Quran Universe
10:78

قَالُوٓاْ أَجِئۡتَنَا لِتَلۡفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا ٱلۡكِبۡرِيَآءُ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Qaloo ajitana litalfitana AAamma wajadna AAalayhi abaana watakoona lakuma alkibriyao fee alardi wama nahnu lakuma bimumineena

They said, "Have you come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our fathers and so that you two may have grandeur in the land? And we are not believers in you."

Word by word
  1. قَالُوٓاْThey said
  2. أَجِئۡتَنَاHave you come to us
  3. لِتَلۡفِتَنَاto turn us away
  4. عَمَّاfrom that
  5. وَجَدۡنَاwe found
  6. عَلَيۡهِon it
  7. ءَابَآءَنَاour forefathers
  8. وَتَكُونَand you two (may) have
  9. لَكُمَاand you two (may) have
  10. ٱلۡكِبۡرِيَآءُthe greatness
  11. فِيin
  12. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe land
  13. وَمَاAnd we (are) not
  14. نَحۡنُAnd we (are) not
  15. لَكُمَا(in) you two
  16. بِمُؤۡمِنِينَbelievers
Yunus · 10:78Makkah

You want to pull us from our fathers' ways.

Tradition and fear of losing power

Their two excuses
our fathers' waywhat we found them on
you want powergrandeur in the land
so
we will not believedecided
What to follow
what we always didfamily habit
what is trueeven if it is new to us

Firaun's chiefs said: have you come to turn us from what we found our fathers following, so you two can have greatness in the land? Ibn Kathir explains greatness here as grandeur and leadership. They feared losing both tradition and status.

"We have always done the wedding this way." "In our family we do not talk about that." Some traditions are beautiful. Some are just habits protecting someone's position. Ask which one you are defending.

If my family always did it, it must be right.

I keep the good of my heritage, but truth outranks habit.

Try this

Pick one family habit and ask honestly: is this from Allah, or just from us?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 10:75)

Then after them We sent Musa and Harun to Fir'awn and his chiefs with Our Ayat. But they behaved arrogantly and were a people who were criminals (75)So when came to them the truth from Us, they said: "This is indeed clear magic. (76)Musa said: "Say you (this) about the truth when it has come to you Is this magic? But the magicians will never be successful. (77)They said: "Have you come to us to turn us away from that we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land? We are not going to believe you two! (78)

The Story of Musa and Fira'wn

Allah said:

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا

(Then after them We sent ) meaning ofter these Messengers,

مُّوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ

(Musa and Harun to Fir'awn and his chiefs,) meaning his people

بِآيَاتِنَا

(with Our Ayat.) meaning; 'Our proofs and evidences.'

فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ

(But they behaved arrogantly, and were a people who were criminals.) meaning they were too arrogant to follow the truth and submit to it, and they were criminals.

فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

(So, when came to them the truth from us, they said: "This is indeed clear magic.") They were as if they gave an oath that what they had said was the truth. But they knew that what they were saying was a mere lie. As Allah said:

وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا

(And they belied them wrongfully and arrogantly, though they themselves were convinced thereof.)(27:14) Musa criticized them saying:

أَتَقُولُونَ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَكُمْ ۖ أَسِحْرٌ هَٰذَا وَلَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُونَ - قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا

("Say you (this) about the truth when it has come to you? Is this magic? But the magicians will never be successful." They said: "Have you come to us to turn us away...)

عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا

(from that we found our fathers following) their religion.

وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا

(and that you two may have...)

الْكِبْرِيَاءُ

(greatness) means grandeur and leadership

فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(...in the land, We are not going to believe you two!")