Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
quran:7:173

Or ˹lest˺ you say, "It was only that our fathers associated ˹others in worship˺ with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"  

Or lest you should say, ‘It is merely that our fathers were idolaters before, that is, before our time, and we were descendants of theirs, and so we followed their example. Will You then destroy us, chastise us, for that which those who follow falsehood did?’, from among our forefathers, by ˹their˺ establishing idolatry? The meaning is: they cannot use such arguments when they have been made to testify before their very selves to God’s Oneness. To effect this reminder by the tongue of the bearer of the miracle ˹Muhammad (s)˺ equally serves ˹as a reminder˺ for every soul to remember this within itself.
القرآن:٧:١٧٣

أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ  

{أو يقولوا إنما أشرك آباؤنا من قبل} أي قبلنا {وكنا ذريَّة من بعدهم} فاقتدينا بهم {أفتهلكنا} تعذبنا {بما فعل المبطلون} من آبائنا بتأسيس الشرك، المعنى لا يمكنهم الاحتجاج بذلك مع إشهادهم على أنفسهم بالتوحيد، والتذكير به على لسان صاحب المعجزة قائم مقام ذكره في النفوس.