وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
“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?” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the verse narrates how the disbelievers, when told to 'eat from what Allah has made lawful for you, do not follow the footsteps of Satan, obey what Allah has revealed in His book,' refuse to submit to the truth because of their arrogance and prefer to follow the path of their forefathers. Taberî notes that the expression 'we found' in the verse means they will follow whatever state they found their forefathers in (regarding lawful and unlawful matters). He further explains that the verse emphasizes that those forefathers did not use their intellect and did not reach the right path, and therefore following someone ignorant is foolishness.
فمعنى الآية: وإذا قيل لهؤلاء الكفار كلوا مما أحل الله لكم ودعوا خطوات الشيطان وطريقه واعملوا بما أنزل الله على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم في كتابه، استكبروا عن الإذعان للحق، وقالوا: بل نأتم بآبائنا فنتبع ما وجدناهم عليه من تحليل ما كانوا يحلون وتحريم ما كانوا يحرمون
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Râzî, although the expression in the verse is general in terms of wording, it is specific in meaning; for it is known that those addressed could exercise intellect regarding most worldly matters. Accordingly, some expressions refer to their having no knowledge of religion, while other expressions refer to their inability to find the path to obtain this knowledge.
لفظ عام ، ومعناه الخصوص ، لأنهم كانوا يعقلون كثيرا من أمور الدنيا ، فهذا يدل على جواز ذكر العام مع أن المراد به الخاص
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr states that the people intended in the verse are deprived of understanding and guidance; he then reports that the verse was revealed when a Jewish community that the Prophet called to Islam said 'we follow what we found our forefathers upon.' Thus, those who imitate their forefathers are reminded of the possibility that their forefathers may have been upon deviation and that they themselves are following in their footsteps, so an example is given to them.
وروى ابن إسحاق عن محمد بن أبي محمد عن عكرمة أو سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس أنها نزلت في طائفة من اليهود دعاهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى الإسلام فقالوا بل نتبع ما ألفينا عليه آباءنا فأنزل الله هذه الآية
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, this verse condemns blind following of forefathers in falsehood and shows that imitation is not a path of knowledge; nevertheless, imitation in truth is one of the fundamentals of religion, and among scholars dealing with this matter it is stated that there is disagreement regarding principles of jurisprudence but permission regarding subsidiary matters. Moreover, this text conveys that scholars have said the strength of the wording of this verse invalidates imitation, that the common people are obligated to ask the knowledgeable and follow their legal opinion, but in matters of doctrine imitation has been invalidated by the consensus of the community.
وقوة الفاظ هذه الآية تعطي إبطال التقليد
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the use of the expression 'what Allah has sent down' instead of a pronoun in the verse is to draw attention to the misguidance of those addressed and to create an effect as if speaking to those possessed of intellect, saying 'look at these fools, what answer are they giving?' When the polytheists were called to follow the Qur'an and proofs, they preferred to follow the path of their forefathers, and according to one view, this verse was revealed regarding a Jewish community that the Prophet called to Islam. Beydâvî considers this verse as evidence that imitation is forbidden for one who possesses the capacity for investigation and independent reasoning; however, he notes that following a person known to be upon truth through proof (such as prophets and jurists) is not actually imitation but rather following what Allah has sent down.
وهو دليل على المنع من التقليد لمن قدر على النظر والاجتهاد
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the verse criticizes those who blindly follow the path of their forefathers and refuse to obey what Allah has revealed. The common theme is that ignorant imitation is foolishness and that resistance with arrogance when called to the truth is condemned. Moreover, most exegetes (Ibn Kesîr, Beydâvî) include the report that the verse was revealed regarding a Jewish community.
Differences
While Taberî, an early exegete, emphasizes through narration and linguistic analysis that imitation of forefathers is ignorance, Râzî approaches the matter more linguistically by addressing the issue of general and specific expressions. Kurtubî transfers the issue to a juridical and legal discussion, distinguishing between the permissibility of imitation in truth and the rejection of imitation in falsehood; this stems from the methodological principles of his jurisprudential school. Beydâvî, by focusing on linguistic subtlety (the use of a noun instead of a pronoun), presents this as evidence for the prohibition of imitation for those capable of independent reasoning, which reflects his more systematic and legal interpretation style.
Historical context
While Taberî, an early exegete, provides an interpretation based primarily on narration, in later periods Râzî and Beydâvî brought linguistic and logical analysis to the forefront, and with Kurtubî, the verse's role as a source for juridical discussions (the ruling on imitation) was emphasized. The fundamental message (the rejection of ignorant imitation) remained constant, but interpretation methods diversified according to the scientific tools of the period.
Modern connection
This comparative reading reminds us that continuing habits without questioning them, which are not based on knowledge and thought, can weaken the balance between knowledge and faith. The verse draws attention to the value of humans' effort to reach the truth by using their own intellect and investigation; this can be seen as an encouraging message in terms of education and intellectual development. At the societal level, it may be cautiously considered that an approach based on knowledge and questioning, rather than blind imitation, can provide benefit both individually and socially.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar