Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:22
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."
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.
The exposition of the interpretation of His word, exalted is He: بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ (Nay, they said: "Truly, we found our fathers upon a religion, and truly, we are guided aright upon their footsteps.")
The Exalted, whose mention is blessed, says: We did not give these people—who say "Had the All-Merciful willed, we would not have worshipped these idols"—any scripture from Us commanding them to worship them. Rather, they said: we found our fathers who were before us worshipping them, so we worship them just as they used to worship them. And the Exalted, whose praise is great, intended by His word بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ: nay, we found our fathers upon a religion and a creed—and that is their worship of the idols.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the scholars of exegesis have spoken.
Mention of those who said this:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us—all from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid, concerning his word عَلَى أُمَّةٍ: a creed.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his word إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ: he said: we found our fathers upon a religion.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, from Qatāda, concerning his word إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ: he said: thus spoke the polytheists of Quraysh: truly, we found our fathers upon a religion.
Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, from al-Suddī: قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ—he said: upon a religion.
The Qurʾān reciters differed concerning the reading of his word عَلَى أُمَّةٍ. The majority of the reciters of the great cities read it as أُمَّةٍ with a ḍamma on the alif, in the meaning which we have described, namely religion, creed, and custom. From Mujāhid and ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz it is related that they read it as "إِمَّةٍ" with a kasra on the alif. Concerning its meaning when the alif is read with kasra, there has been disagreement. Some of them directed its interpretation, when it is read with kasra, toward the meaning of way and direction, and that it is a maṣdar (verbal noun) of the saying of one who says: I led the people and I lead them—immatan. From the Arabs it has been heard by direct transmission: "How fine is his manner of binding the turban, of leading, and of sitting!"—when it was used as a maṣdar. Others directed it, when the alif is read with kasra, toward the imma which has the meaning of affluence and dominion, as ʿAdī ibn Zayd said:
Then, after prosperity, dominion, and affluence, the graves buried them there.
He said: he meant the dominion of kingship and its affluence. And some said: al-umma with ḍamma and al-imma with kasra have one and the same meaning.
The correct reading of this, of which I permit no other, is the ḍamma on the alif, on account of the consensus of the authoritative reciters of the great cities upon this. As for those who read it with kasra: I am of the opinion that by breaking it they intended only the meaning of way and method, in accordance with what we have mentioned earlier, and not affluence and dominion. For there is no ground to say: "Truly, we found our fathers in affluence, and we follow them therein," since following is done only in creeds and religions and what resembles them, not in dominion and affluence, for following in dominion is not a matter that everyone who wishes can attain.
And His word وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ—He says: and truly, we are upon the footsteps of our fathers in what they professed of religion, guided aright—that is to say: we follow them upon their way.
As Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās: وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ—he said: and truly, we are upon their religion.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, from Qatāda: وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ—he said: and truly, we follow them therein.
