Home > Surah 37 - Those Who Set the Ranks
1. Polytheistic Linguistic Framing:
Using the superlative "the best of creators" grammatically implies a class of multiple creators. In a passage directly confronting the worship of the false god Baal, employing a phrase that posits comparative creation compromises strict monotheistic (tawḥīd) rhetoric.
2. Contextual Inconsistency:
While apologists argue that "creators" refers to human fashioners or artists, the direct contrast with Baal sets up a comparison between divine entities. Using plural creation terminology in a sermon against idolatry exposes a tension between theological intent and linguistic execution.
The Surah touches briefly on the mission of the Prophet Elijah (Ilyas) as he confronts his pagan contemporaries over their idol worship.
The Quran Verse
Surah 37:123–125:
And indeed, Elijah was among the messengers, When he said to his people, 'Will you not fear Allah? Do you call upon Baal and leave the best of creators (aḥsana l-khāliqīn)?'
Elijah asks his people how they can worship the idol Baal while abandoning the "best of creators."
The Linguistic Inconsistency:
The phrase "best of creators" is a superlative that implies the existence of a pool of other creators, among whom Allah is simply the most skilled.
For a text that fiercely preaches absolute, uncompromised monotheism (Tawhid), using a phrase that grammatically validates the existence of other creators is highly problematic. While apologists argue "creator" here means human inventors or fashioners, the context is explicitly contrasting God with a false deity (Baal), making the use of a polytheistic linguistic idiom a glaring theological oversight.