Transliteration:( Wa izaa qeela lahumuttabi'oo maaa anzalal laahu qaaloo bal nattabi'u maaa alfainaa 'alaihi aabaaa'anaaa; awalaw kaana aabaaa'uhum laa ya'qiloona shai'anw wa laa yahtadoon )
"And when it is said to them: Follow what Allah has revealed, they say: We will rather follow that which we found our forefathers upon. Even if their forefathers had no understanding and were not guided [361]." (Kanzul Imaan Translation)
Blind Following: This verse addresses those who reject Allah’s revelation in favor of blindly following the traditions of their forefathers, even when those forefathers were misguided.
Forbidden Practice: Following the misguided path of ancestors, especially when it contradicts the Shariah (Islamic law), is absolutely forbidden. It is not sufficient to follow tradition if it goes against divine guidance.
Honoring the Right Path: On the other hand, following the path of the pious predecessors, as long as it is aligned with the Shariah, is highly commendable and encouraged. Allah commands us to follow those who are truthful (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:119), and the Qur'an highlights the path of those whom Allah has favored (Surah Al-Fatiha, 1:7).
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 169 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 168 which provides the complete commentary from verse 168 through 169.
(2:170) And when they are told: “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say: “No, we shall follow what we found our forefathers adhering to.”[168] What! Even if their forefathers were devoid of understanding and right guidance?
168. The only possible argument and justification for these taboos was that they had been sanctified by the practice of their forefathers from whom they had allegedly come down generation after generation. Fickle-minded as they were, they deemed this argument to be sufficiently persuasive.
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