Tafseer of The Poets · Ash-Shu'araa · 26:74
They said, "But we found our fathers doing thus."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Their word: بَلْ وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ (Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus) — this is a turning back from something denied, as the speaker says: "It was not so, but rather it was thus and thus." The meaning of their word: وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا كَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ is: We found those who came before us — and they do no harm — which indicates that they answered him thus — the word "of our fathers" — that they venerated those [idols] and constantly abided by them in service and worship, and so do we, following their example and imitating their way.
