Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 170

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When it is said to them: “Follow what Allah has sent down,” they say: “Instead, we would follow that (religion) on which we have found our fathers.” Is it so, even though their fathers had no understanding at all, nor had they been on the right path?

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they reply, “No! We ˹only˺ follow what we found our forefathers practicing.” ˹Would they still do so,˺ even if their forefathers had ˹absolutely˺ no understanding or guidance?

Ruwwad Translation Center

When it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down,” they say, “Instead, we follow what we found our forefathers doing.” [Would they do so] even though their forefathers had no understanding, nor were they guided?

A. J. Arberry

And when it is said to them, 'Follow what God has sent down,' they say, 'No; but we will follow such things as we found our fathers doing.' What? And if their fathers had no understanding of anything, and if they were not guided?

Abdul Haleem

But when it is said to them, ‘Follow the message that God has sent down,’ they answer, ‘We follow the ways of our fathers.’ What! Even though their fathers understood nothing and were not guided?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And when it said unto them: follow that which Allah hath sent down, they say: nay, we shall follow that way whereon we found our fathers - even though their fathers understood not aught, nor were they guided aright?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When it is said to them; "Follow what Allah hath revealed;" They say; "Nay! we shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! even though their fathers Were void of wisdom and guidance?

Abul Ala Maududi

When it is said to them, "Follow the Commands that Allah has sent down," they reply, "We will follow only what we found our forefathers practising., Well, will they go on following their forefathers even though they did not use common sense and did not find the right way?

Ahmed Ali

When it is said to them: "Follow what God has revealed," they reply: "No, we shall follow only what our fathers had practiced," -- even though their fathers had no wisdom or guidance!

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down”, they say, “On the contrary, we shall follow what we found our forefathers upon”; What! Even if their forefathers had no intelligence, or guidance?!

Ali Quli Qarai

When they are told, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down,’ they say, ‘No, We will follow what we have found our fathers following.’ What, even if their fathers neither exercised their reason nor were guided?!

Ali Ünal

When it is said to them (who follow in the footsteps of Satan), "Follow what God has sent down," they respond: "No, but we follow that (the traditions, customs, beliefs, and practices) which we found our forefathers in." What, even if their forefathers had no understanding of anything, and were not rightly guided?

Amatul Rahman Omar

And when it is said to them (- the disbelievers), `Follow what Allâh has revealed.´ They say, `We would rather follow such things as we found our forefathers (doing and believing).´ (Would they do so) even though their forefathers could not refrain (from evil), nor they could achieve their goal.

English Literal

And if it (was) said to them: "Follow what God descended." They said: "But we follow what we found our fathers on it." Even even if their fathers were not reasoning/comprehending a thing and nor being guided ?

Faridul Haque

And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down”, they say, “On the contrary, we shall follow what we found our forefathers upon”; What! Even if their forefathers had no intelligence, or guidance?!

Hamid S. Aziz

When it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Nay, we will follow the way of our fathers." What! Even though their fathers had no sense (or wisdom) at all or guidance?

Hilali & Khan

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say: "Nay, we follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers had no sense at all, nor did they follow the right way."

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when it is said to them, Follow what Allah has revealed, they say: Nay! we follow what we found our fathers upon. What! and though their fathers had no sense at all, nor did they follow the right way.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when it is said unto them: Follow that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?

Muhammad Sarwar

When some people are asked to follow the revelations of God, they say, "We would rather follow what our fathers have followed," even though their fathers had no understanding and could not find the true guidance.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When it is said to them: 'Follow what Allah has sent down' they reply: 'We will follow that which we found our fathers upon' even though their fathers did not understand anything and they were not guided.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided

Wahiduddin Khan

But when they are told, "Follow what God has sent down," they answer, "We will follow the ways of our fathers," even though their fathers did not use their reason, and were devoid of all guidance.

Talal Itani

And when it is said to them, “Follow what God has revealed,” they say, “We will follow what we found our ancestors following.” Even if their ancestors understood nothing, and were not guided?

Tafsir jalalayn

And when it is said to them, the disbelievers, `Follow what God has revealed', pertaining to affirmation of God's Oneness and the good things that He has made lawful, they say, `No; but we follow what we found our fathers doing', in the way of idol-worship, deeming unlawful the camel let loose, and [practising] the slitting of the camel's ear (sc. bahra). God says; What? (the hamza [of a-wa-law] is for repudiation), do they follow them, Even if their fathers do not understand anything, concerning religion, and they were not guided?, to the truth.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists

Allah says;

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ابَاءنَا

When it is said to them;"Follow what Allah has sent down."

They say;"Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following."

Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, "Rather. We shall follow what we found our fathers following," meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities.

Allah criticized their reasoning;

أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ابَاوُهُمْ

(Would they do that!) even though their fathers,

meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and;

لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْياً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ


did not understand anything nor were they guided.

meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance.

Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger called to Islam, but they refused, saying, "Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following." So Allah revealed this Ayah (2;170) above."
The Disbeliever is just like an Animal

Allah says;