وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿۱۰۴﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۱۰۵﴾

﴾104﴿ Wa izaa qeela lahum ta'aalaw ilaa maaa anzalallaahu wa ilar Rasooli qaaloo hasbunaa maa wajadnaa 'alaihi aabaaa'anaa; awa law kaana aabaaa'uhum laa ya'lamoona shai'anw wa laa yahtadoon
﴾105﴿ Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo 'alaikum anfusakum laa yadurrukum man dalla izah tadaitum; ilal laahi marji'ukum jamee'an fayunabbi'ukum bimaa kuntum ta'maloon

﴾104﴿ And when it is said for them, come to what Allah has sent down and (come) to the Messenger, They say that it is enough for us to follow the path that our ancestors found, even though their ancestors knew nothing about religion and did not know the right path
﴾105﴿ O believers: It is necessary for you to think about your own lives, no one can harm you who goes astray when you are on guidance, The return of all of you is special to Allah Almighty, so He will inform you about the deeds you used to do

[104] This verse contains a warning against imitating the ignorant and refutes the false reasoning of idolaters, whose only argument is the following of their forefathers. That is, in matters of polytheism and the invention of practices like Baḥīrah, Sā’ibah, etc., they have no legitimate religious proof. Their only argument is the path of their ancestors.
"When it is said to them"—this passive form implies generality, meaning whenever anyone calls them to the truth, regardless of who or when.
"Come" (Taʿālū)—derived from the root ʿuluww (elevation), it suggests an invitation toward upliftment and progress.
"To what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger"—this shows that both the Qur’an and the Sunnah are independent sources of Islamic law. It becomes clear that religious authority lies in Qur’an and Sunnah, and ijmāʿ (consensus) and qiyās (analogy) are valid only when based on them. If based on them, then ijmāʿ and qiyās are accepted. If not, they are rejected.
"They say: ‘What we found our forefathers upon is enough for us’"—the phrase "ḥasbunā" shows their ignorance emphatically, meaning they see no need for Qur’an or Sunnah because they deem their forefathers' path sufficient.
"Our forefathers" here refers to the scholars and religious leaders they followed. As Raghib mentioned in Mufradāt, it often refers to one’s spiritual and scholarly ancestors.
"Even though their forefathers knew nothing and were not guided?"—the point is that following forefathers (even scholars and guided ones) in matters of shirk or baseless customs is not allowed. So if those forefathers were ignorant and without guidance, then following them is even more clearly impermissible.
"They knew nothing"—this means they had no knowledge of truth or evidence.
"Nor were they guided"—meaning they did not act upon any valid religious evidence. They were ignorant and misguided.
Al-Khazin, Fakhr al-Razi, al-Nasafi, and others wrote that this verse clearly shows that following a guided scholar is correct, on the condition that his opinion is based on proof, argument, and evidence. But if a guided scholar gives a ruling without evidence, then following that ruling is also not permissible.
So, this verse is evidence against blind imitation (taqlīd) in matters of religion—because taqlīd means accepting someone’s religious opinion without evidence or understanding of the evidence.
[105] The connection of this verse with the previous one is explained by Qurtubi, who narrates from Jabir ibn Zayd that when a person would embrace Islam, the disbelievers would say to him, “You have considered your forefathers ignorant and misguided. If our forefathers were without knowledge and guidance, then so were yours.” So, this verse comes as a response to that claim.
"‘Alaykum anfusakum"—this phrase functions as a verbal command, meaning "Take responsibility for yourselves"—specifically, to reform your own souls by following the Qur’an and Sunnah, especially when opponents refuse to accept the truth.
Al-Maha’imi explains its meaning as: it is obligatory upon you to correct yourselves by following the Book and the Sunnah, and also by calling others and engaging in commanding good and forbidding evil. Do not fall short in that duty. If, despite that, someone chooses misguidance, then there is no blame on you.
Thus, this verse clearly establishes the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil.
"Those who go astray will not harm you"—meaning the sin of others will not fall upon you if they say, "What we found our forefathers upon is enough for us", or if they act in hostility with words or deeds. Likewise, the misguidance of your forefathers from the past is also not your burden.
"If you are rightly guided"—guidance here means following the Qur’an and Sunnah and, according to your ability, commanding good and forbidding evil.
"Then Allah will inform you about what you used to do"—this refers to reward or punishment, and Al-Sharbini mentions this as an indication that no one will be held accountable for another’s sin.