فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُمَا صَـٰلِحًا جَعَلَا لَهُۥ شُرَكَآءَ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمَا ۚ فَتَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ 190
Translations
But when He gives them a good [child], they ascribe partners to Him concerning that which He has given them. Exalted is Allāh above what they associate with Him.
Transliteration
Falamma atahuma salihan jaalaa lahu shuraka'a fima atahuma fataalallahu amma yushrikun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how when Allah grants a couple a righteous child, they associate partners with Allah in their gratitude and supplication, attributing the blessing partly to idols or false deities alongside Allah. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain this as referring to the polytheists of Mecca who would invoke their idols when asking for children, and then ascribe the blessing to these false gods. The ayah concludes with Allah's transcendence above such shirk (polytheism), emphasizing that He alone deserves all praise and recognition as the sole Giver of blessings.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within a passage (7:189-190) discussing the creation of spouses and the birth of children as divine blessings. The broader context of Surah Al-A'raf addresses the signs of Allah and the ingratitude and shirk of those who reject monotheism. This specific verse reflects the pre-Islamic Arabian practice where pagan Arabs would pray to idols for children and offspring, then thank the idols alongside Allah when blessed with children.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'When a child is born to any of you, let him not name it after his forefathers' suggests the importance of proper Islamic practice in welcoming children. Additionally, hadiths emphasizing pure tawhid (monotheism) in all acts of worship relate to the prohibition of shirk mentioned in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to maintain complete monotheism in all circumstances, especially when receiving blessings like children, ensuring that gratitude and supplication are directed solely to Allah without associating partners with Him. It serves as a reminder that acknowledging the true source of all blessings—Allah alone—is fundamental to Islamic faith and prevents the subtle forms of shirk that can enter our hearts when we forget Divine dependence.
Related Ayahs
وَإِن تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ لَا يَتَّبِعُوكُمْ ۚ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْكُمْ أَدَعَوْتُمُوهُمْ أَمْ أَنتُمْ صَـٰمِتُونَ
And if you [believers] invite them to guidance, they will not follow you. It is all the same for you whether you invite them or you are silent.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا سُقْنَـٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy [i.e., rainfall] until, when they have carried heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded.
۞ هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا ۖ فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّىٰهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِۦ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَثْقَلَت دَّعَوَا ٱللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ ءَاتَيْتَنَا صَـٰلِحًا لَّنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her. And when he [i.e., man] covers her, she carries a light burden [i.e., a pregnancy] and continues therein. And when it becomes heavy, they both invoke Allāh, their Lord, "If You should give us a good [child], we will surely be among the grateful."
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّى ۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ ثَقُلَتْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً ۗ يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِىٌّ عَنْهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allāh, but most of the people do not know."