard the women?

JazakAllahu khairan

[ahmed frihy]

So does this mean that women being brought up in trinkets and (especially) their inability to make themselves clear are facts? Or is Allah appealing to general public belief i.e. this is how people of Arabia used to regard the women?

أَوَمَنْ يُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الْخِصَامِ غَيْرُ مُبِينٍ (18)


قوله تعالى : { أو من ينشأ في الحلية } فيه مسألتان :
الأولى قوله تعالى : { أو من ينشأ } أي يربى ويشب والنشوء التربية يقال نشأت في بني فلان نشئا ونشوءا إذا شببت فيهم ونشئ وأنشئ بمعنى وقرأ ابن عباس و الضحاك و ابن وثاب و حفص و حمزة و الكسائي و خلف ( ينشأ ) بضم الياء وفتح النون وتشديد الشين أي يربى ويكبر في الحلية واختاره أبو عبيد لأن الإسناد فيها أعلى وقرأ الباقون ( ينشأ ) بفتح الياء وإسكان النون واختاره أبو حاتم أي يرسخ ويثبت وأصله من نشأ أي ارتفع قاله الهروي ( ينشأ ) متعد و ( ينشأ ) لازم
الثانية : قوله تعالى : { في الحلية } أي في الزينة قال ابن عباس وغيره : هن الجواري زيهن غير زي الرجال قال مجاهد : رخص للنساء في الذهب والحرير وقرأ هذه الآية قال الكيا : فيه دلالة على إباحة الحلي للنساء والإجماع منعقد عليه والأخبار فيه لا تحصى
قلت : روي عن أبي هريرة أنه كان يقول لابنته : يا بنية إياك والتحلي بالذهب ! فإني أخاف عليك اللهب
قوله تعالى : { وهو في الخصام غير مبين } أي في المجادلة والإدلاء بالحجة قال قتادة ما تكلمت امرأة ولها حجة إلا جعلتها على نفسها وفي مصحف عبد الله ( وهو في الكلام غير مبين ) ومعنى الآية : أيضاف إلى الله من هذا وصفه ! أي لا يجوز ذلك وقيل : المنشأ في الحلية أصنامهم التي صاغرها من ذهب وفضة وحلوها قاله ابن زيد و الضحاك ويكون معنى ( وهو في الخصام غير مبين ) على هذا القول : أي ساكت عن الجواب و ( من ) في محل نصب أي اتخذوا لله من ينشأ في الحلية ويجوز أن يكون رفعا على الابتداء والخبر مضمر قاله الفراء : وتقديره : أو من كان على هذه الحالة يستحق العبادة : وإن شئت قلت خفض ردا إلى أول الكلام وهو قوله : { بما ضرب } أو على ( ما ) في قوله : { مما يخلق بنات } وكون الاستفهام حائلة بين البدل والمبدل منهالبدل في هذين الموضعين ضعيف لكون ألف
Bismill aharahmai Araheem
Brother Hassan Abd Allah....Asalamo alikom
According to Alqortobi the verse " or thise who grow higher in wealth and gold etchas two meanings :
!-It could mean "women " and in those days womens life was about staying inside their homes and they do not fight and they do not talk back to men
2-the second meaning and that is the stronger of the two opinions is Allah SWT is talking about the Idols , the statues that are built taller and covered with silk and gold et cand they never talk back or fight.
Allah said "wama Ya3budona ila Enathan "{ they only worship Females means female Jinn.
So as you can see brother it is not about women and womens lib.here.
Obviously Arabs did not like to have baby girls beccause they do not go to war and they were considered as liability But they do not mind to describe Allahs angles as women.
I hope that claifies the verse ....Wasalamo Alikom

[Hassan_'Abd_Allah]

Assalamu 'alaikum akhee and jazakAllahu khayran

Forgive me akhee, it is nothing but my own ignorance, but I could use a bit more explanation inshAllah

43:16 Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] sons?

43:17 And when one of them is given good tidings of that which he attributes to the Most Merciful in comparison, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.

43:18 So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allah ]?

