Surah Al Ahqaf Tafseer

Mention of the Undutiful Children and Their End

In the previous Ayat, Allah mentions the dutiful offspring who supplicate for their parents and treat them with kindness. He describes the success and salvation He has prepared for them. Here He connects to that discussion the situation of the wretched offspring who are undutiful toward their parents.

Allah says,

وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَا

But he who says to his parents:"Uff to you!"

As for the saying "Uff" in this Ayah, it is a general description applying to anyone who says it to his parents. Some people claim that it was revealed about Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr. But this claim is weak and rejected, because Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr embraced Islam after this was revealed. His adherence to Islam was excellent, and he was among the best of his contemporaries.

Al-Bukhari recorded from Yusuf bin Mahak that;

Marwan (bin Al-Hakam) was governor of Hijaz (Western Arabia), appointed by Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. He (Marwan) delivered a speech in which he mentioned Yazid bin Mu`awiyah and urged the people to give a pledge of allegiance after his father. Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr said something to him in response to that, upon which Marwan commanded his men:"Arrest him!" But he entered Aishah's house, and they were not able to capture him. Marwan then said:

"This is the one about whom Allah revealed:

وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَا أَتَعِدَانِنِي أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِي

But he who says to his parents:"Uff to you! Do you promise me that I will be raised -- when generations before me have passed?"

From behind the curtain, Aishah responded:

"Allah did not reveal any Qur'an in our regard (i.e. the children of Abu Bakr), except for the declaration of my innocence."

In another report recorded by An-Nasa'i, Muhammad bin Ziyad reported that;

when Mu`awiyah was soliciting people to pledge allegiance to his son, and Marwan declared:

"This follows the tradition of Abu Bakr and `Umar."

On hearing this, Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr said:"Rather, this is the tradition of Heraclius and Caesar."

Marwan responded:

"This is the one about whom Allah revealed,

وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَا

(But he who says to his parents:"Uff to you!")"

When that was conveyed to A'ishah, she said:

"Marwan is lying! By Allah, that was not revealed about him. If I wish to name the person meant by it, I could. On the other hand, Allah's Messenger placed a curse on Marwan's father (Al- Hakam bin Abi Al-`As when Marwan was still in his loins, so Marwan (bin Al-Hakam) is an outcome of Allah's curse."

As for Allah's statement:

أَتَعِدَانِنِي أَنْ أُخْرَجَ

Do you promise me that I will be raised?

meaning, resurrected.

وَقَدْ خَلَتْ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِي

when generations before me have passed,

meaning, generations of people have already passed away, and none of them has ever returned to tell (what happened to them) .

وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ اللَّهَ

While they invoke Allah for help,

meaning, they ask Allah to guide him, and they say to their son,

وَيْلَكَ امِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقّفَيَقُولُ مَا هَذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الاَْوَّلِينَ

"Woe to you! Believe!

Verily, the promise of Allah is true."

But he says:"This is nothing but the legends of the ancient."

Allah then says,

أُوْلَيِكَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ فِي أُمَمٍ

قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالاِْنسِ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا خَاسِرِينَ