Chapter :16 Section: The Idolators' Abhorrence for Daughters

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[وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالاٍّنْثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا]

(And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark) meaning with distress and grief.

[وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ]

(and he is filled with inner grief!) meaning he is silent because of the intensity of the grief he feels.

[يَتَوَارَى مِنَ الْقَوْمِ]

(He hides himself from the people) meaning he does not want anyone to see him.

[مِن سُوءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِ أَيُمْسِكُهُ عَلَى هُونٍ أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِى التُّرَابِ]

(because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the earth) meaning should he keep her, humiliating her, not letting her inherit from him and not taking care of her, preferring his male children over her

[أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِى التُّرَابِ]

(or bury her in the earth) meaning bury her alive, as they used to do during the days of ignorance. How could they dislike something so intensely, yet attribute it to Allah

[أَلاَ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ]

(Certainly, evil is their decision.) meaning how evil are the words they say, the way they want to share things out and the things they attribute to Him. As Allah says:

[وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ مَثَلاً ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدّاً وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ]

(And if one of them is informed of the news of (the birth of a girl) that which he sets forth as a parable to the Most Gracious (Allah), his face becomes dark, and he is filled with grief!) (43:17). Here, Allah says:

[لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ]

(For those who do not believe in the Hereafter there is an evil description,) meaning, only imperfection is to be attributed to

[وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الاٌّعْلَى]

(and for Allah is the highest description) meaning He is absolutely perfect in all ways and this absolute perfection is His Alone.

[وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ]

(And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.)

[وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَـَخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ - وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ وَتَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُهُمُ الْكَذِبَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ الْحُسْنَى لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ الْنَّارَ وَأَنَّهُمْ مُّفْرَطُونَ ]

(61. And if Allah were to punish (all) mankind for their wrongdoing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving creature, but He defers them to an appointed term; and when their term comes, they can neither delay nor advance it an hour (or a moment).) (62. They assign to Allah that which they dislike (for themselves), and their tongues assert the lie that the better things will be theirs. No doubt the Fire is for them, and they will be forsaken.)


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