Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Quran 2:170

2:170

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

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?

— Saheeh International

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?

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allâh 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?

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 2Page 26medinan

Word by Word

وَإِذَاwa-idhāAnd when
قِيلَqīlait is said
لَهُمُlahumuto them
ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ittabiʿūFollow
مَآmāwhat
أَنزَلَanzalahas revealed
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
قَالُوا۟qālūthey said
بَلْbalNay
نَتَّبِعُnattabiʿuwe follow
مَآmāwhat
أَلْفَيْنَاalfaynāwe found
عَلَيْهِʿalayhi[on it]
ءَابَآءَنَآۗābāanāour forefathers (following)
أَوَلَوْawalawEven though
كَانَkāna[were]
ءَابَآؤُهُمْābāuhumtheir forefathers
لَاlā(did) not
يَعْقِلُونَyaʿqilūnaunderstand
شَيْـًۭٔاshayananything
وَلَاwalāand not
يَهْتَدُونَyahtadūnawere they guided