Tafsir of Az-Zukhruf 43:19

"And they made the angels who are the servants of the Most Merciful females": Al-Zajjaj said: The usage of "making" (al-ja‘l) in such contexts signifies speech and judgment regarding a thing. You say: "I made Zayd the most learned of people," meaning I described him as such and judged him to be so. Abu Hayyan preferred the view that the meaning is "they rendered them, in their belief, females." This is an objection brought forth to establish their contradiction as well—that they claimed what they had no knowledge of. This supports making the speech rely upon what preceded it, for they feminized them in this belief without relying on any knowledge. Thus, it points out that what they are upon—of affirming offspring—is like what they are upon regarding the feminization of the angels, peace be upon them, in that both are folly and ignorance.

Were they disbelievers regarding the two matters? Yes, regarding the reality of the matter, both are disbelief. As for the first, it is manifest. As for the second, it is due to showing contempt for His messengers, may He be glorified—meaning the angels—and making them the lowest of servants in opinion and the meanest of classes. Yet, they are the honored servants, absolved of masculinity and femininity, for these are accidental qualities of nutritive animals that require the survival of their species because Allah, the Most High, has not decreed the survival of their individual persons. This is not a conjunction to His saying, the Exalted: "And they made for Him from among His servants a portion," because, as you have known, that sentence is in the position of a state (hal) for the subject of "they will surely say," and it does not sound right, according to the apparent, to say: "They will say, 'He created them,' the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing, while they have made the angels females."

Some read it as the plural of ‘abd (‘ibad). It is said: ‘ibad is the plural of ‘abid (worshipper), like sa’im (fasting) and siyam, or qa’im (standing) and qiyam. Umar ibn al-Khattab, al-Hasan, Abu Raja’, Qatadah, Abu Ja‘far, Shaybah, al-A‘raj, al-Abnan, and Nafi‘ read "in the presence of the Most Merciful" (‘inda al-Rahman) as an adverbial of place, which is more indicative of high status and closeness of rank. The speech regarding "presence" (‘indiyyah) is metaphoric, according to the well-known view, because spatial presence is impossible for Him, the Exalted. Ubayy and Abd al-Rahman read it with the preposition bi (bi-al-Rahman—by the Most Merciful) and the singular ‘abd, with the meaning being the plural through the intent of the genus. Al-A‘mash read ‘ibad as a plural in the accusative case; Ibn Khalawayh narrated this and said it is likewise in the codex of Ibn Mas‘ud. Abu Hayyan explained the accusative by positing an omitted verb, i.e., "those whom they created as servants of the Most Merciful." Zayd ibn Ali read unuth (with two dammahs), which is the plural of inathan (a plural of a plural).

According to all readings, the restriction—if it is considered relative—does not allow for an inference of the superiority of the angel over the human.

(19) "Did they witness their creation?": That is, were they present at their creation by Allah the Exalted, so they observed them to be females, so that they might judge them to be female? For that is not something known by observation. This is like His saying, the Exalted: "Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?" This contains an attribution of ignorance to them and mockery of them. He did not address the negation of transmitted proofs because, in such a subject, they are subordinate to the affirmation of prophethood, and they are the disbelievers who do not affirm it. He did not address the negation of rational proofs due to the manifest absence of such proofs, and the mentioned negation is more manifest in mockery—so understand this.

Nafi‘ read (a’ashidu) with an interrogative hamza entering upon the four-letter verb ashhada (made witness) which is passive. In one narration, he softened this hamza by placing it between a hamza and a waw. This is a narration from Abu ‘Amr, and it is narrated from Ali (may Allah honor his face), Ibn Abbas, and Mujahid. In another, he softened it and inserted an alif between it and the first, disliking the meeting of two hamzas, which is attributed to a group. Sufficing with softening is better.

Al-Zuhari and others read (ushidu) without interrogation, as a four-letter passive verb. It is said the meaning is that of interrogation, such as his saying: They said: "You love her?" I said: "Indeed, with wonder!" This is the apparent meaning. It is said: It is an informative statement, and the sentence is an adjective for "females." Even if they did not witness their creation, they are—due to their audacity—likened to those who did witness it. Or, the intent is that they attributed to them the females known to them, whom they had witnessed being created, not another class of females. The artificiality in both interpretations is not hidden.

"Their testimony will be written": In the registry of their deeds, that which they testified to regarding the angels, peace be upon them. It is said: The Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked them, "What makes you know that they are females?" They said, "We heard that from our fathers, and we bear witness that they did not lie." So Allah, the Exalted, said: "Their testimony will be written," and they will be questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection. The speech is a threat to them with punishment and retribution for that, and the seen is for emphasis. It is said: It is permissible to take it upon its apparent meaning of the future, and this is a sign of the delayed writing of evil deeds for the hope of repentance and return, as mentioned in the hadith: "The writer of good deeds is in charge of the writer of evil deeds. When he intends to write it, he says to him, 'Pause,' so he pauses for seven hours. If he seeks forgiveness and repents, he does not write it." Since the nature of the writing is such, it was linked with the seen. That they are disbelievers insisting on disbelief does not contradict this.

Al-Zuhari read sayuktabu in the imperfect passive. Al-Hasan read it like the majority, except he read shahadatuhum (plural), which is their saying: "Verily, Allah has a portion, and that He has daughters, and they are the angels." It is said: The intent is what was intended by the singular, and the plural is for repetition. Ibn Abbas, Zayd ibn Ali, Abu Ja‘far, Abu Haywah, Ibn Abi ‘Ablah, al-Jahdari, and al-A‘raj read sanuktabu with nun as an active verb, with shahadatahum in the accusative singular.

A group read sayuktabu with ya as an active verb, and shahadatahum as a singular accusative—meaning: Allah will write their testimony.

It was also read yusa’aluna (will be questioned) from the reciprocal (mufa‘ala) for intensification.