هذا هو الحق الذي لا مرية فيه، الذي دعا إليه محمد ﷺ. فعلى أي أساس إذن يقوم عبادتهم وخرافاتهم المزعومة في آلهة مدعاة؟ وكيف يبررون عبادتهم للاَّت والعُزّى ومَناة؟ وكيف يثبتون زعمهم الواهي أن هذه الأصنام كانت ملائكة، وأن الملائكة بنات الله، أو أنها تشفع عند الله للناس؟ فهل لديهم ما يسند هذه الدعاوى؟
Such is the irrefutable truth in which Muhammad (peace be upon him) called them to believe. What basis, then, do they have for their worship and superstitions of alleged deities? How can they justify their worship of al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat? How can they prove their dubious claims that these were angels, and that the angels were Gods daughters, or that they can intercede with God on people’s behalf? Do they have anything to support these claims?
هل فكّرتَ في اللات والعُزّى، ومناة الثالثة الأخرى؟
Have you considered al-Lat and al- (Uzzd, and Manat, the third other?
أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنثَىٰ؟ تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ. إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ. أَمْ لِلْإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ؟ فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ. وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لَا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَرْضَىٰ. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنثَىٰ. وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ، وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا.
[سورۃ النجم: 19-28]
Are you to have the male and He the female? That would then be an unfair division. These are nothing but names which you have invented - you and your forefathers -for which God has given no authority. They [who disbelieve] follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls, even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them. Is man to have all that he may wish for, when both the life to come and this present life belong to God alone? Numerous are the angels in the heavens, yet their intercession will avail nothing until God has given leave to whomever He wills and with whom He is pleased. Those who do not believe in the life to come give the angels female names. Yet of this they have no knowledge. They follow nothing but surmise, but surmise can never take the place of truth. (Verses 19-28)
كان اللات حجرًا أبيض منحوتًا، مُحاطًا ببناءٍ مغطّى بالستور، وله خدمٌ يقومون على خدمته. وكان يحيط بالبناء ساحةٌ يُعظّمها قبيلةُ ثقيفٍ الساكنة في الطائف، وكذلك القبائلُ المجاورة لها. وكانوا يُعدّون من أكثر القبائل العربية تشريفًا، لكن دون أن يتجاوزوا قريشًا، إذ كان الصنم في مدينتهم. ولا شكّ أن قريشًا كان لها الشرفُ الأعظم، إذ كان في مدينتها الكعبةُ التي بناها إبراهيم.
Al-Lat was a carved white rock, enclosed within a building covered with curtains, and with attendants serving it. Surrounding the building was a courtyard that the tribe of Thaqlf living in Ta’if, as well as tribes in the surrounding area, venerated. They were considered exceptionally honoured among Arab tribes, not however surpassing the Quraysh, for having it in their hometown. Needless to say, the Quraysh had the greater honour of having the Ka'bah, built by Abraham, in their city.
يُعتقد أن اسم اللات كان يُنظر إليه على أنه الصيغة المؤنثة لاسم الله العربي، أي الله.
It is thought that the name al-Lat was considered as being the feminine form of God’s Arabic name, Allah.
كانت العُزّى شجرةً أُقيم حولها بناءٌ ورُفعت عليها الستور، وكانت في نخلة، بين مكة والطائف. وكانت قريش خاصةً تعظّم العُزّى. وبعد غزوة أُحد وقف زعيم قريش يفتخر قائلاً: «لنا العُزّى، ولا عُزّى لكم»، فأمر النبي ﷺ أصحابه أن يردّوا بقولهم: «اللهُ مولانا، ولا مولى لكم». ويُظنّ أن اسم العُزّى كان المؤنث من اسم الله العزيز، ومعناه الجبّار.
Al-'Uzza was a tree around which a building was built and with curtains raised. It was at Nakhlah, between Makkah and Ta’if. The Quraysh in particular used to venerate al-‘Uzza. After the Battle of Uhud, the Quraysh leader stood boasting, ‘We have al-‘Uzza, but you have no (Uzza’, but the Prophet instructed his Companions to reply by saying: “God is our protecting Master, but you have no master to protect you.” It is thought that the name al-(Uzza was the feminine form of God’s name, al-Aziz, meaning the Almighty.
