Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:170

Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 170

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

(170) And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has sent down," they say, "Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers." Even if their fathers were not understanding anything, nor guided?

It is known that there are three opinions regarding the pronoun in the phrase {لَهُم} (to them):

1. It refers to those mentioned in {مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا} (Whoever takes others as equals to Allah) (Al-Baqarah: 165). These are the polytheists of Arabia, whose mention has preceded.
2. It refers to {النَّاسُ} (O people) in the verse {يَذْهَبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ} (He will remove you, O people) (Al-Baqarah: 21). The shift from direct address (second person) to third person is a rhetorical device (iltifāt) to emphasize their error, as if saying to the rational people: "Look at what these foolish ones say."
3. Ibn Abbas said: This verse was revealed concerning the Jews. When the Messenger of Allah called them to Islam, they replied, "We will follow what we found our fathers upon, for they were better than us and more knowledgeable than us." In this case, the verse is a new beginning, and the pronoun {لَهُم} refers to an unmentioned group, though a pronoun can refer to something known even if not explicitly mentioned.

Then, Allah recounts what they said: {بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا} (Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our fathers).

Issue 1: Pronunciation of Lām in Hal and Bal

Al-Kisa'i merges the lām (ل) of {هَلْ} (Hal) and {بَلْ} (Bal) into eight letters:

1. The Tā’ (ت), as in {بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ} (Nay, but you prefer) (Al-A'lā: 16).
2. The Nūn (ن), as in {بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ} (Rather, we will follow).
3. The Thā’ (ث), as in {هَلْ ثُوِّبَ} (Has there been recompense?).
4. The Sīn (س), as in {بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ} (Rather, it has beautified for him) (Yusuf: 18).
5. The Zāy (ز), as in {بَلْ زُيِّنَ} (Rather, it has been adorned) (Ar-Ra'd: 33).
6. The Ḍād (ض), as in {بَلْ ضَلُّوا} (Rather, they went astray) (Al-Ahqāf: 28).
7. The Ẓā’ (ظ), as in {بَلْ ظَنَنْتُمْ} (Rather, you thought).
8. The Ṭā’ (ط), as in {بَلْ طُبِعَ} (Rather, it has been sealed) (An-Nisā': 155).

The majority of reciters maintain the clear pronunciation (iẓhār). Some agree with Al-Kisa'i on certain letters, but iẓhār is the fundamental rule.

Issue 2: The Meaning of Alfaynā

{أَلْفَيْنَا} means "we found," which is confirmed by another verse: {بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا} (Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers upon) (Luqmān: 21).

This meaning is also supported by:

• {وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَى الْبَابِ} (And they found her master at the door) (Yusuf: 25).
• {إِنَّهُمْ أَلْفَوْا آبَاءَهُمْ ضَالِّينَ} (Indeed, we found our fathers upon a certain way) (As-Sāffāt: 69).

Issue 3: The Meaning of the Verse and the Rebuttal

The meaning is that Allah commanded them to follow the clear proofs (revelation) that He sent down. They replied, "We will not follow that; rather, we will follow our ancestors." Thus, they countered guidance with mere imitation (taqlīd).

Allah responded to them with: {أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ} (Even if their fathers were not understanding anything, nor guided?).

Issue 1: The Wāw and the Hamza of Interrogation

The Wāw (و) in {أَوَلَوْ} is a conjunction (wāw al-'aṭf). The interrogative Hamza (أ) is prefixed to it, but it is transferred to mean reprimand and reproach. The Hamza is used for reprimand because it demands an admission that, if made, brings shame, just as the interrogative form demands information about the subject being questioned.

Issue 2: Establishing the Refutation of Imitation (Taqlīd)

This refutation of their argument can be established in several ways:

1. The condition of justification: Ask the imitator: Do you admit that for imitation to be permissible, one must know that the person being imitated is correct, or not?
   • If you admit this, we cannot permit your imitation until we know he is correct. How did you know he was correct? If you knew through another imitation, this leads to an infinite regress (tasalsul). If you knew through reason, then reason is sufficient, and imitation is unnecessary.
   • If you claim it is not a condition for imitation to know the imitated person is correct, then you permit imitation even if the imitated person is wrong. Thus, you are following your imitation without knowing whether you are right or wrong.

2. The hypothetical scenario: Suppose that ancestor was knowledgeable about the matter. However, if we posit that this ancestor never knew the matter and never adopted a specific view, what would you do? In the scenario where the ancestor and his view did not exist, one would necessarily have to resort to rational inquiry (naẓar). The same applies here.

3. Tracing the chain of knowledge: If you imitate someone before you, how did that predecessor know? Did he know through imitation or through evidence?
   • If he knew through imitation, this leads to circularity (dawr) or infinite regress (tasalsul).
   • If he knew through evidence, not imitation, then by requiring that you follow that predecessor, you must seek knowledge through evidence, not imitation. If you sought knowledge through imitation while that predecessor sought it through evidence, you would be contradicting him. Therefore, the assertion of imitation ultimately leads to its own negation, proving it false.

Issue 3: Context and the Necessity of Inquiry

Allah mentioned this verse immediately after warning against following the footsteps of Satan, indicating that there is no difference between following Satan's whispers and following blind imitation. This verse provides the strongest evidence for the obligation of rational inquiry (naẓar) and deduction (istidlāl), and abandoning reliance on mere thoughts without evidence, or on what others say without proof.

Issue 4: The Scope of "Not Understanding Anything"

The phrase {لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا} (not understanding anything) is general in wording but specific in meaning (khuṣūṣ). This is because they understood many worldly matters. This demonstrates the permissibility of using a general term when the intended meaning is specific.

Issue 5: Meaning of "Not Understanding" and "Not Guided"

• {لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا} means they do not know anything concerning religion.
• {وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ} means they are not guided to the method of acquiring that knowledge (i.e., they lack the path to truth).

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ

(171) And the example of those who disbelieve is like the example of one who cries out to that which hears nothing except a call and a cry. Deaf, dumb, blind—so they do not reason.