سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 169
فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَـٰقُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ ۗ وَٱلدَّارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿169﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life (evil pleasures of this world) saying (as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allâh anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2). Do not you then understand?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَخَلَفَ
fakhalafa
Then succeeded
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِهِمْ
baʿdihim
after them
خَلْفٌۭ
khalfun
successors
وَرِثُوا۟
warithū
(who) inherited
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
يَأْخُذُونَ
yakhudhūna
taking
عَرَضَ
ʿaraḍa
goods
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
(of) this
ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ
l-adnā
the lower (life)
وَيَقُولُونَ
wayaqūlūna
and they say
سَيُغْفَرُ
sayugh'faru
It will be forgiven
لَنَا
lanā
for us
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
يَأْتِهِمْ
yatihim
comes to them
عَرَضٌۭ
ʿaraḍun
goods
مِّثْلُهُۥ
mith'luhu
similar to it
يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ
yakhudhūhu
they will take it
أَلَمْ
alam
Was not
يُؤْخَذْ
yu'khadh
taken
عَلَيْهِم
ʿalayhim
on them
مِّيثَـٰقُ
mīthāqu
Covenant
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
أَن
an
that
لَّا
lā
not
يَقُولُوا۟
yaqūlū
they will say
عَلَى
ʿalā
about
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلْحَقَّ
l-ḥaqa
the truth
وَدَرَسُوا۟
wadarasū
while they studied
مَا
mā
what
فِيهِ ۗ
fīhi
(is) in it
وَٱلدَّارُ
wal-dāru
And the home
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ
l-ākhiratu
(of) the Hereafter
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
(is) better
لِّلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
for those who
يَتَّقُونَ ۗ
yattaqūna
fear Allah
أَفَلَا
afalā
So will not
تَعْقِلُونَ
taʿqilūna
you use intellect
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
1. Khalaf (with fathah on the laam) refers to righteous offspring, and khalaf (with sukoon on the laam) refers to unworthy offspring. In Urdu as well, the phrase "na-khalaf" is used in the sense of unworthy children. 169. 1 Adna is derived from danu (near), meaning they acquire wealth that is near, by which the world is meant, or it is derived from dana’ah, meaning lowly, insignificant wealth. The meaning in both cases clarifies the greed for the worldly possessions of this world. 169. 2 That is, despite being seekers of the world, they hope for forgiveness, just as is the condition of Muslims nowadays. 169. 3 Despite this, they do not refrain from attributing false statements to Allah, for example, the same statement about forgiveness that was mentioned above. 169. 4 Another meaning of this could be to erase, as in "darasatir-reehu al-athar" (the wind erased the traces), meaning they erased the words of the Book, obliterated them, i.e., abandoned acting upon them.
