وَإِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةً قَالُوا۟ وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَآ ءَابَآءَنَا وَٱللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ 28
Translations
And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allāh has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allāh does not order immorality. Do you say about Allāh that which you do not know?"
Transliteration
Wa-idha fa'alu fahishatah qalu wajadna 'alayha abaana wa-Allahu amarana biha. Qul inna Allaha la ya'muru bi-al-fahsha'. Ataquluna 'ala Allahi ma la ta'lamun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who commit immoral acts (fahisha) and then justify them by claiming their ancestors practiced such deeds and that Allah commanded them to do so. Allah explicitly denies this claim, stating that He does not command indecency or immorality. The ayah highlights the logical fallacy of blind following of ancestors (taqlid) and false attribution of one's own desires to divine command. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse refutes both ancestral tradition and false religious justification as excuses for sin.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-A'raf (Meccan), revealed during the early Meccan period when polytheists defended their pagan practices by appealing to ancestral customs. The broader context addresses the Quraysh's resistance to Islamic teachings and their defense of pre-Islamic practices (jahiliyyah) as if sanctioned by religion.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever introduces an innovation (bid'ah) in this matter of ours that is not from it, it will be rejected.' This relates to the ayah's rejection of false religious justifications. Also relevant is the hadith condemning blind following of ancestors without evidence.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must not justify sinful actions through ancestral practice or false religious claims; each person is responsible for verifying their beliefs against the Quran and authentic Sunnah rather than blindly following cultural or familial customs.
Related Ayahs
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَـٰحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shuʿayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is better for you, if you should be believers.
فَوَقَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
So the truth was established, and abolished was what they were doing.
فَعَقَرُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا۟ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰصَـٰلِحُ ٱئْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
So they hamstrung the she-camel and were insolent toward the command of their Lord and said, "O Ṣāliḥ, bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the messengers."
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥٓ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
We had certainly sent Noah to his people, and he said, "O my people, worship Allāh; you have no deity other than Him. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous Day."