Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when it is said to them: “Follow what God has sent down,” they say: “Nay, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers,” — even though their fathers did not reason, nor were they guided?

وَاِذَا ق۪يلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَٓا اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَـتَّبِـعُ مَٓا اَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ اٰبَٓاءَنَاۜ اَوَلَوْ كَانَ اٰبَٓاؤُ۬هُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـٔاً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
Wa-itha qeela lahumu ittabiAAoo maanzala Allahu qaloo bal nattabiAAu ma alfaynaAAalayhi abaana awa law kana abaohumla yaAAqiloona shay-an wala yahtadoon
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhāAnd when
2qīlait is saidقول
3lahumuto them
4ittabiʿūFollowتبع
5what
6anzalahas revealedنزل
7l-lahuAllah
8qālūthey saidقول
9balNay
10nattabiʿuwe followتبع
11what
12alfaynāwe foundلفو
13ʿalayhi[on it]
14ābāanāour forefathers (following)ابو
15awalawEven though
16kāna[were]كون
17ābāuhumtheir forefathersابو
18(did) not
19yaʿqilūnaunderstandعقل
20shayananythingشيا
21walāand not
22yahtadūnawere they guidedهدي
  • Aisha Bewley

    When they are told, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down to you,’ They say, ‘We are following what we found our fathers doing. ’ What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided!

  • Progressive Muslims

    And if they are told: "Follow what God has sent down, " they Say: "No, we will follow what we found our fathers doing!" What if their fathers did not understand anything and were not guided

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    And when it is said unto them, "Follow that which Allah has revealed", they say, " Nay, we follow that wherein we found our fathers. " "What! Even though their fathers used no reason at all and journeyed through life without any light?" ((5:104), (10:78), (11:62), (11:87), (21:53), (34:43), (38:7), (43:23). 'Hudan' = Prominent and bright = Lighted = Visibly ahead = Leading = Guidance).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when it is said to them: “Follow what God has sent down,” they say: “Nay, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers,” — even though their fathers did not reason, nor were they guided?

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And if they are told: "Follow what God has sent down," they say: "No, we will follow what we found our fathers doing!" What if their fathers did not comprehend anything and were not guided?

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    If they are told, "Follow what God has sent down," they say, "No, we will follow what we found our fathers doing!" What if their fathers did not reason much and were not guided?

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    When they are told, "Follow what GOD has revealed herein," they say, "We follow only what we found our parents doing." What if their parents did not understand, and were not guided?

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    When it is said to them: "Follow what God has revealed, " they reply: "No, we shall follow only what our fathers had practiced," -- even though their fathers had no wisdom or guidance!

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    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?

  • Muhammad Asad

    But when they are told, "Follow what God has bestowed from on high," some answer, "Nay, we shall follow that which we found our forefathers believing in and doing. " Why, even if their forefathers did not use their reason at all, and were devoid of all guidance?

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when it is said unto them: Follow that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And when they are told: "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say: “No, we shall follow what we found our forefathers adhering to.” What! Even if their forefathers were devoid of understanding and right guidance?

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    And when the unbelievers are told to recognize Allah’s revelations consenting to them, they say: "We only lean on our fathers system of faith and worship. " But how will it be if their fathers lacked sound Judgement in choosing means and ends and miss the path of righteousness!

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When the non-Muslims are asked to follow the Lord’s commandments, they will say: "We prefer to follow the religion of our forefathers!" What if their forefathers were wrong and that their religion did not make sense?

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    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?

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah hath revealed:" They say: "Nay! we shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! even though their fathers Were void of wisdom and guidance?

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    When it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they reply, “No! We ˹only˺ follow what we found our forefathers practicing.” ˹Would they still do so,˺ even if their forefathers had ˹absolutely˺ no understanding or guidance?

  • Taqi Usmani

    When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down," they say: “Instead, we would follow that (religion) on which we have found our fathers.” Is it so, even though their fathers had no understanding at all, nor had they been on the right path?

  • Abdul Haleem

    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?

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And when it is said to them, 'Follow what God has sent down,' they say, 'No; but we will follow such things as we found our fathers doing. ' What? And if their fathers had no understanding of anything, and if they were not guided?

  • E. Henry Palmer

    When it is said to them, 'Follow what God has revealed,' they say, 'Nay, we will follow what we found our fathers agreed upon. ' What! and though their fathers had no sense at all or guidance -?

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    When it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Nay, we will follow the way of our fathers. " What! Even though their fathers had no sense (or wisdom) at all or guidance?

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And when it is said to them, "Closely follow what Allah has sent down, " they say, "No indeed, we closely follow what we have come upon from our fathers. " And even if their fathers did not consider anything and they were not guided?

  • George Sale

    And when it is said unto them who believe not, follow that which God hath sent down; they answer, nay, but we will follow that which we found our fathers practise. What? Though their fathers knew nothing, and were not rightly directed?

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has revealed:" They say: "No! We shall follow the ways of our fathers. " What! Even though their fathers did not have the wisdom and guidance?

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And when it is said to them (- the disbelievers), `Follow what Allâh has revealed. ' They say, `We would rather follow such things as we found our forefathers (doing and believing).' (Would they do so) even though their forefathers could not refrain (from evil), nor they could achieve their goal.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    When they are told, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down,’ they say, ‘We will rather follow what we have found our fathers following. ’ What, even if their fathers neither applied any reason nor were guided?!