Is it permissible to say that Christ, Jesus, is the Son of God, intending a metaphorical sonship (people's need for and reliance upon God), not the blasphemous meaning held by Christians?

Saying the phrase "we are the children of God" is forbidden because it is considered prohibited speech for which Allah has attributed disbelief to its utterer, as stated in the Holy Quran, and as mentioned in the Qudsi Hadith found in the Sahihayn. Allah the Almighty is indeed far removed from having a child.

This phrase is not necessary as there are ample legitimate phrases that indicate Allah's Lordship, mercy, and kindness towards His creation.

Regarding the question posed to Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid about the ruling on one who says "we believe that we are all children of God," citing the hadith "All creation are dependents of Allah," which is very weak, he provided a detailed answer: 1. If one intends a metaphorical sonship, such as people's dependence on Allah, and uses it to obligate Christians to invalidate their belief in the sonship of Christ, then there is no harm in it, provided it is not used with others, due to the confusion it causes. 2. If one intends that people are children of God in the same way Christ is His child, then this is disbelief compounded upon the disbelief of Christians. 3. If one intends that everyone is a child of God, with no difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever, and thereby aims not to declare Jews and Christians as disbelievers, then this is apostasy from Islam.

One should be cautious about uttering ambiguous phrases, especially those related to the Oneness of Allah, because Jews and Christians have used this phrase in a context of dispraise in the Holy Quran.