Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:189-190

{From one soul} That is, the soul of Adam, peace be upon him.

{And He created from it its mate} That is, Eve. He created her from Adam’s body, from one of his ribs. Or, it means "from its own kind," as in the verse: “He has made for you mates from among yourselves” (Al-Nahl: 72).

{That he might dwell in security with her} That he might find tranquility and inclination toward her, without aversion. For a kind is more inclined and familiar to its own kind. When she is a part of him, the tranquility and love are more profound, just as a person finds tranquility in their child and loves them with the love of their own self, because the child is a piece of them.

He said li-yaskuna (that he might dwell), using the masculine pronoun after the feminine in waḥidah (one) and minhā zawjuhā (from it its mate), to refer back to the meaning of "soul" (nafs), clarifying that the intended meaning is Adam. Furthermore, it is the male who dwells with the female and covers her, so the masculine form is more appropriate to the meaning. Taghashī (covering) is a metonym for intercourse, as are ghashyān and ityān.

{She carried a light burden} It was light for her. She did not experience the distress and harm that some pregnant women face, nor did she find it heavy as they do. You might hear some women say of their child: "How light he was upon my womb when I carried him."

{And she continued with it} She proceeded with it until the time of birth without miscarriage or premature delivery. It is also said: “She carried a light burden” refers to the drop of semen, and “she continued with it” means she stood and sat with it. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) read it as fastamarrat bihi (she persisted with it). Yahya ibn Ya‘mar read it as famarrat bihi (she continued with it) with a light ra. Others read it as famārat bihi, from miryah (doubt), as in the verse: “Will you then dispute with him?” (afatumārūnahu). Its meaning: the suspicion of pregnancy occurred to her, so she doubted it.

{And when she grew heavy} The time of her burden becoming heavy arrived, similar to saying "she is near [to birth]." It is also read as uthqilat (passive voice), meaning: the pregnancy made her heavy.

{They both called upon Allah, their Lord} Adam and Eve called upon their Lord and the Master of their affairs—the One who is truly worthy of being called upon and sought for refuge—saying: {If You give us a righteous [child]}—a sound child, whose body is healthy and whole. It is said: a male child, because masculinity is a form of righteousness and excellence. The pronoun in ātaytanā (give us) and lanakūnanna (we will surely be) refers to them both and to everyone who descends from their progeny.

{But when He gave them a righteous [child], they attributed partners to Him in what He had given them} Meaning: their children attributed partners to Him. This is an ellipsis where the possessor (mudāf) is omitted and the possessed (mudāf ilayh) takes its place. The same applies to fīmā ātāhumā (in what He gave them), meaning: what He gave their children. This is indicated by His saying: “Exalted is Allah above what they associate [with Him],” where the pronoun is plural. Adam and Eve are innocent of polytheism.

The meaning of their children associating partners in what Allah gave them is their naming their children "Abd al-‘Uzzā," "Abd Manāt," and "Abd Shams," and the like, instead of "Abd Allāh," "Abd al-Raḥmān," and "Abd al-Raḥīm."

Another interpretation is that the address is directed at the Quraysh who were present during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the family of Quṣayy. Consider the story of Umm Ma‘bad: O family of Quṣayy, what Allah has withheld from you / Of glory that cannot be rivaled, and of nobility. The meaning is: He is the One who created you from the soul of Quṣayy, and made from its kind a mate, an Arab Qurayshi woman, so that he might dwell with her. When He gave them what they requested of a righteous, sound child, they attributed partners to Him in what He gave them, as they named their four children Abd Manāf, Abd al-‘Uzzā, Abd Quṣayy, and Abd al-Dār. The pronoun in yushrikūn (they associate) refers to them and their descendants who followed them in polytheism. This is a sound interpretation with no difficulty. It is also read as shirkan (a partnership), meaning: they possessed a partnership, or they brought about a partnership for Allah regarding the child.

{Do they associate with Him those who create nothing and are themselves created? And they cannot help them, nor can they help themselves. And if you invite them to guidance, they will not follow you. It is all the same for you whether you invite them or you are silent.}