Surah Al-An'am
وَكَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلَـٰدِهِمْ شُرَكَآؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
Wa każālika zayyana likaṡīrim minal-musyrikīna qatla aulādihim syurakā'uhum liyurdūhum wa liyalbisū ‘alaihim dīnahum, wa lau syā'allāhu mā fa‘alūhu fa żarhum wa mā yaftarūn(a).
And likewise, to many of the polytheists their partners have made [to seem] pleasing the killing of their children in order to bring about their destruction and to cover them with confusion in their religion. And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent.
📝 Footnotes
263) Some of the Arabs followed the laws (sharia) of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). Prophet Abraham was once commanded by Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. Later, some of their religious leaders distorted the meaning of that sacrifice, thereby embedding the idea that killing their own children was a good deed under the pretext of drawing closer to Allah. In reality, the true reasons were the fear of poverty and the fear of disgrace.