Al-Baqara 2:171

"The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries [i.e., cattle or sheep] - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand."

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists

Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, "Rather. We shall follow what we found our fathers following," meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities. Allah criticized their reasoning:

أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَاؤُهُمْ

((Would they do that!) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and:

لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَهْتَدُونَ

(...did not understand anything nor were they guided) meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance. Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger ﷺ called to Islam, but they refused, saying, "Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following." So Allah revealed this Ayah (2:170) above."

The Disbeliever is just like an Animal

Allah then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah:

لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ

(For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description.) (16:60)

Similarly, Allah said here (2:171 above)

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

(And the example of those who disbelieve...) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds. This is what is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas.

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ

(They are deaf, dumb, and blind.) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way.

فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ

(So they do not understand.) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.

После разъяснения того, что неверующие отказываются выполнять заповеди, ниспосланные посланникам, отвергают их ради слепого подражания своим предкам, не желают постичь истину и покориться ей и упрямо продолжают исповедовать неверие, Всевышний Аллах сообщил, что они подобны скотине, на которую прикрикивает пастух и которая не понимает слов своего пастуха. Именно так ведут себя неверующие, когда проповедники призывают их обратиться в правую веру. Они слышат призыв, который лишает их возможности оправдаться собственной неосведомленностью, однако они не способны понять его настолько, чтобы извлечь из этого пользу. Они глухи, потому что не способны услышать истину настолько хорошо, чтобы понять и признать ее. Они слепы, потому что не способны видеть происходящее настолько хорошо, чтобы задуматься над этим. Они немы, потому что не способны говорить то, что может принести им пользу. А причина этого в том, что они лишены здравого рассудка и являются самыми глупыми и невежественными творениями. Представьте себе человека, которого призывают встать на прямой путь, удерживают от разврата, предостерегают от наказания и призывают совершать поступки, способные принести ему счастье, преуспеяние и благополучие, а он не прислушивается к добрым советам, отворачивается от повелений Аллаха, сознательно бросается в Адское пламя, следует за ложью и отбрасывает в сторону истину. Разве может благоразумный человек усомниться в том, что этот глупец лишен здравого рассудка? А если наряду с этим он строит коварные козни, обманывает окружающих и хитрит, то он является одним из величайших глупцов.

When these mushrik people were asked to follow the injunctions revealed by Allah through His Messenger, they refused to do so and insisted that they would rather follow the customary practice they had inherited from their fathers because, as they assumed, their models were divinely appointed to follow the way they adopted. Allah Almighty refutes this position of theirs by asking how could they go on following the ways of their fathers, under all conditions, to the exclusion of all other ways, even if their fathers did not understand much about the true faith, nor were they blessed with guidance given by their Lord?

In their lack of understanding, the verse says that the disbelievers resemble the scenario of a person shouting his call to an animal who hears nothing meaningful or significant except a bland cry. The disbelievers, in that state, do hear but not what is intended to correct them, so they are called 'deaf; and they are tight-lipped when it comes to accepting the truth, therefore, they are 'dumb'; and since they do not see their benefit or loss, they are 'blind'. Consequently, with their vital senses so dulled, they seem to understand nothing.

Comments on the nature of Taqlid:

No doubt, this verse (170) does censure the blind following of forefathers, but at the same time, it provides a rule and its attending conditions proving that following has its permissible aspect which has been indicated in لَا يَعْقِلُونَ (even though their forefathers used to understand nothing) and لَا يَهْتَدُونَ (nor had they been on the right path). It is from here that we find out that following the forefathers mentioned in the text of the Qur'an was censured because they lacked reason and guidance. 'Guidance' or the right path signifies injunctions revealed by Allah Almighty, openly and clearly, while ` aql عقل or reason stands for imperative guidance deduced by the great armed vision of Ijtihad اجتھاد from the recognized sources of Islamic Shari'ah.

Now we can see that following the model of those identified in the text cannot be permitted because they do not have a revealed set of laws from Allah, nor do they have the ability to deduce injunctions from the Word of Allah. There is a subtle hint here which we would do well to note. In case, we are satisfied that a certain ` alim عالِم has the perfect knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah and in the absence of a clear and direct instruction of the two sacred sources, he has the great expertise of a mujtahid مجتھد so that he can, by analogical deduction, arrive at rulings from the texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah - then. it is permissible to follow such mujtahid مجتھد alim عالِم . It does not mean that one has to obey 'his' injunctions and follow 'his person.' Instead, it means that one has to obey the injunctions of Allah alone to the total exclusion of others. But, since a direct and trustworthy knowledge of the injunctions of Allah (in all their ramifications) is not readily available to us due to our ignorance, we have to follow a mujtahid مجتھد alim عالِم in order to act in accordance with the injunctions of Allah Almighty.

From what has been said above, it becomes clear that those who hasten to quote verses of this nature against following the great mujtahid imams, are themselves unaware of the proven meaning of these verses.

In his comments on this verse, the great commentator, al-Qurtubi has said that the prohibition of following forefathers mentioned in this verse refers to. following them in false beliefs and deeds. The aspect of following correct beliefs and good deeds is not included here as it has been very clearly projected in Surah Yusuf in the words of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) :

إِنِّي تَرَ‌كْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَ‌ةِ هُمْ كَافِرُ‌ونَ ﴿37﴾ وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَائِي إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ

I have disassociated myself from the community of people who do not believe in Allah and who deny the Hereafter and I have chosen to follow the community of my fathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya` qub. (12:37-38)

This is good enough to prove that following forefathers in what is false is forbidden while it is permissible, rather desirable, in what is true.

Al-Qurtubi has taken up the issue of following the mujtahid imams within his comments on this verse. He says:

تعلق قوم بھذہ الآیہ فی ذمً التقلید (الی) وھذا فی الباطل صحیح اما التقلید فی الحق فاصل من اصول الدین وعصمۃ من عصم المسلمین یلجأ اِلیھا الجاھل المقصرعن درک النظر

"Some people have quoted this verse to support their criticism against Taqlid (following). As far as following the false is concerned, this is correct. But, this has nothing to do with following what is true which is, in fact, a basic religious principle, and a great means of protecting the religion of Muslims in as much as one who does not have the ability to do Ijtihad must rely on 'following' in matters of religion." (volume 2, page 194)

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists

The Disbeliever is just like an Animal