Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:59

"He hides himself from the people" (An-Nahl: 59).

Meaning: He conceals himself from his people, "due to the evil of that which he has been given tidings"—this refers to the female, and it is expressed as "that" (ma) to denote their perceived degradation of her, lowering her from the rank of rational beings. The sentence is either a new commencement or a state (hal) according to the previous considerations in "while he is suppressed with grief," except that it originates from his face. The two prepositional phrases are connected to "hides himself." The first "from" (min) is for commencement, and the second is for causality; meaning, he hides because of that.

It is narrated that some of the people of Jahiliyyah would hide during the time of labor. If he were informed of the birth of a boy, he would rejoice, but if it were a girl, he would grieve and remain in hiding for days, contemplating what to do: "Should he keep it"—that is, should he leave it and raise it—"in humiliation"—meaning disgrace? The prepositional phrase is in the position of a state (hal) from the subject. For this reason, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Its meaning is, "Should he keep it while content with his own disgrace and against his own will?" It is also said that it is a state from the object, meaning: "Should he keep that which he was given tidings of—the female—while she is humiliated and degraded?" The sentence "Should he keep it" is governed by a suppressed verb implied by the interrogation, occurring as a state from the subject of "hides himself," meaning: speaking to himself and pondering whether he should leave it, "or bury it in the earth"—meaning to bury her alive until she dies. To this went Al-Suddi, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj, and others. It is also said that the meaning is to destroy her, whether by burying her alive or by another method, for some of them would throw a female from a high place.

It is narrated that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, by the One who sent you with the truth, I have not felt the sweetness of Islam since I accepted it. I had a daughter in the days of Jahiliyyah, and I ordered my wife to dress her up. I took her out, and when I reached a deep valley, I threw her in. She cried out, 'O father, you have killed me!' Every time I remember her words, nothing brings me relief." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whatever happened in the Jahiliyyah, Islam has demolished it, and what happens in Islam, repentance demolishes it." Some would drown her, others would slaughter her, and so on. Since all these methods result in death, leading to burial in the earth, it is said: "or bury it in the earth." It is also said that the meaning is to conceal her from the people so that no one knows, like one hidden in the earth. The masculine gender of the two pronouns is due to the word ma (that). Al-Jahdari read it with the feminine gender for both, referring to His saying (Exalted is He): "the female," or referring to the meaning of ma. Others read the first with masculine and the second with feminine. Al-Jahdari and Isa also read hawan with a fatha on the ha and an alif after the waw. Another reading is hawn with a fatha on the ha and a sukun on the waw, which also means disgrace (though it can mean gentleness and ease, that is not intended here). Al-A’mash read ‘ala su’ (on evil); according to Abu Hayyan, this is an interpretation, not a formal reading, as it contradicts the Uthmanic script. "Unquestionably, evil is what they judge."

(59) This is because they attribute to the One who is exalted above having a companion or child what they themselves consider to be of this status—all while they avoid it themselves and prefer sons for themselves. Thus, the pivot of the error is their attributing that to Allah (Exalted is He) despite their own aversion to it, not their choosing sons for themselves nor their failure to attribute children to Him (Exalted is He). It is permissible that the pivot is the reversal, like His saying (Exalted is He): "That is, then, an unfair division." Ibn Atiyyah said: This is an expression of loathing from Him (Exalted is He) for their evil actions and their judgment regarding their daughters—keeping them in humiliation or burying them alive—even though the provision for all is from Allah (Exalted is He). It is as if it were said: "Evil is what they judge regarding their daughters." This is contrary to the apparent meaning. The first view is narrated from Al-Suddi, and it is the view of the majority. The verse is clear in condemning those who grieve when given tidings of a female, as it reports that this is the act of the disbelievers.

Ibn Jarir and others have narrated from Qatadah that he said regarding His saying (Exalted is He): "And when one of them is informed of good news..." (to the end): "This is the conduct of the polytheist Arabs; Allah (Exalted is He) has informed you of its vileness. As for the believer, it is fitting for him to be pleased with what Allah (Exalted is He) has apportioned for him. The decree of Allah (Exalted is He) is better than a person's decree for himself. By my life, we do not know which daughter is better for her family than a boy. Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He) only informed you of their conduct so that you might avoid it and desist from it."

The Qadi (Al-Qadi Abu Bakr al-Baqillani) used the verse as evidence for the invalidity of the school of those who claim that human actions are attributed to Allah (Exalted is He), because that involves attributing obscene acts [to Him]—acts that, if attributed to one of them, they would strain themselves to disavow and distance themselves from. He said: The judgment of these claimants is similar to the judgment of these polytheists, and even greater, because attributing daughters to Him (Exalted is He) is the attribution of one obscenity, which is easier than attributing all obscenities and indecencies to Him (Mighty and Majestic is He).

This was answered by saying that once it is established by proof that the existence of a companion and child is impossible for Him (Exalted is He), He (Mighty and Majestic is He) followed it up by mentioning this persuasive argument. Otherwise, not everything that is considered obscene among us by custom is considered obscene from Him (Exalted is He). Do you not see that if a man were to dress up his slave women and men, exaggerate in beautifying their appearances, then exaggerate in strengthening the desire in them, then gather them all together and remove the barriers and hindrances, remaining to watch what happens between them of intercourse and other things, he would be considered the most foolish of the foolish and his action the most obscene of all actions? Yet, this is not obscene from Him (Exalted is He); rather, He (Glorified be His Majesty) has created it. Thus, it is known that reliance on such arguments built upon custom is only sound when preceded by categorical proofs. Since it has been established by such proofs that offspring are impossible for Him (Exalted is He), it is fitting that these persuasive arguments be used to reinforce that. As for the actions of human beings, it has been established by categorical proofs that their Creator is Allah (Exalted is He), so how is it possible to conflate the two categories, were it not for blind prejudice?