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Al-Baqarah 170

Ayah 170 of 286 · Medinan

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَنَآۚ أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ ١٧٠

And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh 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?

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

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Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَإِذَاAnd whenwa-idhā
  2. قِيلَit is saidqīla
  3. لَهُمُto themlahumu
  4. ٱتَّبِعُواْFollowittabiʿū
  5. مَآwhatmā
  6. أَنزَلَhas revealedanzala
  7. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  8. قَالُواْthey saidqālū
  9. بَلۡNaybal
  10. نَتَّبِعُwe follownattabiʿu
  11. مَآwhatmā
  12. أَلۡفَيۡنَاwe foundalfaynā
  13. عَلَيۡهِ[on it]ʿalayhi
  14. ءَابَآءَنَآۚour forefathers (following)ābāanā
  15. أَوَلَوۡEven thoughawalaw
  16. كَانَ[were]kāna
  17. ءَابَآؤُهُمۡtheir forefathersābāuhum
  18. لَا(did) notlā
  19. يَعۡقِلُونَunderstandyaʿqilūna
  20. شَيۡـٔٗاanythingshayan
  21. وَلَاand notwalā
  22. يَهۡتَدُونَwere they guidedyahtadūna

Tafsir

If these disbelievers are told to follow the guidance and light which Allah revealed, they say, resisting stubbornly, that they will follow the beliefs and customs that their fathers followed. Do they follow their fathers even though they understood nothing of guidance or the light, and were not guided to the truth that Allah accepts?

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran