ٱلْأَعْرَاف : ١٧٣

  • أَوۡ Or
  • تَقُولُوٓاْ you say
  • إِنَّمَآ Only
  • أَشۡرَكَ partners (were) associated (with Allah)
  • ءَابَآؤُنَا (by) our forefathers
  • مِن from
  • قَبۡلُ before (us)
  • وَكُنَّا and we are
  • ذُرِّيَّةٗ descendants
  • مِّنۢ from
  • بَعۡدِهِمۡۖ after them
  • أَفَتُهۡلِكُنَا So will You destroy us
  • بِمَا for what
  • فَعَلَ did
  • ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ the falsifiers
Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allāh before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"
Or lest you should say, 'It is merely that our fathers were idolaters before, that is, before our time, and we were descendants of theirs, and so we followed their example. Will You then destroy us, chastise us, for that which those who follow falsehood did?', from among our forefathers, by [their] establishing idolatry? The meaning is: they cannot use such arguments when they have been made to testify before their very selves to God's Oneness. To effect this reminder by the tongue of the bearer of the miracle [Muhammad may peace and salutation be upon him] equally serves [as a reminder] for every soul to remember this within itself.