Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
[Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Qur’ân and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Auliyâ’ (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship with Allâh), besides Him (Allâh). Little do you remember!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ittabiʿūFollow
مَآmāwhat
أُنزِلَunzilahas been revealed
إِلَيْكُمilaykumto you
مِّنminfrom
رَّبِّكُمْrabbikumyour Lord
وَلَاwalāand (do) not
تَتَّبِعُوا۟tattabiʿūfollow
مِنminfrom
دُونِهِۦٓdūnihibeside Him
أَوْلِيَآءَ ۗawliyāaany allies
قَلِيلًۭاqalīlanLittle
مَّاmā(is) what
تَذَكَّرُونَtadhakkarūnayou remember
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 3) {اِتَّبِعُوْامَاۤاُنْزِلَاِلَيْكُمْمِّنْرَّبِّكُمْ:} The matter of messengership (delivering the message) is between three individuals: {’’مُرْسِلٌ ‘‘} the one who sends the message, that is, Allah Almighty, { ’’ مُرْسَلْ ‘‘} the one who is sent with the message, that is, the Messenger, and {’’ مُرْسَلٌاِلَيْهِ ‘‘} "the one to whom the message is sent," that is, the Ummah. In the previous verse, the Messenger is commanded to warn (give warning) and remind (give advice), and in this verse, the Ummah is commanded to follow only the commands revealed by Allah Almighty and not to follow anyone else besides Him, because following anyone other than what Allah has revealed is to take others besides Allah (min doonillah) as protectors in opposition to Allah. The right to command belongs only to Allah, delivering it is the responsibility of the Messenger, and both the Qur'an and Hadith were revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) through revelation, so every command of the Messenger is the command of Allah, therefore follow only this, do not accept anyone's word in opposition to the Qur'an and Sunnah, no matter how great an Imam, elder, researcher, or intellectual he may be; everyone's word will be measured against the standard of the Qur'an and Hadith. «اَلْيَوْمَاَكْمَلْتُلَكُمْدِيْنَكُمْ » According to [ المائدۃ : ۳ ], every matter of religion is present in the Qur'an and Hadith. If something is not found in explicit words in the Qur'an and Hadith, then there will definitely be an indication towards it in some verse or hadith; for this, you may ask any great scholar. Blindly following every word of just one person, whether it is right or wrong, will lead to {’’مِنْدُونِهِاَوْلِيَاءَ‘‘}, from which Allah Almighty has forbidden.
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
3. 1. That which has been revealed from Allah, meaning the Quran, and that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said, meaning Hadith, because he ﷺ said, "I have been given the Quran and something like it along with it." Following both of these is necessary; following anyone else besides them is not necessary, rather, their rejection is obligatory. As stated in the next phrase, do not follow others besides Allah. Just as in the time of ignorance, the words of leaders, astrologers, and soothsayers were given importance, to the extent that even in matters of lawful and unlawful, they were considered as authority.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
3. (O people) Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow other guardians besides Him [4]. Little do you take heed.
[4] No Foreign Ideology in Islam:
Here, "awliya" refers to leaders and guides, meaning that for human life, you should only follow the laws mentioned in this Book. Even today, Muslims have no need to import any kind of rules or commands into Islam from non-Muslim leaders, such as asking Jewish scholars about religious matters, relying on Indian and Greek philosophy for asceticism and monasticism, adopting their economic system from Lenin and Karl Marx or importing it from Russia and China, or introducing American democracy into Islam for political systems. Rather, for every kind of need in human life, this Book and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ are sufficient for them, but today's Muslims rarely think about this.
