46 Al-Ahqaf (The Sand-Dunes)
Mecca Period 66
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَالَّذِي
قَالَ
لِوَالِدَيْهِ
...
46: 17. But (there is one) who says to his parents,
C4793. A godly man often has an ungodly son, who flouts all that the father held sacred, and looks upon his father himself as old-fashioned and unworthy of respect or regard.
The contrast in an individual family may be matched by the contrast in the passing and the rising generations of mankind. All this happens as a passing phase in the nominal evolution of mankind, and there is nothing in this to be despondent about.
What we have to do is for the mature generations to bring up their successors in godly ways, and for the younger generations to realise that age and experience count for something, especially in the understanding of spiritual matters and other matters of the highest moment to man.
... أُفٍّ لَّكُمَا أَتَعِدَانِنِي أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِي...
"Fie on you!
Do ye hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up, even though generations have passed before me (without rising again)?"
...وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ اللَّهَ وَيْلَكَ آمِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ...
And they two seek Allah's aid, (and rebuke the son):
"Woe to thee!
have Faith! For the promise of Allah is true."
...فَيَقُولُ مَا هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿١٧﴾
But he says,
"This is nothing but tales of the ancients!"
أُوْلَئِكَ
الَّذِينَ
حَقَّ
عَلَيْهِمُ
الْقَوْلُ
فِي
أُمَمٍ...
46: 18. Such are they against whom is proved the Sentence among
Each individual, each generation, and each people is responsible for its own good deeds or misdeeds. The law of actions and their fruits applies: you cannot blame one for another. The only remedy lies in seeking for Allah's Grace and Mercy, not only for ourselves but for others in brotherly or fatherly love.
This verse is in balanced contrast to verse 16 above,
قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا خَاسِرِينَ ﴿١٨﴾
the previous generations of Jinns and men, that have passed away; for they will be (utterly) lost.
Asad’s Version:
46:17 But [there is many a one] who says to his parents [whenever they try to imbue him with faith in God]: "Fie upon both of you! Do you promise me that I shall be brought forth [from the dead], although [so many] generations have passed away before me?" 21 And [while] they both pray for God's help [and say], "Alas for thee! For, behold, God's promise always comes true!" - he but answers, "All this is nothing but fables of ancient times!"
46:18 It is [such as] these upon whom the sentence [of doom] will fall due, together with the [other sinful] communities of invisible beings 22 and humans that have passed away before their time. Verily, they will be lost: