Surah Baqarah ayat 170 Tafsir Quran 2:170

﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 170]

2:170 And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?

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. bahīra. 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.

And when the unbelievers are told to recognize Allah’s revelations consenting to them, they say: We only lean on our fathers system of faith and worship. But how will it be if their fathers lacked sound Judgement in choosing means and ends and miss the path of righteousness

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists 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 ءَابَاؤُهُمْ ( (Would they do that! ) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and: لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلاَ 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 ﷺ 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 then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah: لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ ( For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. ) ( 16:60 ) Similarly, Allah said here ( 2:171 above ) وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( And the example of those who disbelieve... ) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.
This is what is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ ( They are deaf, dumb, and blind. ) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way. فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( So they do not understand. ) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.

(2:170) 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. , *168 Well, will they go on following their forefathers even though they did not use common sense and did not find the right way?

And when it is said to them, meaning

*168).
The only possible argument and justification for these taboos was that they had been sanctified by the practice of their forefathers from whom they had allegedly come down generation after generation.
Fickle-minded as they were, they deemed this argument to be sufficiently persuasive.

 

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists 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 ءَابَاؤُهُمْ ( (Would they do that! ) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and: لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلاَ 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 ﷺ 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 then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah: لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ ( For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. ) ( 16:60 ) Similarly, Allah said here ( 2:171 above ) وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( And the example of those who disbelieve... ) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.
This is what is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ ( They are deaf, dumb, and blind. ) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way. فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( So they do not understand. ) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.

( And when it is said unto them ) to the Arab idolaters: ( Follow that which Allah hath revealed ) follow the lawfulness exposited by Allah concerning what is cultivated and the cattle raised, ( they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers ) regarding their unlawfulness. ( What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent ) with regard to Religion ( and had no guidance ) to the practice of any prophet, so how could you follow them? It is also said that this means: if their fathers did not understand about things in this world and did not follow the practice of any prophet, then how could you follow them? It is also said that this means: even though their fathers did not understand anything of Religion and were not guided to the practice of any prophet, how could they follow them?

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?

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