or lest you should say: “Our forefathers started the practice of shirk and we just followed, being their descendants. Will you then destroy us on account of following the sin committed by those wrongdoers?”
Meaning:-
Descendants: a person who is related to you and who lives after you, such as your child or grandchild, successor, disciple.
shirk (Arabic) : is the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism, i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God i.e. Allah. Literally, it means ascribing or the establishment of “partners” placed beside God.
Wrongdoer: a person who behaves illegally or dishonestly; an offender.