Surah Al-A'raf Verse 173 - Read, Listen, Translation, English : Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers…

Al-A'raf · 173/206

Translation Transliteration — Al-A'raf

أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ ۝١٧٣

🔤 Transliteration

Aw taqoolooo innamaaa ashraka aabaaa `unaa min qablu wa kunnaa zurriyyatam mim ba`dihim afatuhlikunna bimaa fa`alal mubtiloon

📖 Translation (English Meaning)

📖 English Meaning

Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"

🌐 Additional reference in Français

📖 Ayah 📜 Tafsir 📚 Al-Waseet 🔤 Ayah (I'rab)

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Translation — Tafsir

Word Meanings:

أشرك (associated partners): To attribute partners to Allah in worship.
ذرية (offspring/descendants): The succeeding generations that came after the forefathers.
المبطلون (those who made void): Those who nullified their deeds by committing shirk (associating partners with Allah) and falsehood.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse continues the narrative of the covenant that Allah took from the children of Adam, reminding humanity that they cannot offer excuses on the Day of Judgment. Here, Allah addresses two possible excuses people might make, and the second one is: "Or that you might say: 'Our forefathers associated partners with Allah before us, and we were merely their descendants who followed in their footsteps. Will You then destroy us for what those who made falsehood their practice have done?'"

Allah, in His infinite mercy and justice, establishes His proof against all of humanity through the innate disposition (fitrah) He placed within them, and through the messengers He sent. This verse closes the door on the excuse of blind imitation of ancestors. A person cannot claim on the Day of Judgment: "We only followed what our fathers and grandfathers did; we did not know any better." Because Allah has already made the truth clear through reason, revelation, and the natural inclination toward monotheism that every human being is born with.

The verse teaches us a profound lesson: every soul is responsible for its own beliefs and actions. No one can hide behind the mistakes of their ancestors. The covenant of fitrah—that every human is born with an innate recognition of Allah's oneness—remains intact, and the messengers were sent to remind people of this truth. Therefore, the excuse of "we were just following our fathers" holds no weight before Allah's justice.

A Call to Reflection:

Dear reader, this verse awakens within us a sense of personal responsibility. You are not a prisoner of your past or your environment. Allah has given you a pure nature, a sound intellect, and clear guidance. The moment you recognize the truth of monotheism—that there is no god but Allah—you have the power and the duty to embrace it, regardless of what your forefathers believed. Islam honors you by addressing your mind and your heart directly, calling you to a life of purpose, clarity, and peace. Do not let the chains of blind imitation hold you back from the greatest truth: that your Creator loves you, guides you, and will never wrong you. Embrace this beautiful faith with confidence, for it is the very nature upon which you were created.

📜 Verse 171-175 — Al-A'raf

171۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allah said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allah."

172وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَا ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ

And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware."

173أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"

174وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

And thus do We [explain in] detail the verses, and perhaps they will return.

175وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.

← Verse 172 📖 Al-A'raf Verse 174 →

Al-A'rafQuran Index

206Verse

MeccanRevelation

173Verse

Translation — Al-A'raf 173

Surah Al-A'raf Verse 173 - Read, Listen, Translation, English : Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers…

Surah Verse 173/206 — Al-A'raf الأعراف (Meccan). Read Listen Translation (English). Listen: Al-A'raf Listen, Al-A'raf Translation, Al-A'raf mp3, Al-A'raf pdf. Verse 171–175. English Meaning: Français.

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