Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:100

If you consider li-llāhi (to Allah) and shurakā’a (partners) as the two objects of ja‘alū (they attributed), then al-jinn (the jinn) is in the accusative case as an appositive (badal) to shurakā’a. If you consider li-llāhi as extraneous (laghw), then shurakā’a al-jinn (the partners of the jinn) are the two objects, with the second placed before the first.

If you ask: What is the benefit of this precedence? I say: Its benefit is to emphasize the enormity of taking as a partner to Allah anyone—whether angel, jinn, human, or otherwise. That is why the name of Allah is placed before the partners.

It is also recited as al-jinnu in the nominative, as if it were asked, "Who are they?" and the answer was, "The jinn." It is also recited in the genitive (al-jinni) as an idāfah (genitive construction) for clarification. The meaning is: they associated them with Him in worship because they obeyed them just as Allah is obeyed.

It is said: They are those who claimed that Allah is the Creator of good and all that is beneficial, while Iblis is the creator of evil and all that is harmful.

"...and He created them..." This refers to the creators of these partners. The meaning is: They knew that Allah is their Creator, not the jinn, yet their knowledge did not prevent them from taking as a partner to the Creator one who does not create. Others say the pronoun refers to the jinn.

"...and they fabricated for Him..." It is recited as wa-khalaqū (they created), meaning they invented for Him "sons and daughters." This is the claim of the People of the Two Books regarding the Messiah and Ezra, and the claim of the Quraysh regarding the angels. It is said: khalaqa al-ifk (he created a lie), kharaqahu, ikhtalaqahu, and ikhtaraqahu all share the same meaning. Al-Hasan was asked about this and said: "It is an Arabic expression. When a man in a gathering told a lie, some would say to him, 'By Allah, he has kharaqahā (torn/fabricated it).'" It may also be derived from kharq al-thawb (tearing a garment), meaning they "tore" sons and daughters for Him. It is also recited as wa-kharraqū (with emphasis) to denote multiplicity, due to the mention of "sons and daughters." Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbās recited it as wa-ḥarrafū (they distorted) for Him, meaning they forged children for Him, for the forged is a distortion that changes truth into falsehood.

"...without knowledge..." Without knowing the reality of what they said—whether it was error or truth—but rather casting out words based on blindness and ignorance, without thought or reflection.

"Originator of the heavens..." This is an instance of an adjective (badī‘) being attributed to its agent, like saying "So-and-so is badī‘ al-shi‘r" (the originator of poetry), meaning he originates his poetry. Or, it means He is badī‘ (unique/originator) in the heavens and the earth, like saying "So-and-so is thabt al-ghadr" (firm in treachery), meaning he is firm in it. The meaning is that He has no peer or likeness within them.

It is said: Al-badī‘ means al-mubdi‘ (the Creator). Its nominative case is due to it being the predicate of an omitted subject, or it is the subject and its predicate is "How could He have a son?" or it is an agent of ta‘ālā (Exalted is He). It is also recited in the genitive as a follow-up to "And they attributed to Allah" or to "Exalted is He." It is recited in the accusative as a form of praise.

This contains a refutation of the concept of a son from three angles:

1. The Originator of the heavens and the earth—which are immense bodies—cannot be described as having offspring, for birth is a property of bodies, and the Creator of bodies cannot be a body such that He could be a parent.
2. Birth only occurs between two partners of the same species, and He is exalted above having a peer; thus, it is not valid for Him to have a companion, and therefore birth is not valid.
3. There is nothing except that He is its Creator and Knower; one who possesses this attribute is in no need of anything, and a son is only sought by the needy.

It is recited as wa-lam yakun lahu ṣāḥibah (using the masculine yakun), which is permissible due to the separation [between the verb and the feminine subject], as in the poet's saying: "A bad mother gave birth to al-Akhyatal."