Quran 2:170 — Al-Baqara, verse 170
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
But when it is said to them, ‘Follow the message that God has sent down,’ they answer, ‘We follow the ways of our fathers.’ What! Even though their fathers understood nothing and were not guided?
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
wa-idhā qīla lahumu ittabiʿū mā anzala l-lahu qālū bal nattabiʿu mā alfaynā ʿalayhi ābāanā awalaw kāna ābāuhum lā yaʿqilūna shayan walā yahtadūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And when it is said to them, 'Follow what God has sent down,' they say, 'No; but we will follow such things as we found our fathers doing.' What? And if their fathers had no understanding of anything, and if they were not guided?
- Muhammad Asad
- But when they are told, "Follow what God has bestowed from on high," some answer, "Nay, we shall follow [only] that which we found our forefathers believing in and doing." Why, even if their forefathers did not use their reason at all, and were devoid of all guidance?
- Sahih International
- 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?
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَإِذَاwa-idhā | And when | — |
| 2 | قِيلَqīla | it is said | قول |
| 3 | لَهُمُlahumu | to them | — |
| 4 | ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ittabiʿū | Follow | تبع |
| 5 | مَآmā | what | — |
| 6 | أَنزَلَanzala | has revealed | نزل |
| 7 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 8 | قَالُوا۟qālū | they said | قول |
| 9 | بَلْbal | Nay | — |
| 10 | نَتَّبِعُnattabiʿu | we follow | تبع |
| 11 | مَآmā | what | — |
| 12 | أَلْفَيْنَاalfaynā | we found | لفو |
| 13 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | [on it] | — |
| 14 | ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗābāanā | our forefathers (following) | أبو |
| 15 | أَوَلَوْawalaw | Even though | — |
| 16 | كَانَkāna | [were] | كون |
| 17 | ءَابَآؤُهُمْābāuhum | their forefathers | أبو |
| 18 | لَاlā | (did) not | — |
| 19 | يَعْقِلُونَyaʿqilūna | understand | عقل |
| 20 | شَيْـًۭٔاshayan | anything | شيأ |
| 21 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 22 | يَهْتَدُونَyahtadūna | were they guided | هدي |