Quran Universe
2:170

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

Waitha qeela lahumu ittabiAAoo ma anzala Allahu qaloo bal nattabiAAu ma alfayna AAalayhi abaana awalaw kana abaohum la yaAAqiloona shayan wala yahtadoona

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

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. قِيلَit is said
  3. لَهُمُto them
  4. ٱتَّبِعُواْFollow
  5. مَآwhat
  6. أَنزَلَhas revealed
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah
  8. قَالُواْthey said
  9. بَلۡNay
  10. نَتَّبِعُwe follow
  11. مَآwhat
  12. أَلۡفَيۡنَاwe found
  13. عَلَيۡهِ[on it]
  14. ءَابَآءَنَآۚour forefathers (following)
  15. أَوَلَوۡEven though
  16. كَانَ[were]
  17. ءَابَآؤُهُمۡtheir forefathers
  18. لَا(did) not
  19. يَعۡقِلُونَunderstand
  20. شَيۡـٔٗاanything
  21. وَلَاand not
  22. يَهۡتَدُونَwere they guided
Al-Baqarah · 2:170Madinah

We do what our fathers did. Even if they were wrong?

Habit inherited is not the same as guidance

The reply
follow what Allah revealedthe call
answered with
our fathers did thisso we will too
even ifthey understood nothing?
What makes it right
it is our traditionso it must be right
what Allah revealedis the measure

When called to what Allah revealed, people answered: rather, we will follow what we found our fathers doing. Ibn 'Abbas said it came about a group who refused the Prophet's ﷺ call this way. The verse asks: even if their fathers had no understanding or guidance?

"This is how it has always been done in our family." At weddings, in how daughters are treated, in grudges between relatives. Some of it is beautiful and some of it is not. The question is not who did it first, but whether Allah approves of it.

If my family has always done it, it must be fine.

I honor my family by keeping what is right and leaving what is not.

Try this

Name one family custom you follow without thinking. Ask honestly if it pleases Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand (170)

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists

Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger ﷺ and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, "Rather. We shall follow what we found our fathers following," meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities. Allah criticized their reasoning:

أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ

((Would they do that!) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and:

 لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

(...did not understand anything nor were they guided?) meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance. Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger ﷺ called to Islam, but they refused, saying, "Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following." So Allah revealed this Ayah (2:170) above."

The Disbeliever is just like an Animal

Allah then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah:

لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ

(For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description.)(16:60)

Similarly, Allah said here (2:171 above)

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا

(And the example of those who disbelieve...) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds. This is what is reported from Ibn 'Abbas, Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, 'Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, 'Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas.

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ

(They are deaf, dumb, and blind.) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way.

فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

(So they do not understand.) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.