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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. But the one who says to his parents, "Fie upon you both! Do you threaten me that I will be brought forth (from the earth), when generations have already passed away before me?"—while they both implore Allah for help and say, "Woe to you! Believe, for the promise of Allah is true," but he says, "This is nothing but tales of the ancients [27]."
[26] This is not a specific character. Rather, there were such examples present in Makkah as well. Some people themselves were polytheists and their children became Muslims, and some elderly people themselves were Muslims but their young and arrogant children were polytheists and deniers of the Hereafter. In this verse, in accordance with the saying "the words are spoken about others," a conversation from such a household is being presented. The polytheist son's argument is the same old and worn-out reasoning that deniers of the Hereafter usually give in response: that for a thousand years people have been dying, but no one has ever come back to life. So what kind of threat are you giving me? The answer to this question has been left out here, because in most places in the Quran, its answer has already been given.
[27]
If the Belief in the Hereafter is Old, Then Its Answer is Just as Old a Tale:
People in the past also used to say such things, but since no one has ever come back to life after dying, how can we accept their statement as true? These are nothing but old tales. But he does not remember that if these are old tales, then his response is also the same old tale that the deniers of the Hereafter have always given.
[26] This is not a specific character. Rather, there were such examples present in Makkah as well. Some people themselves were polytheists and their children became Muslims, and some elderly people themselves were Muslims but their young and arrogant children were polytheists and deniers of the Hereafter. In this verse, in accordance with the saying "the words are spoken about others," a conversation from such a household is being presented. The polytheist son's argument is the same old and worn-out reasoning that deniers of the Hereafter usually give in response: that for a thousand years people have been dying, but no one has ever come back to life. So what kind of threat are you giving me? The answer to this question has been left out here, because in most places in the Quran, its answer has already been given.
[27]
If the Belief in the Hereafter is Old, Then Its Answer is Just as Old a Tale:
People in the past also used to say such things, but since no one has ever come back to life after dying, how can we accept their statement as true? These are nothing but old tales. But he does not remember that if these are old tales, then his response is also the same old tale that the deniers of the Hereafter have always given.
