سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 170
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿170﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
When it is said to them: "Follow what Allâh 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?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
قِيلَ
qīla
it is said
لَهُمُ
lahumu
to them
ٱتَّبِعُوا۟
ittabiʿū
Follow
مَآ
mā
what
أَنزَلَ
anzala
has revealed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
بَلْ
bal
Nay
نَتَّبِعُ
nattabiʿu
we follow
مَآ
mā
what
أَلْفَيْنَا
alfaynā
we found
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
[on it]
ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ
ābāanā
our forefathers (following)
أَوَلَوْ
awalaw
Even though
كَانَ
kāna
[were]
ءَابَآؤُهُمْ
ābāuhum
their forefathers
لَا
lā
(did) not
يَعْقِلُونَ
yaʿqilūna
understand
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
anything
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَهْتَدُونَ
yahtadūna
were they guided
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 170) The polytheists and the Jews and Christians had neither any rational proof for their polytheistic actions nor any transmitted proof from Allah, therefore Allah Almighty challenged them in Surah Al-Ahqaf (4) that if you have any transmitted proof from any book of Allah, then present it. So when it was said to them to follow what Allah Almighty has revealed, their only answer was that we will follow what we found our forefathers upon; they were wiser than us. In response, Allah Almighty said that if someone’s forefathers had no understanding of something, for example, if they engaged in a losing trade, or kept walking on the wrong path, would you blindly keep following them? No! Rather, use your own intellect and walk on the straight path, which is only that which Allah Almighty has revealed.
Although in these verses the address is towards the polytheists and the Jews and Christians, but if Muslims also adopt the same approach that instead of the Qur’an and Hadith, they follow customs and traditions by imitating their forefathers, or act upon the saying, opinion, or fatwa of their imam, leader, or religious scholar for which there is no proof in the Qur’an and Hadith, then they too will fall under the condemnation and warning mentioned in this verse, and this is called taqlid, because according to the scholars, the definition of taqlid is to accept the saying of someone other than Allah and His Messenger (an imam, leader, or religious scholar) without proof. Acting upon such things is haram, whether such an act is done by polytheists, Jews, Christians, or Muslims. However, if the opinion of an imam, leader, or scholar is not against the texts of the Qur’an and Hadith, then acting upon such an opinion or fatwa does not fall under taqlid and nor can it be called impermissible.
Although in these verses the address is towards the polytheists and the Jews and Christians, but if Muslims also adopt the same approach that instead of the Qur’an and Hadith, they follow customs and traditions by imitating their forefathers, or act upon the saying, opinion, or fatwa of their imam, leader, or religious scholar for which there is no proof in the Qur’an and Hadith, then they too will fall under the condemnation and warning mentioned in this verse, and this is called taqlid, because according to the scholars, the definition of taqlid is to accept the saying of someone other than Allah and His Messenger (an imam, leader, or religious scholar) without proof. Acting upon such things is haram, whether such an act is done by polytheists, Jews, Christians, or Muslims. However, if the opinion of an imam, leader, or scholar is not against the texts of the Qur’an and Hadith, then acting upon such an opinion or fatwa does not fall under taqlid and nor can it be called impermissible.
