Surah 16. An-Nahl, Ayah 57

The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that the goddesses Al-Lat, Al-'Uzza and Manat (see note [13] on {53:19-20}), as well as the angels, whom they conceived as females, were "God's daughters". As against this, the Qur'an states that God is utterly remote from every imperfection (subhanahu), complete in Himself, and therefore free from the incompleteness inherent in the concept of "progeny" as an extension of one's own being (cf. 6:100 and the corresponding notes [87] and [88]). - This parenthetic passage, comprising verses {57-59}, is explained in note [66] below.

Namely, only male issue, because the pre-lslamic Arabs regarded daughters as no more than a necessary evil.

Some of the Pagan Arabs called angels the daughters of Allah. In their own life they hated to have daughters, as explained in the next two verses. They practised female infanticide. In their state of perpetual war sons were a source of strength to them; daughters only made them subject to humiliating raids!