وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ قَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ 104
Translations
And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allāh has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers." Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?
Transliteration
Wa-idha qeela lahum ta'alaw ila ma anzala Allahu wa-ila ar-rasul qaluh hasbuna ma wajadna alayhi abaana aw-walaw kan abauhum la ya'lamun shay'an wa-la yahtadun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who reject the Qur'an and the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by clinging blindly to the customs and beliefs of their ancestors, even when those ancestors were ignorant and misguided. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this reflects the stubbornness of the polytheists of Quraysh and other nations who prioritized ancestral tradition (taqlid) over divine revelation, demonstrating that mere inheritance of belief without understanding or verification is spiritually destructive.
Revelation Context
This ayah addresses the common objection of pre-Islamic Arabs and obstinate disbelievers who refused to accept Islam, claiming that their fathers' religion was sufficient. The surah discusses various groups—Jews, Christians, and polytheists—who rejected the Prophet's call, and this verse specifically targets the mindset of blind adherence to tradition rather than seeking truth.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them' (Sahih Bukhari). This contrasts with the ayah's criticism, showing that following good predecessors with understanding is praiseworthy, while blind imitation regardless of truth is condemned.
Themes
Key Lesson
Every individual bears personal responsibility before Allah to seek and verify the truth rather than passively accepting inherited beliefs; true guidance comes from conscious submission to Allah's revelation, not from unthinking adherence to cultural or familial traditions, regardless of their age or prevalence.