I looked up Tafseer Jalalayn:

43:17 And when one of them is given the good tidings of that which he has attributed to the Compassionate One, [of that which] he has likened to Him by the ascription to Him of daughters — for a child is likened to its parent; in other words, when one of them is informed that a daughter has been born to him, his face becomes darkened, transformed into one laden with anguish, and he chokes inwardly, filled with anguish: so how can such a person then attribute daughters to Him? Exalted be He high above such [claims].

43:18 What! (a-wa contains both the hamza of denial and the conjunctive waw, ‘and’, in other words, ‘do they ascribe to God …’) one that is brought up amid trinkets, ornaments, and is incoherent in a dispute?, [unable] to argue clearly because of an [inherent] inability [in this respect] as a result of [that person belonging to] the female sex.

and Tafseer ibn Abbas

43:17 And if one of them) one of the Banu Malih (hath tidings of that which he likeneth) of that which he ascribes (to the Beneficent One) i.e. daughters, (his countenance becometh black) of grief (and he is full of inward rage) would you then, O Banu Malih, like for Allah that which you do not like for yourselves?

43:18 ((Liken they then to Allah) that which is bred up in outward show) in ornaments of gold and silver, (and in dispute) in speech (cannot make itself plain) whose argument is not strong, i.e. women, how could they be the daughters of Allah?

So erm it seems (from these three tafaseer) that Allah swt is saying

1. When the People of Arabia used to get news of a female child being born, they would get really sad and pathetic

2. So Allah subhana wa Ta'la says why is it so that you say the sons are yours and the daughters are Allah's, when you dont even like your daughters?

3. And how can you say this is Allah (or according to the interpretation that you provided, how can you worship these things) when they are likened to women, and women are brought up in gold and ornaments and stuff and cannot argue clearly?

4. If we say that the verse should be interpreted as such: How can you worship these idols when they are only gold and ornaments and they cannot argue clearly?

But in the last verse Allah was talking about female children akhee, how can we interpret the verse to mean idols and jinns?

I still dont get it :S

[ahmed frihy]

43:18 ((Liken they then to Allah) that which is bred up in outward show) in ornaments of gold and silver, (and in dispute) in speech (cannot make itself plain) whose argument is not strong, i.e. women, how could they be the daughters of Allah?

Bismilaharahman araheem
Ahki Hassan Abd Allah...asalamo alikom
1- what you have quoted is all valid and that comes collectively uder the first opinion for Alqortobi.
2-what make the tafseer id a bit complicated in 43 :18 is not awa which as you mentioned istenkareiah " questioning for denial " the problem is in pronoun Man "who " it is passive and Ghaybei it could mean the women or the idols and that is why Qortobi mentioned the two meaning.
3-If we say that what Man referrs to females one can say not all arab females were rich and covered with silk and ornaments and rightly so
And if you visit any kafir countries you will be shoked to see the amount of gold and silk they are covering their idols with.
4-The verb Yonashaa is also passive and it means made to grow taller and it suits more the idolsand that is the general reading however if you sau Yanshaa the verb here is active and it means to grow by themselves it suits women more.in this case.
5- The general meaning of the verse is very clear Allah swt is saying how comes you do not like females and you make for him children from his creation in the form of female who you do not like for yourselves.and You idols who are not able to speak or answer back you make them equql to God.
The mention of Jinn etc is taken from other verses in Quran" Waja3alou lahu shorakaa aljin wa khalaqahum wakhraqu lahu albanina walbanat " in that meaning
4. If we say that the verse should be interpreted as such: How can you worship these idols when they are only gold and ornaments and they cannot argue clearly?

4. If we say that the verse should be interpreted as such: How can you worship these idols when they are only gold and ornaments and they cannot argue clearly?
If we say that the verse should be interpreted as such: How can you worship these idols when they are only gold and ornaments and they
I hope that cleared your above question and remember Man is the main reason for the two different tafseers
And Allah all knowing Wasalamo alikom

[Hassan_'Abd_Allah]

jazakallahu khayran akhee

I think the main trouble Im having with this is due to the fact that Im a jahil in Arabic