Lit., "[some] of the greatest of his Sustainer's symbols (ayat)". For this specific rendering of the term ayah, see note 2 on 17:1, which refers to the same mystic experience, namely, the Ascension. In both these Quranic allusions the Prophet is said to have been "made to see" (i.e., given to understand) some, but not all, of the ultimate truths (cf. also 7:187-188); and this, too, serves to explain the idea expressed in verse 10 above.

After pointing out that the Prophet was granted true insight into some of the most profound verities, the Qur'an draws our attention to the "false symbols" which men so often choose to invest with divine qualities or powers: in this instance - by way of example - to the blasphemous imagery of the Propheet's pagan contemporaries epitomized in the triad of Al-Lat, Manat and Al-Uzza. These three goddesses - regarded by the pagan Arabs as "God's daughters" side by side with the angels (who, too, were conceived of as females) - were worshipped in most of pre-Islamic Arabia , and had several shrines in the Hijaz and in Najd . The worship of Al-Lat was particularly ancient and almost certainly of South-Arabian origin; she may have been the prototype of the Greek semi-goddess Leto, one of the wives of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis.

In view of the contempt which the pagan Arabs felt for their female offspring (cf. 16:57-59 and 62, as well as the corresponding notes), their attribution of "daughters" to God was particularly absurd and self-contradictory: for, quite apart from the blasphemous belief in God's having "offspring" of any kind, their ascribing to Him what they themselves despised gave the lie to their alleged "reverence for Him whom they, too, regarded as the Supreme Being - a point which is stressed with irony in the next sentence.

Cf. 12:40 .

An allusion to the pagan idea that those goddesses, as well as the angels, would act as "mediators" between their worshippers and God: a wishful idea which lingers on even among adherents of higher religions in the guise of a veneration of saints and deified persons.

Lit., "Is it for man to have…", etc.

I.e., despite the fact (which is the meaning of the particle fa in this context) that God is omnipotent and omniscient and does not, therefore, require any "mediator" between Himself and His creatures.

For an explanation of the Quranic concept of "intercession", see note 7 on 10:3, as well as notes 26 and 27 on 10:18 .

The shackles of mental and physical bondage will be broken and humanity will emerge from darkness to light 7:157, 17:1, 20:23-24

Three goddesses of yours

7:71-72

His are the Keys of the heavens and earth. 7:96, 28:77, 39:63, 41:10, 42:12

Science can only be mastered by understanding God's physical laws in nature. Malaaikah = Angels = Physical laws and forces in the Universe. Shafa'ah = Company = Intercession = Stand with = Stand up in court as a witness. 2:30, 2:255

Meccan polytheists had an abstract concept of idols. Embracing Abraham's legendary rejection of statues, they discovered new ways of associating partners with God. Meccan polytheists who considered themselves to be the followers of Abraham were commemorating the names of their dead saints for intercession (39:3) and still considered themselves to be monotheists (6:23; 16:35). Those who idolized Muhammad, his companions and numerous "saints" (awliya) and commemorate their names for intercession, wanted to cover the similarities between their religion and the religion of Meccan polytheists. Thus, they ventured into fabricating tangible differences; they therefore made up many statues and ascribed them to the Meccan polytheists. Expectedly, they narrated contradictory accounts of their physical shapes (See Al-Kalbi's Kitab ul-Asnam). According to the Quran, Meccan mushriks (polytheists) were praying in the Sacred Masjid, practicing pilgrimage, and were also fasting (8:35; 9:19,45,54; 2:199).

See 2:48.