ٱلْأَحْقَاف : ١٧

  • وَٱلَّذِي But the one who
  • قَالَ says
  • لِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ to his parents
  • أُفّٖ Uff
  • لَّكُمَآ to both of you
  • أَتَعِدَانِنِيٓ Do you promise me
  • أَنۡ that
  • أُخۡرَجَ I will be brought forth
  • وَقَدۡ and have already passed away
  • خَلَتِ and have already passed away
  • ٱلۡقُرُونُ the generations
  • مِن before me
  • قَبۡلِي before me
  • وَهُمَا And they both
  • يَسۡتَغِيثَانِ seek help
  • ٱللَّهَ (of) Allah
  • وَيۡلَكَ Woe to you
  • ءَامِنۡ Believe
  • إِنَّ Indeed
  • وَعۡدَ (the) Promise
  • ٱللَّهِ (of) Allah
  • حَقّٞ (is) true
  • فَيَقُولُ But he says
  • مَا Not
  • هَٰذَآ (is) this
  • إِلَّآ but
  • أَسَٰطِيرُ (the) stories
  • ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ (of) the former (people)
But one who says to his parents, "Uff1 to you; do you promise me that I will be brought forth [from the earth] when generations before me have already passed on [into oblivion]?" while they call to Allāh for help [and to their son], "Woe to you! Believe! Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth." But he says, "This is not but legends of the former peoples" -
Footnotes
1 - An expression of distaste and irritation.
As for him who says to his parents (li-waalidayhi: a variant reading has li-waalidihi, 'his parent', denoting the generic noun): 'Fie (read uffin or uffan, as a verbal noun, meaning: '[something] putrid and disgusting') on you both: I am exasperated at both of you. Do you threaten me (a-ta'idaaninee: a variant reading has ata' idaannee) that I shall be raised, from the grave, when already generations, communities, have passed away before me?', and they have not been raised from their graves. And they call on God for succour, that he [their child] repent, saying [to him]: if you do not repent, 'Woe to you (waylaka, that is to say, halaakaka, 'you are ruined!'). Believe!, in resurrection. Surely God's promise is true'. But he says, 'This, belief in resurrection, is nothing but the fables of the ancients', lies of theirs.