Yunus (10:68) They say, "Allah has taken a son..."

This is another category of falsehoods recounted by Allah, the Exalted, from the disbelievers, which is their saying: {They say, "Allah has taken a son"}.

This statement could refer to those who say:

1. The angels are the daughters of Allah.
2. The idols are the children of Allah.
3. It is possible that there were some Christians among them who said this.

Then, when Allah rebuked this statement, He followed it up by saying: {He is the Self-Sufficient; to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth}.

Know that His being the Self-Sufficient (Al-Ghani), the Owner of everything in the heavens and the earth, indicates the impossibility of Him having a child. The proof for this is multifaceted:

The First Argument: He is absolutely Self-Sufficient, as stated in this verse, and reason also confirms this. If He were in need, He would require another creator, which is impossible. Everyone who is Self-Sufficient must be singular, free from parts and limbs. Anyone possessing this quality cannot have a part of Himself separate from Him. A child, in essence, involves a part separating from the parent, and from that part, a similar being is generated. Since this is impossible for Allah, His Self-Sufficiency prevents the attribution of a child to Him.

The Second Argument: He is Self-Sufficient, and everyone who is Self-Sufficient is ancient, eternal, and everlasting. Everyone who is like this is immune to extinction or cessation. Procreation (having a child) only occurs for something that might cease or end, so that the child may stand in its place. Thus, His Self-Sufficiency proves the impossibility of Him having a child.

The Third Argument: He is Self-Sufficient, and everyone who is Self-Sufficient is necessarily free from desire and pleasure. If this is impossible for Him, then it is impossible for Him to have a consort or a child.

The Fourth Argument: He is Self-Sufficient, and it is impossible for the Self-Sufficient to have a child because taking a child is only necessary for one who is in need, so that the child may assist him in present and expected matters. Therefore, for the Absolutely Self-Sufficient, taking a child is impossible.

The Fifth Argument: The offspring of an animal is only considered its child under two conditions:

1. It must be equal to the parent in nature and reality.
2. Its existence and formation must originate from the parent. Both are impossible for Allah, the Exalted. Since He is Absolutely Self-Sufficient, He is necessarily existent by Himself (Wajib al-Wujud). If the Necessarily Existent had a child, that child would also have to be Necessarily Existent. But being Necessarily Existent prevents it from being generated from another. If it is not generated from another, it is not a child. Thus, His Self-Sufficiency is one of the strongest proofs that He has no child. These three arguments, combined with the first three, are extremely powerful.

The Sixth Argument: He is Self-Sufficient, and it is impossible for the Self-Sufficient to have a father or a mother. Whoever is sanctified from having parents must also be sanctified from having children.

Objection: What about the First Parent (i.e., the ultimate origin)? Response: The First Parent does not necessarily have to be a child of another, as Allah is capable of creating the First Parent from two parents who preceded it. However, for Allah, the Exalted, needing parents is impossible, otherwise, He would not be Absolutely Self-Sufficient.

The Seventh Argument: He is Absolutely Self-Sufficient, and the Absolutely Self-Sufficient cannot be in need of anything else to bring things into existence.

If this is established, we say: This alleged child must either be:

1. Eternal (Qadim): If it were eternal, it would be Necessarily Existent by itself. If it were merely possible (mumkin), it would require an agent, and the need of the eternal for an agent implies the creation of the existent, which is impossible. If it is Necessarily Existent by itself, it is not a child of another; rather, it exists independently.
2. Created (Hadith): If this child were created, and Allah is Absolutely Self-Sufficient, He would be capable of creating it directly without involving anything else. In that case, it would be an absolute servant, not a child.

These are the comprehensive arguments derived from the statement {He is the Self-Sufficient} that prove the impossibility of Him having a child.

As for His statement {to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth}, it is similar to His statement: {And there is none in the heavens and the earth except that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant} (Maryam 19:93).

The essence of this is that everything other than the One, the Unique Truth, is contingent (mumkin). Every contingent thing is needy, and every needy thing is created. Therefore, everything other than the One, the Unique Truth, is created, and Allah is its Creator, Maker, and Bringer into existence. This proves the falsehood of asserting a consort or a child for Him.

When Allah clarified with clear proof the impossibility of what they attributed to Him, He followed it with censure and reprimand, saying: {You have no authority for this}, indicating that they possess absolutely no proof for what they claim.

Then, He intensified this denial, saying: {Do you say about Allah what you do not know?} We have previously mentioned that this verse is used as proof for refuting taqlid (blind following) in the fundamentals of religion, and that proponents of analogy (qiyas) and solitary reports (akhbar al-ahad) may use it to invalidate these two principles, though this has been discussed previously.