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
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.
وَإِن تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ وَتَرَىٰهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
And if you invite them to guidance, they do not hear; and you see them looking at you while they do not see.
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا لِنَعْبُدَ ٱللَّهَ وَحْدَهُۥ وَنَذَرَ مَا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا ۖ فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
They said, "Have you come to us that we should worship Allāh alone and leave what our fathers have worshipped? Then bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the truthful."
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَـٰتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِىٓ أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِى وَلَـٰكِنِ ٱنظُرْ إِلَى ٱلْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوْفَ تَرَىٰنِى ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [Allāh] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first [among my people] of the believers."