Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 190

Mufti Taqi Usmani

But when We bless them with a perfect child, they ascribe partners to Him in what He blessed them with. Indeed Allah is much higher than what they associate with Him.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But when He granted their descendants good offspring, they associated false gods in what He has given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate ˹with Him˺!

Ruwwad Translation Center

But when He gave them a healthy child, they ascribed partners to Him in that which He had given them. Exalted is Allah far above what they ascribe to Him.

A. J. Arberry

Thereafter, when He gave them a righteous son, they assigned Him associates in that He had given them; but God is high exalted above that they associate.

Abdul Haleem

and yet when He gives them a good child they ascribe some of what He has granted them to others.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

But when He vouchsafeth the twain a goodly child they set up unto Him associates in respect of that which He hath vouchsafed to them. Exalted be Allah far from that which they associate!

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But when He giveth them a goodly child, they ascribe to others a share in the gift they have received; but Allah is exalted high above the partners they ascribe to Him.

Abul Ala Maududi

But when He vouchsafes them a healthy child, they attribute to Him partners regarding what Allah had bestowed upon them. Subliminally exalted is Allah above that which they associate with Him.

Ahmed Ali

But when they were given a healthy son, they started ascribing to other powers a share in what God had bestowed on them. But God is above what they ascribe to Him.

Ahmed Raza Khan

So when He bestowed them a normal child, they ascribed partners (to Him) in respect of what He had bestowed upon them; therefore Supreme is Allah, above all that they ascribe as partners.

Ali Quli Qarai

Then when He gave them a healthy [child], they ascribed partners to Him in what He had given them. Exalted is Allah above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him]!

Ali Ünal

Then when He grants the couple a righteous child, they begin to associate partners with God in respect of what He has granted them. Absolutely exalted is He above their association of partners with Him and whatever they associate with Him as partners.

Amatul Rahman Omar

But when He gives them a good (child), they both ascribe to Him associates in respect of (the birth of) that (child) which He has given them. Allâh is Highly Exalted far above the things they associate (with Him).

English Literal

So when He gave them (B) correct/righteous, they (B) made/created for Him partners in what He gave them (B), so God (is) high, mighty, exalted and dignified from what they share/make partners (with Him).

Faridul Haque

So when He bestowed them a normal child, they ascribed partners (to Him) in respect of what He had bestowed upon them; therefore Supreme is Allah, above all that they ascribe as partners.

Hamid S. Aziz

But when He gave them both a well-formed child, they joined partners with Him with respect to that which He had given them. But Allah is exalted above that which they associate with Him.

Hilali & Khan

But when He gave them a Salih (good in every aspect) child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him. (Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 9, Page 148).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He it is Who created you from a single soul, and of the same did He make his mate, that he might find comfort in her. So when he covers her she bears a light burden, then moves about with it. Then when it grows heavy, they both call upon Allah, their Lord: If Thou givest us a good one, we shall certainly be of the grateful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But when He gives them a good one, they set up with Him associates in what He has given them; but high is Allah above what they associate (with Him).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

But when He gave unto them aright, they ascribed unto Him partners in respect of that which He had given them. High is He Exalted above all that they associate (with Him).

Muhammad Sarwar

When they were given a healthy son, they began to love him as much as they loved God. God is too exalted to be loved equally to anything else.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Yet when He gave both of them (the parents) a goodly child, they set up associates with Him, in return for what He had given them. Exalted be Allah above that they associate with Him.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

But when He gave them a Salih child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him.

Wahiduddin Khan

yet when He grants them a healthy child, they begin to ascribe to others a share in the gift they have received. But God is far above what they associate with Him!

Talal Itani

But when He has given them a good child, they attribute partners to Him in what He has given them. God is exalted above what they associate.

Tafsir jalalayn

But when He gave them a sound one, [a sound] child, they ascribed to Him associates (shurak'a; a variant reading has shirkan, meaning sharkan, `an associate') in that which He had given them, by naming it `Abd al-Hrith, `servant of al-Hrith', when it is not right to be a `servant' (`abd) of any one but `God' [sc. `Abd Allh], but this [namesake `Abd] is not an association [of another with God] in terms of servitude, for Adam was immune [from a sin such as associating others in worship with God]. Samura [b. Jundub] reported that the Prophet (s) said, `On one occasion when Eve gave birth -- all the children she bore had failed to survive -- Satan visited her and said [to her], "Name it [the child] `Abd al-Hrith, and it will live." She named it so and it lived. This [affair] was the result of Satan's inspiration and his doings'; reported by al-Hkim, who deemed it [the report] `sound' (sahh), and [also reported] by al-Tirmidh, who considered it `fair-uncommon' (hasan gharb); but exalted is God above what they, the people of Mecca, associate, in the way of idols (this sentence is consequent, a supplement to [the one beginning with] khalaqakum, `He created you', so that what comes between the two is a parenthetical statement).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

we shall indeed be among the grateful. But when He gave them a Salih child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Hasan commented on this part of the Ayah,
جَعَلَ لَهُ شُرَكَاء فِيمَا اتَاهُمَا
(they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them),

"This occurred by followers of some religion, not from Adam (or Hawwa)."

Al-Hasan also said,

"This Ayah refers to those among the offspring of Adam who fell into Shirk,
جَعَلَ لَهُ شُرَكَاء فِيمَا اتَاهُمَا
(they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them),"

Qatadah said,

"Al-Hasan used to say that it refers to the Jews and Christians. Allah gave them children, and they turned them into Jews and Christians."

The explanations from Al-Hasan have authentic chains of narration leading to him, and certainly, it is one of the best interpretations.

This Ayah should therefore be understood this way, for it is apparent that it does not refer to Adam and Hawwa, but about the idolators among their offspring. Allah mentioned the person first (Adam and Hawwa) and then continued to mention the species (mankind, many of whom committed Shirk).

There are similar cases in the Qur'an. For such cases, Allah said

وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَأءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ

And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps. (67;5)

It is well-known that the stars that were made as lamps in the sky are not the same as the shooting missiles that are thrown at the devils (mentioned later in the Ayah).

There are similar instances in the Qur'an. Allah knows best