q-d-w

Description

The Arabic root ق-د-و (q-d-w) carries the core meaning of following behind someone or something as a model or example, implying emulation and imitation. In the Quran, this root appears in contexts describing those who blindly follow the practices and beliefs of their ancestors or predecessors, often in a negative sense when referring to people who reject divine guidance in favor of inherited customs. The term emphasizes the concept of precedent-following and the human tendency to adopt the ways of those who came before, which the Quran critiques when such following occurs without rational reflection or submission to God's revelation.