أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ 48
Translations
And our forefathers [as well]?"
Transliteration
Awa abauna al-awwalun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This phrase, part of the disbelievers' argument on the Day of Judgment, translates as 'Or [will it be said], our forefathers of old?' The disbelievers are questioning whether their ancestors will also be resurrected and punished alongside them, expressing doubt and resistance to the concept of resurrection. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this represents the stubbornness of deniers who cling to ancestral tradition (taqlid) as justification for rejecting the truth, suggesting that if their forefathers were not punished, neither should they be.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Waqi'ah, a Meccan surah that focuses on the inevitability of the Day of Judgment and the resurrection. The broader context (verses 45-56) depicts the disbelievers' desperate arguments and denials when confronted with the reality of the afterlife, reflecting the skepticism the Quraysh voiced toward Prophet Muhammad's message of resurrection.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'When one of you dies, his deeds are sealed except for three things: ongoing charity, knowledge from which people benefit, and a righteous child who makes dua for him' (Sahih Muslim 1631). This relates to the concept that individuals are responsible for their own deeds, not their ancestors' status.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that we cannot rely on our ancestors' status or deeds for our salvation; each person is individually accountable before Allah. We must examine our beliefs critically rather than blindly following tradition, and recognize that the excuses of disbelievers—whether based on ancestry or custom—will not avail them on the Day of Judgment.
Related Ayahs
ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ
It is the piercing star
۞ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ ۘ وَٱلْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
Only those who hear will respond. But the dead - Allāh will resurrect them; then to Him they will be returned.
ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فِى جَنَّـٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
[All] sovereignty that Day is for Allāh; He will judge between them. So they who believed and did righteous deeds will be in the Gardens of Pleasure.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰوَيْلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا ۜ ۗ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."