سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 172
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ ﴿172﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or from Adam’s loin his offspring) and made them testify as to themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes! We testify," lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: "Verily, we have been unaware of this."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
أَخَذَ
akhadha
(was) taken
رَبُّكَ
rabbuka
(by) your Lord
مِنۢ
min
from
بَنِىٓ
banī
(the) Children
ءَادَمَ
ādama
(of) Adam
مِن
min
from
ظُهُورِهِمْ
ẓuhūrihim
their loins
ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ
dhurriyyatahum
their descendants
وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ
wa-ashhadahum
and made them testify
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
over
أَنفُسِهِمْ
anfusihim
themselves
أَلَسْتُ
alastu
Am I not
بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ
birabbikum
your Lord
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
بَلَىٰ ۛ
balā
Yes
شَهِدْنَآ ۛ
shahid'nā
we have testified
أَن
an
Lest
تَقُولُوا۟
taqūlū
you say
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed
كُنَّا
kunnā
we were
عَنْ
ʿan
about
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
this
غَـٰفِلِينَ
ghāfilīna
unaware
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.
172. 1. This covenant was taken from all the progeny that came from the loins of Adam after his creation. Its details are mentioned in a hadith as follows: On the day of Arafah, at the place of Nu'man, Allah took a covenant (Mithaq) from the loins of Adam. Thus, all the progeny that came from Adam's back were brought forth and spread before Him, and He asked them, "Am I not your Lord?" All replied, "Yes, indeed, we bear witness that You are our Lord." Imam Shawkani writes about this hadith: wa isnaduhu la mat'an fihi (Fath al-Qadir) — there is no criticism in its chain of narration. Furthermore, Imam Shawkani states: This is called the 'Alam al-Dharr, and this is the correct and true interpretation, from which turning away or going towards any other meaning is not correct, because it is established by a marfu' hadith and the reports of the Companions, and it is not permissible to interpret it metaphorically. In any case, this testimony to Allah's Lordship is deposited in the nature of every human being. The same meaning was expressed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as follows: Every child is born upon the fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian. Just as an animal gives birth to a complete offspring, its nose or ear is not cut. And in the narration of Sahih Muslim: Allah says, I created My servants as hunafa' (those who turn to Allah with exclusive devotion), then the devils mislead them from their (natural) religion. Al-hadith. This fitrah, or the religion of fitrah, is the tawhid of the Lord and His revealed Shari'ah, which is now preserved and present in the form of Islam.