كانت مناة منصوبةً في مكانٍ يُدعى المُشلَّل في قُدَيد، بين مكةَ والمدينة. وكانت قبائلُ خزاعةَ والأوسُ والخزرجُ تُعظّمها في الجاهلية، وكانوا يبدؤون حجّهم منها.
Manat was stationed at a place called al-Mushallal in Qadid, between Makkah and Madlnah. The tribes of Khuza'ah, al-Aws and al-Khazraj used to venerate it in their pre-Islamic days, and used to start their pilgrimage from there.
وكان هناك أصنام أخرى كثيرة تعبدها القبائل المختلفة، لكن هذه الأصنام الثلاثة كانت أهمها. ويُعتقد أن هذه الأصنام كانت رموزًا تمثّل الملائكة، وكان العرب يظنّونهم إناثًا، ويزعمون أنهم بنات الله. ومن هنا كانت عبادتها في الأصل. وما يحدث في مثل هذه الحالات أن الفكرة الأصلية تضيع، ويصير الرمز، عند أكثر الناس، هو الشيء المعبود. ولا يبقى يتذكر الأسطورة الأصلية إلا قلّة قليلة من أهل العلم.
There were many other idols venerated by different tribes, but these three were the major ones. It is thought that these idols were symbols representing angels whom the Arabs considered to be female and who they also claimed to be God’s daughters. Hence, why they were originally worshipped. What happens in such cases is that the original idea is lost and the symbol becomes, for the majority of people, the thing to be worshipped. Only a handful of knowledgeable people continue to remember the original legend.
يُخبِرُ اللهُ تعالى أنَّ هذه المعبوداتِ الثلاثةَ، وفي السؤالِ نفسِهِ يُلمِحُ إلى أنَّ عبادةَ مثلِ هذه الأشياءِ أمرٌ شاذٌّ: ﴿أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ * وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ﴾ (الآيتان 19-20). وتتجلّى هذه الغرابةُ بوضوحٍ في افتتاحِ السؤالِ بقولِهِ: «أفرأيتم»، وفي وصفِ مناةَ بأنها «الثالثةُ الأخرى».
God mentions these three worshipped objects, implying in the very question He asks that to worship such things is indeed singular: “Have you considered al-Ldt and al- (Uzzd, and Manat, the third other?” (Verses 19-20) Such singularity is clearly highlighted in His starting the question with, ‘ have you considered, and in describing Manat as 'the third other.
After this initial question, He then adds that their other claim that He had daughters while they had sons was even more singular: “Are you to have the male and He the female? That would then be an unfair division” (Verses 21-22). This suggests that these worshipped objects related to the legend that the angels were females, begotten by God - far more exalted is God above all such false claims. This confirms what we have said about those Arabs: they hated that they should beget females, but were not ashamed to make the angels, about whom they knew nothing, females and to allege that they were God's offspring. God questions them here on the basis of their own concepts, ridiculing these and whoever upholds them: “Are you to have the male and He the female?” Such a division you make between yourselves and God is most unfair! The whole thing is based on illusion. It has no basis in human knowledge or in reality. No evidence or argument can be given in support of such claims: “These are nothing but names which you have invented—you and your forefathers—for which God has given no authority.”
Note: the translation above is incomplete in one respect: the Qur'an verses quoted are rendered as in the source text, and this output is the text itself in Arabic with the Qur'an verse references written in Arabic script. Please provide the Arabic-script version of the Qur'an verse references if you need them in a specific form.
After this initial question, He then adds that their other claim that He had daughters while they had sons was even more singular: “Are you to have the male and He the female? That would then be an unfair division” (Verses 21-22) This suggests that these worshipped objects related to the legend that the angels were females, begotten by God - far more exalted is God above all such false claims. This confirms what we have said about those Arabs: they hated that they should beget females, but were not ashamed to make the angels, about whom they knew nothing, females and to allege that they were God’s offspring. God questions them here on the basis of their own concepts, ridiculing these and whoever upholds them: “Are you to have the male and He the female?” Such a division you make between yourselves and God is most unfair! The whole thing is based on illusion. It has no basis in human knowledge or in reality. No evidence or argument can be given in support of such claims: “ These are nothing but names which you have invented-you and your forefathers -for which God has given no authority.
إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ
(الآية ٢٣) هذه الأسماء، اللات والعزّى ومناة، وكل ما شابهها، التي تُسمّى آلهةً وملائكةً وبناتِ الله، أسماءٌ باطلة لا يمكن إثباتها. لم يُنزل الله لكم بذلك من سلطان، ولا دليل له على هذه الدعاوى. وما لم يأذن به الله فهو باطل قطعاً لا سند له، ولا وزن له.
They [who disbelieve] follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls, even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them.11 (Verse 23) These names, al-Lat, al-(Uzza, Manat, and all others like them, which are called deities, angels, female and Gods daughters, are false and cannot be substantiated. God has given you no evidence in support of such claims. What God does not sanction is certainly false and insupportable. It carries no weight.
هذا الخطاب الموجَّه إلى الكافرين ينتهي في منتصف الآية، وتنصرف السورة عنهم كأنهم غير حاضرين. بل إنها تتحدث عنهم بصيغة الغائب: ﴿إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ﴾ [23]. فهم لا يملكون حجةً ولا برهانًا ولا يقينًا، ويبنون معتقداتهم على الظنّ، ويلجؤون إلى أهوائهم طلبًا للدليل. والإيمان، مع ذلك، لا يمكن أن يُبنى على الظنّ ولا على الهوى.
This address to the unbelievers ends in the middle of the verse. The surah turns away from them as if they were not even there. Indeed, it speaks of them in the third person: “ They follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls]1 (Verse 23) They lack argument, fact and certainty. They base their beliefs on surmise, and turn to their whims for evidence. Faith, however, cannot be based on either surmise or whim.
يجب أن يقوم الإيمان الحق على اليقين والدليل الذي لا يُدفع، دون اعتبار للهوى والشهوة. لم يكن للكافرين عذر يبررون به اتباعهم للهوى والظن: ﴿وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ﴾ (الآية 23). فإذا كان المرجع في الأمر هو هوى الإنسان ورغبته، فلا يمكن أن يكون شيء حقًا، ولا تنفع أي هداية. والمشكلة ليست في غياب الحق أو غياب الدليل الذي يؤيده؛ المشكلة هي رغبة جامحة تريد أشياء معينة، فتبحث لما تريده عن مسوغ. وهذه أسوأ حال يمكن أن يبلغه الإنسان، لأنه حينئذٍ لا تنفعه هداية، ولا يقنعه دليل.
True faith must be based on certainty and irrefutable evidence, without reference to whim or desire. The unbelievers had no excuse to justify their following whim and surmise: “Even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them.11 (Verse 23) When the deciding factor is ones own whim and desire, nothing can be right, and no guidance is of any use. The problem is not the absence of truth or evidence supporting it; the problem is a powerful desire that wants certain things, seeking justification for what it wants. This is the worst situation man can find himself in, because then no guidance is of any benefit and no proof is convincing.
فَلِهَذَا تَسْأَلُ السُّورَةُ على سبيل الإنكار: «أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى» [11] (الآية 24)؛ هل سيتحقق كل ما يتمنّاه الإنسان ويكون له واقعٌ؟
Hence the surah disapprovingly asks: “Is man to have all that he may wish for]11 (Verse 24) Will everything man wishes come true, have reality?
الأمور ليست كذلك. فالحق والواقع يختلفان عن التمنّي، والتمنّي لا يغيّر الحقائق. والحقيقة أن الإنسان يضل إذا اتبع هواه، وهو أضعف من أن يغيّر طبيعة الأشياء.
Things are not like that. Truth and reality are different from wishful thinking, which cannot change facts. The fact is that man errs when he follows his own desires. He is too weak to change the nature of things.
