Surah Al-Baqarah 2:170
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 170 of 286
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
Translation
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?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This beautiful verse invites us to pause and truly listen to a powerful dialogue, where Allah, in His perfect wisdom, exposes the profound folly of blind adherence to tradition.
The Turn in Address
The verse opens with "وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ" (And when it is said to them...). Notice the subtle but significant shift in address. The verses just before this one spoke directly to "O mankind" (يا أيها الناس). Here, the Quran turns to the third person "لهم" (to them), as if the address is no longer for them directly but spoken *about* them to other, more discerning listeners. This linguistic device, called *iltifāt*, is not just a grammatical shift. Scholars like Ibn Ashur and al-Zamakhshari explain it as a way to underscore the utter misguidance of these individuals. It's as if Allah is saying to the wise, "Look at these foolish ones, and hear what they say!" This turn highlights their profound deviation and invites deeper reflection from us, the readers.
Their Defiant Response
When advised to "اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ" (follow what Allah has revealed), their reply is immediate and absolute: "بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا" (No, rather we follow what we found our fathers upon). The word "بل" (bal) here is crucial. As Ibn Ashur notes, it's a particle of cancellation and transition, signifying a complete rejection of the divine call and a defiant insistence on their inherited ways. The phrase "أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا" (we found our fathers upon) emphasizes that they are merely echoing what they inherited, without any personal search or conviction. Al-Razi explains that "ألفينا" is synonymous with "وجدنا" (we found), illustrating their passive reception of ancestral practices, even if those practices involved worshipping idols and baseless prohibitions.
Allah's Powerful Rebuttal
The verse concludes with a piercing rhetorical question from Allah, which is a powerful rebuttal: "أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ" (Even if their forefathers understood nothing and were not guided?). The opening "أَوَلَوْ" (A-wa-law) combines an interrogative particle (A) with a conditional conjunction (wa-law). The hamza (A) is not just a question; al-Jalalayn clarifies it's for *inkār*, a strong denial and denunciation. Ibn Ashur and al-Razi describe it as a rhetorical question meant to rebuke, reproach, and express astonishment at their irrational stance.
The particle "لَوْ" (law), usually meaning "if" for an unlikely or impossible condition, is used here to present an extreme hypothetical. Ibn Ashur explains that it highlights the sheer absurdity of their position: even if their ancestors had no intellect ("لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا") and no guidance ("وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ"), would they still blindly follow? Al-Razi further clarifies that "لا يعقلون شيئًا" (they understood nothing) refers specifically to matters of religion, as their ancestors did possess worldly intelligence. This question compels the listener to consider the fundamental premise of their imitation: Is it justified even if the precedent is utterly baseless? This powerful wording urges us to consider the source of our guidance critically, rather than clinging to tradition for its own sake.
Sources: Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:170 is discussed in 13 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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