Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Do not speak without Knowledge `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This means) do not say (anything of which you have no knowledge)." Al-`Awfi said: "Do not accuse anyone of that of which you have no knowledge." Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah said: "It means bearing false witness." Qatadah said: "Do not say, `I have seen', when you did not see anything, or `I have heard', when you did not hear anything, or `I know', when you do not know, for Allah will ask you about all of that." In conclusion, what they said means that Allah forbids speaking without knowledge and only on the basis of suspicion, which is mere imagination and illusions. As Allah says: اجْتَنِبُواْ كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ (Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins.) 49:12 According to a Hadith: «إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّنَفَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيث» (Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech.) The following Hadith is found in Sunan Abu Dawud: «بِئْسَ مَطِيَّةُ الرَّجُلِ: زَعَمُوا» (What an evil habit it is for a man to say, `They claimed...') According to another Hadith: «إِنَّ أَفْرَى الْفِرَى أَنْ يُرِيَ الرَّجُلُ عَيْنَيْهِ مَا لَمْ تَرَيَا» (The worst of lies is for a man to claim to have seen something that he has not seen.) In the Sahih it says: «مَنْ تَحَلَّمَ حُلْمًا كُلِّفَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يَعْقِدَ بَيْنَ شَعِيرَتَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ بِفَاعِل» (Whoever claims to have seen a dream (when he has not seen) will be told on the Day of Resurrection to make a knot between two barley grains, and he will not be able to do it.) كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ (each of those ones) means these faculties, hearing, sight and the heart, كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً (will be questioned.) means, the person will be asked about them on the Day of Resurrection, and they will be asked about him and what he did with them.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Condemnation of strutting Allah forbids His servants to strut and walk in a boastful manner: وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحًا (And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance.) meaning, walking in boastful manner and acting proud, like those who are arrogant oppressors. إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الاٌّرْضَ (Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth) means, you cannot penetrate the earth with your walking. This was the opinion of Ibn Jarir.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Condemnation of strutting Allah forbids His servants to strut and walk in a boastful manner: وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحًا (And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance.) meaning, walking in boastful manner and acting proud, like those who are arrogant oppressors. إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الاٌّرْضَ (Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth) means, you cannot penetrate the earth with your walking. This was the opinion of Ibn Jarir.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Everything previously mentioned is Revelation and Wisdom Allah says: `What We have commanded you to do is part of good manners, and what We have forbidden you are evil qualities. We have revealed this to you, O Muhammad, so that you may command the people likewise.' وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتُلْقَى فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا (And set not up with Allah any other god lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy) meaning, your own self will blame you, as will Allah and His creation. مَّدْحُورًا (rejected) means far removed from everything good. Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah said: "(It means) cast out." This is an address to the Ummah via the Messenger , for he is infallible.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Refutation of Those Who claim that the Angels are Daughters of Allah Allah refutes the lying idolators who claim, may the curse of Allah be upon them, that the angels are the daughters of Allah. They made the angels, who are the servants of Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent), females, and called them daughters of Allah, then they worshipped them. They were gravely wrong on all three counts. Allah says, denouncing them: أَفَأَصْفَـكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِالْبَنِينَ (Has then your Lord preferred for you sons,) meaning, has He given only you sons وَاتَّخَذَ مِنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِنَاثًا (and taken for Himself from among the angels daughters) meaning, has He chosen for Himself, as you claim, daughters Then Allah denounces them even more severely, and says: إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلاً عَظِيمًا (Verily, you indeed utter an awful saying.) meaning, in your claim that Allah has children, then you say that His children are female, which you do not like for yourselves and may even kill them by burying them alive. That is indeed a division most unfair! Allah says: وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَداً - لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئاً إِدّاً - تَكَادُ السَّمَـوَتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الاٌّرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَلَداً - وَمَا يَنبَغِى لِلرَّحْمَـنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَداً - إِن كُلُّ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ آتِى الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْداً - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَـهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدّاً - وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَرْداً (And they say: "The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a child." Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins. That they ascribe a son child to the Most Beneficent. But it is not suitable for (the majesty of) the Most Beneficent that he should beget a child. There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And every one of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.) (19:88-95)