Quran Universe
7:3

ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۗ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

IttabiAAoo ma onzila ilaykum min rabbikum wala tattabiAAoo min doonihi awliyaa qaleelan ma tathakkaroona

Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember.

Word by word
  1. ٱتَّبِعُواْFollow
  2. مَآwhat
  3. أُنزِلَhas been revealed
  4. إِلَيۡكُمto you
  5. مِّنfrom
  6. رَّبِّكُمۡyour Lord
  7. وَلَاand (do) not
  8. تَتَّبِعُواْfollow
  9. مِنfrom
  10. دُونِهِۦٓbeside Him
  11. أَوۡلِيَآءَۗany allies
  12. قَلِيلٗاLittle
  13. مَّا(is) what
  14. تَذَكَّرُونَyou remember
Al-A'raf · 7:3Makkah

Follow what your Lord sent, not other guides.

Who you take your direction from

Two places to get direction
what was sent downfrom your Lord
other allieschosen instead of Him
What most people do
most people agreeso it must be right
little do you rememberthe crowd forgets often

This verse speaks to everyone, not only the Prophet ﷺ. The tafsir explains: follow the Book he brought, and do not leave it to follow someone else's judgment. It ties this to verses saying that following most people on earth leads astray.

A big decision at work, and you check what your favorite influencer says, then what everyone in the comments thinks. A thousand likes feel like proof. Ask first what your Lord has already said.

If lots of people follow it, it is probably fine.

The number of followers does not make a guide right.

Try this

For one choice today, ask yourself what Allah would want before you check anyone else.

Related6:11612:103
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:1)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

المص - كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ - اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(1. Alif-Lam-Mim-Şad.)(2. (This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you, so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby; and a reminder unto the believers.)(3. Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any Awliya' (protectors), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!)

We mentioned before the explanation of the letters [such as, Alif-Lam, that are in the beginning of some Surahs in the Qur'an].

كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ

((This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you (O Muhammad)), from your Lord,

فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ

(so let not your breast be narrow therefrom,) meaning, having doubt about it according to Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi. It was also said that the meaning here is: 'do not hesitate to convey the Qur'an and warn with it,'

فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ

(Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will)[46:35]. Allah said here,

لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ 

(that you warn thereby) meaning, 'We sent down the Qur'an so that you may warn the disbelievers with it,'

وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and a reminder unto the believers). Allah then said to the world,

اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord) meaning, follow and imitate the unlettered Prophet ﷺ, who brought you a Book that was revealed for you, from the Lord and master of everything.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ

(and follow not any Awliya', besides Him (Allah)) meaning, do not disregard what the Messenger ﷺ brought you and follow something else, for in this case, you will be deviating from Allah's judgment to the decision of someone else. Allah's statement,

قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(Little do you remember!) is similar to,

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly)[12:103], and;

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

(And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path)[6:116], and,

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him)[12:106].