Quran 31:21 — Luqman, verse 21
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
When they are told, ‘Follow what God has sent down,’ they say: ‘We shall follow what we saw our forefathers following.’ What! Even if Satan is calling them to the suffering of the Blazing Flame?
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ
wa-idhā qīla lahumu ittabiʿū mā anzala l-lahu qālū bal nattabiʿu mā wajadnā ʿalayhi ābāanā awalaw kāna l-shayṭānu yadʿūhum ilā ʿadhābi l-saʿīri
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? Even though Satan were calling them to the chastisement of the burning?
- Muhammad Asad
- and when such [people] are told to follow that which God has bestowed from on high, they answer, “Nay, we shall follow that which we found our forefathers believing in and doing!” Why - [would you follow your forefathers] even if Satan had invited them unto the suffering of the blazing flame?
- Sahih International
- And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers." Even if Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze?
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 | Allah (has) revealed | نزل |
| 7 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah (has) revealed | أله |
| 8 | قَالُوا۟qālū | they say | قول |
| 9 | بَلْbal | Nay | — |
| 10 | نَتَّبِعُnattabiʿu | we will follow | تبع |
| 11 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 12 | وَجَدْنَاwajadnā | we found | وجد |
| 13 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | on it | — |
| 14 | ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚābāanā | our forefathers | أبو |
| 15 | أَوَلَوْawalaw | Even if | — |
| 16 | كَانَkāna | Shaitaan was | كون |
| 17 | ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُl-shayṭānu | Shaitaan was | شطن |
| 18 | يَدْعُوهُمْyadʿūhum | (to) call them | دعو |
| 19 | إِلَىٰilā | to | — |
| 20 | عَذَابِʿadhābi | (the) punishment | عذب |
| 21 | ٱلسَّعِيرِl-saʿīri | (of) the Blaze | سعر |