Quran 7:169 — Al-A'raaf, verse 169
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
and they were succeeded by generations who, although they inherited the Scripture, took the fleeting gains of this lower world, saying, ‘We shall be forgiven,’ and indeed taking them again if other such gains came their way. Was a pledge not taken from them, writ-ten in the Scripture, to say nothing but the truth about God? And they have studied its contents well. For those who are mindful of God, the Hereafter is better. ‘Why do you not use your reason?’
فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـٰذَا الْأَدْنَىٰ وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ ۗ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
fakhalafa min baʿdihim khalfun warithū l-kitāba yakhudhūna ʿaraḍa hādhā l-adnā wayaqūlūna sayugh'faru lanā wa-in yatihim ʿaraḍun mith'luhu yakhudhūhu alam yu'khadh ʿalayhim mīthāqu l-kitābi an lā yaqūlū ʿalā l-lahi illā l-ḥaqa wadarasū mā fīhi wal-dāru l-ākhiratu khayrun lilladhīna yattaqūna afalā taʿqilūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And there succeeded after them a succession who inherited the Book, taking the chance goods of this lower world, and saying, 'It will be forgiven us'; and if chance goods the like of them come to them, they will take them. Has not the compact of the Book been taken touching them, that they should say concerning God nothing but the truth? And they have studied what is in it; and the Last Abode is better for those who are godfearing. Do you not understand?
- Muhammad Asad
- And they have been succeeded by [new] generations who - [in spite of] having inherited the divine writ-clutch but at the fleeting good of this lower world and say, "We shall be forgiven, the while they are ready, if another such fleeting good should come their way, to clutch at it [and sin again]. Have they not been solemnly pledged through the divine writ not to attribute unto God aught but what is true, and [have they not] read again and again all that is therein? Since the life in the hereafter is the better [of the two] for all who are conscious of God -will you not, then, use your reason?
- Sahih International
- And there followed them successors who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities of this lower life and saying, "It will be forgiven for us." And if an offer like it comes to them, they will [again] take it. Was not the covenant of the Scripture [i.e., the Torah] taken from them that they would not say about Allāh except the truth, and they studied what was in it? And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allāh, so will you not use reason?
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | فَخَلَفَfakhalafa | Then succeeded | خلف |
| 2 | مِنۢmin | from | — |
| 3 | بَعْدِهِمْbaʿdihim | after them | بعد |
| 4 | خَلْفٌۭkhalfun | successors | خلف |
| 5 | وَرِثُوا۟warithū | (who) inherited | ورث |
| 6 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitāba | the Book | كتب |
| 7 | يَأْخُذُونَyakhudhūna | taking | أخذ |
| 8 | عَرَضَʿaraḍa | goods | عرض |
| 9 | هَـٰذَاhādhā | (of) this | — |
| 10 | ٱلْأَدْنَىٰl-adnā | the lower (life) | دنو |
| 11 | وَيَقُولُونَwayaqūlūna | and they say | قول |
| 12 | سَيُغْفَرُsayugh'faru | It will be forgiven | غفر |
| 13 | لَنَاlanā | for us | — |
| 14 | وَإِنwa-in | And if | — |
| 15 | يَأْتِهِمْyatihim | comes to them | أتي |
| 16 | عَرَضٌۭʿaraḍun | goods | عرض |
| 17 | مِّثْلُهُۥmith'luhu | similar to it | مثل |
| 18 | يَأْخُذُوهُ ۚyakhudhūhu | they will take it | أخذ |
| 19 | أَلَمْalam | Was not | — |
| 20 | يُؤْخَذْyu'khadh | taken | أخذ |
| 21 | عَلَيْهِمʿalayhim | on them | — |
| 22 | مِّيثَـٰقُmīthāqu | Covenant | وثق |
| 23 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābi | (of) the Book | كتب |
| 24 | أَنan | that | — |
| 25 | لَّاlā | not | — |
| 26 | يَقُولُوا۟yaqūlū | they will say | قول |
| 27 | عَلَىʿalā | about | — |
| 28 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 29 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 30 | ٱلْحَقَّl-ḥaqa | the truth | حقق |
| 31 | وَدَرَسُوا۟wadarasū | while they studied | درس |
| 32 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 33 | فِيهِ ۗfīhi | (is) in it | — |
| 34 | وَٱلدَّارُwal-dāru | And the home | دور |
| 35 | ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُl-ākhiratu | (of) the Hereafter | أخر |
| 36 | خَيْرٌۭkhayrun | (is) better | خير |
| 37 | لِّلَّذِينَlilladhīna | for those who | — |
| 38 | يَتَّقُونَ ۗyattaqūna | fear Allah | وقي |
| 39 | أَفَلَاafalā | So will not | — |
| 40 | تَعْقِلُونَtaʿqilūna | you use intellect | عقل |