سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 17
وَٱلَّذِى قَالَ لِوَٰلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَآ أَتَعِدَانِنِىٓ أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ ٱلْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِى وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ ٱللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ ءَامِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَيَقُولُ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But he who says to his parents: "Fie upon you both! Do you hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up (again) when generations before me have passed away (without rising)?" While they (father and mother) invoke Allâh for help (and rebuke their son): "Woe to you! Believe! Verily, the Promise of Allâh is true." But he says: "This is nothing but the tales of the ancient."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلَّذِى
wa-alladhī
But the one who
قَالَ
qāla
says
لِوَٰلِدَيْهِ
liwālidayhi
to his parents
أُفٍّۢ
uffin
Uff
لَّكُمَآ
lakumā
to both of you
أَتَعِدَانِنِىٓ
ataʿidāninī
Do you promise me
أَنْ
an
that
أُخْرَجَ
ukh'raja
I will be brought forth
وَقَدْ
waqad
and have already passed away
خَلَتِ
khalati
and have already passed away
ٱلْقُرُونُ
l-qurūnu
the generations
مِن
min
before me
قَبْلِى
qablī
before me
وَهُمَا
wahumā
And they both
يَسْتَغِيثَانِ
yastaghīthāni
seek help
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(of) Allah
وَيْلَكَ
waylaka
Woe to you
ءَامِنْ
āmin
Believe
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
وَعْدَ
waʿda
(the) Promise
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
حَقٌّۭ
ḥaqqun
(is) true
فَيَقُولُ
fayaqūlu
But he says
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّآ
illā
but
أَسَـٰطِيرُ
asāṭīru
(the) stories
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
l-awalīna
(of) the former (people)
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 17) ➊ The word {وَ الَّذِيْ قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ اُفٍّ لَّكُمَاۤ: ’’ اُفٍّ ‘‘} is used at a time of annoyance and being fed up.
In the previous verse, there was mention of the fortunate and obedient believing children who treat their parents well and their good end; in this verse, in contrast, there is mention of the wretched and disobedient children and their bad end, whose parents are believers and are trying that their children accept faith, but their children, expressing extreme annoyance at this invitation, say to them, {’’اُف‘‘} to both of you, you have made me fed up. In Makkah, there were many families in which the parents had accepted faith but the children were polytheists and deniers of the Resurrection, or the children had accepted faith and the parents were polytheists.
➋ { اَتَعِدٰنِنِيْۤ اَنْ اُخْرَجَ وَ قَدْ خَلَتِ الْقُرُوْنُ مِنْ قَبْلِيْ:} Are you warning me that I will be brought out alive from the grave again when I have become dust and bones? Whereas generations have passed before me, and no one has returned till today. Here, the answer to this wretched person's statement is not mentioned, because in many places in the Qur'an, its answer has already been given.
➌ {وَ هُمَا يَسْتَغِيْثٰنِ اللّٰهَ:} And both of them cry out for help to seek refuge from the evil of his such insolent and blasphemous statement, saying, O Allah! Save us from his evil and guide him.
➍ The word { وَيْلَكَ اٰمِنْ اِنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقٌّ:’’ وَيْلَكَ ‘‘}, although it is a curse, sometimes it is used to express extreme love, affection, and pain, like {’’ ثَكِلَتْكَ الثَّوَاكِلُ‘‘} (may your mother be bereaved of you). That is, the parents, while explaining to him, say, may you be ruined, accept faith and do not deny the Hereafter, because Allah's promise is true, but he rebuffs them with extreme hatred.
➎ { فَيَقُوْلُ مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ:} For details, see Surah Al-Anfal (31), Al-Mu’minun (83), and An-Naml (68).
In the previous verse, there was mention of the fortunate and obedient believing children who treat their parents well and their good end; in this verse, in contrast, there is mention of the wretched and disobedient children and their bad end, whose parents are believers and are trying that their children accept faith, but their children, expressing extreme annoyance at this invitation, say to them, {’’اُف‘‘} to both of you, you have made me fed up. In Makkah, there were many families in which the parents had accepted faith but the children were polytheists and deniers of the Resurrection, or the children had accepted faith and the parents were polytheists.
➋ { اَتَعِدٰنِنِيْۤ اَنْ اُخْرَجَ وَ قَدْ خَلَتِ الْقُرُوْنُ مِنْ قَبْلِيْ:} Are you warning me that I will be brought out alive from the grave again when I have become dust and bones? Whereas generations have passed before me, and no one has returned till today. Here, the answer to this wretched person's statement is not mentioned, because in many places in the Qur'an, its answer has already been given.
➌ {وَ هُمَا يَسْتَغِيْثٰنِ اللّٰهَ:} And both of them cry out for help to seek refuge from the evil of his such insolent and blasphemous statement, saying, O Allah! Save us from his evil and guide him.
➍ The word { وَيْلَكَ اٰمِنْ اِنَّ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقٌّ:’’ وَيْلَكَ ‘‘}, although it is a curse, sometimes it is used to express extreme love, affection, and pain, like {’’ ثَكِلَتْكَ الثَّوَاكِلُ‘‘} (may your mother be bereaved of you). That is, the parents, while explaining to him, say, may you be ruined, accept faith and do not deny the Hereafter, because Allah's promise is true, but he rebuffs them with extreme hatred.
➎ { فَيَقُوْلُ مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اَسَاطِيْرُ الْاَوَّلِيْنَ:} For details, see Surah Al-Anfal (31), Al-Mu’minun (83), and An-Naml (68).
