وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ 21
Translations
And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers." Even if Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze?
Transliteration
Wa-idha qīla lahum ittabi'ū mā anzala Allāhu qālū bal nattabi'u mā wajadnā 'alayhi ābaāna awlaw law kāna ash-shayṭānu yad'ūhum ilā 'adhābi as-sa'īr
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who reject divine guidance by clinging to ancestral traditions instead. When called to follow Allah's revelation, they stubbornly refuse, preferring blind imitation of their forefathers—even if such adherence leads them toward hellfire itself. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse exposes the irrationality of prioritizing cultural customs over divine truth, particularly condemning the practice of taqlīd (blind following) without evidence.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Luqman's broader moral instruction, following the context of Luqman's advice to his son. It addresses the Meccan polytheists' rejection of Prophet Muhammad's message in favor of the pagan practices they inherited from their ancestors. This reflects the historical conflict between revelation and pre-Islamic Arabian customs ('jāhiliyyah').
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each child is born in a state of fitrah (natural disposition), but his parents make him Jewish, Christian, or Zoroastrian' (Sahih Bukhari 1385). This hadith relates to how people are conditioned by their ancestors' beliefs rather than guided by innate divine nature.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers must continuously evaluate whether their beliefs and practices are rooted in divine truth rather than mere tradition or cultural inheritance. True wisdom demands questioning inherited customs and aligning oneself with Allah's guidance, even if it contradicts established norms.