لِلهِ وَحْدَهُ مَا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ فِي الْعَالَمَيْنِ: «وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَىٰ» ١١ (الآية ٢٥)
Everything in this life and the next belongs to God who accomplishes whatever He wills in both worlds: “Both the life to come and this present life belong to God alone.11 (Verse 25)
نُلاحظ هنا أنّ الآخرةَ ذُكرت أولاً قبل الدنيا من أجل المحافظة على السَّجع، غير أنّ هذا يحمل دلالةً مقصودةً، تُفيد أنّ الآخرةَ أهمّ. وهذا أمرٌ مألوف في القرآن الكريم، حيث يتّفق المعنى تمامًا مع الإيقاع والقافية، فلا يطغى أحدُ الجانبين على الآخر. وينطبق ذلك على كلّ ما خلقه الله في الكون، حيث تُحفظ الجمالية في انسجامٍ مع تحقيق الوظيفة.
We note here that the life to come is mentioned first, ahead of the present life, in order to maintain the rhyme. However, this gives an intended connotation, signifying that the life to come is more important. This is normal in the Quran, where the meaning fits well with the beat and the rhyme, allowing neither aspect to overshadow the other. This applies to everything of Gods making throughout the universe, where beauty is maintained in harmony with the fulfilment of the function.
لَمَّا كان كلُّ شيءٍ لله في الدنيا والآخرة، فلا أساسَ لظنون الكافرين بأنَّ آلهتَهم الباطلةَ تَشفعُ لهم عند الله. وكانوا يقولون:
Since everything belongs to God in both this world and the life to come, there can be no basis for the unbelievers conjectures that their false deities can intercede with God on their behalf. They used to say:
"ما نعبدهم إلا ليقربونا إلى الله زلفى" (الزمر: 3). وهذا الظن باطل. فلا يستطيع أحد من الملائكة في السماوات أن يشفع عند الله إلا إذا أذن الله له بذلك: "وكم من ملك في السماوات لا تغني شفاعتهم شيئاً إلا من بعد أن يأذن الله لمن يشاء ويرضى" (النجم: 26).
“ We worship them for no reason other than that they would bring us nearer to God” (39: 3) Such conjecture is baseless. None of the angels in heaven can intercede with God except when God grants them permission to do so: “Numerous are the angels in the heavens, yet their intercession will avail nothing until God has given leave to whomever He wills and with whom He is pleased." (Verse 26)
لَمَّا ثَبَتَ في الآياتِ السابقةِ كذِبُ دعاواهم، فقد تهاوتْ دعاواهم الآن. فقد زال كلُّ باطلٍ وكلُّ شكٍّ عن الإيمان. فكلُّ ما في الدنيا والآخرةِ لله. ولا تستطيعُ الأهواءُ والرغباتُ أن تغيّرَ الحقيقة. ولا تُقبلُ الشفاعةُ إلا بإذنِ الله.
Having been proved in the previous verses to be false, their claims now fall apart. All fallacy and doubt is now removed from faith. Everything in this world and the following one belongs to God. Whims and desires cannot change reality. Intercession can only be accepted by God’s leave.
الحُكْمُ النِّهَائِيُّ لَهُ وَحْدَهُ.
The final judgement is His alone.
وفي ختام هذا المقطع تُعرض مناقشةٌ أخيرة لمفاهيم الكافرين الباطلة عن الملائكة، تُظهر بطلانها: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنثَىٰ * وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾ (الآيتان 27-28). وهذا التعقيب الأخير يُشير ضمنًا إلى الصلة بين اللات والعُزّى ومَناة، وبين الأسطورة التي تجعل الملائكة إناثًا، وتزعم فوق ذلك أنهم بنات الله. وهذه الأسطورة كلها لا أساس لها. ولم يكن لدى المشركين أي وسيلة للعلم بشيء صحيح عن حقيقة الملائكة.
At the end of this section, a final discussion is given of the unbelievers’ false concepts about the angels, showing them to be baseless: “ Those who do not believe in the life to come give the angels female names. Yet of this they have no knowledge. They follow nothing but surmise, but surmise can never take the place of truth" (Verses 27-28) This final comment implicitly refers to the link between al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat and the legend that makes angels female and that further alleges that they belong to God. This whole legend lacks all foundation. The unbelievers had no means whatsoever to learn anything true about the nature of the angels.
أمّا القول بأنّ الملائكة بنات الله، فهو باطلٌ، مبنيٌّ على ظنّهم الفاسد، والظنّ لا يُغني عن الحقّ شيئًا.
As for the angels being God’s offspring, this is a fallacy, ingrained in their false surmise, which can never be a substitute for the truth.