Translation of the meanings Ayah 137 Surah Al-An‘ām - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 137

وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ قَتۡلَ أَوۡلَٰدِهِمۡ شُرَكَآؤُهُمۡ لِيُرۡدُوهُمۡ وَلِيَلۡبِسُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ دِينَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُۖ فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَمَا يَفۡتَرُونَ

(137) Like so^[1504] the Associates made alluring for many of the Associators killing their ˹own˺ children to ruin them and confound them in their religion. Had Allah wished, they would not have done it, so leave them ˹Muhammad˺ and what they concoct.

[1504] The same principle applies to another of their grievous and ritualistic crimes; killing their own children. Since they only followed their mere fancies (Aya 116 above) and the whisperings of the devils, they strayed far from the path of God and were degraded to such a sub-human state of affairs (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “When one of them is given news of the birth of a baby girl, his face darkens and he is filled with gloom. *In his shame he hides himself away from his people because of the bad news he has been given. Should he keep her and suffer contempt or bury her in the dust? Sordid indeed is how they judge!” (16: 58-59)