Quran 2:170 — Surah Al-Baqara Ayah 170 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلسُّوٓءِ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَ...

2:170

Al-Baqara

وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى يَنْ...

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

Wa izaa qeela lahumuttabi'oo maaa anzalal laahu qaaloo bal nattabi'u maaa alfainaa 'alaihi aabaaa'anaaa; awalaw kaana aabaaa'hum laa ya'qiloona shai'anw wa laa yahtadoon

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?

Related Tafsir

Ibn Kathir

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.

View Full Tafsir: The Polytheist imitates Other PolytheistsAyahs 170–171

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?" (Meaning, of course, the Jews and the Christians.)

Sunan an-Nasa'i #4164It was narrated from Shu'bah, from Sayyar and Yahya bin Sa'eed that they heard 'Ubadah bin Al-Walid narrating from his father. Sayyar said:

"From his father," and Yahya said: "From his father," from his grandfather, whom said: 'We pledged to the Messenger of Allah to hear and obey during our hardship and our ease, when we felt energetic and when we felt tired, and when others are preferred over us, that we would not contend with the orders of whomever was entrusted with it, that we would stand firm for the truth wherever it may be, and that we would not fear the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah." (Sahih) Shu'bah said: "Sayyar did not mention this statement: 'Wherever it may be' while Yahya mentioned it." Shu'bah said: "If I have added anything to it, then it is from Sayyar or from Yahya."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #2517Abu 'Imaran Al-Jawni narrated :

"From Anas bin Malik who said : 'I do not recognize anything (today) from what we were upon during the time of The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w).' So I said : 'What about the Salat?' He said: 'Have you (people) not done what you know (you have done)?'" Other chains report similar narrations.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #825Salim bin Abdullah narrated that :

he had heard a man from Ash-Sham asking Abdullah bin Umar about Tamattu after Umrah until Hajj, so Abdullah bin Umar said: "It is lawful." The man from Ash-Sham said: "But your father prohibited it." So Abdullah bin Umar said: "Is the order to follow my father or is the order (to follow) for the Messenger of Allah?" The man said: "Rather it is for the Messenger of Allah." So he said: "Indeed the Messenger of Allah did it."