Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Nay, but they say, “Behold, We found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and, verily, it is in their footsteps that we find our guidance!”
M. M. Pickthall
Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Nay! they say: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
In fact, they say, “We found our forefathers following a ˹particular˺ way, and we are following in their footsteps.”
Safi Kaskas
No they say, but “We found our fathers following this path, and we are guided by their footsteps."
Wahiduddin Khan
No indeed! They say, We have found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps
Shakir
Nay! they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footsteps
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
Nay! They said: We found our fathers in a community holding to a way of life and we are, truly, in their footsteps ones who are truly guided.
T.B.Irving
Moreover they say: "We found our forefathers following such a community and we are merely being guided along their tracks."
Abdul Hye
Nay! They said: “We found our forefathers following on a certain way and religion, and we guide ourselves on their footsteps.”
The Study Quran
Nay! They say, “We found our fathers upon a creed, and surely we are rightly guided in their footsteps.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
But they say, “We found our ancestors upon a course, and we are guided by their footsteps.”
Talal Itani (2012)
But they say, 'We found our parents on a course, and we are guided in their footsteps.'
Dr. Kamal Omar
Nay! They have said: “Surely we, we found our ancestors with a certain concept, and truly we in their foot-steps are those who have received guidance.”
The only argument they have is to say: "We found our forefathers practicing this faith and we are walking in their footsteps."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
No indeed, (but) they have said, "Surely we found our fathers upon a course, (Literally: a nation: a community; following a leadership or a religion) and surely we are guided upon their tracks."
Muhammad Sarwar
In fact, they say, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we now follow in their footsteps for our guidance"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Instead, they say, .We have found our fathers on a certain way, and we are on their footprints, fully guided
Shabbir Ahmed
Nay, but they say, "Behold, we found our fathers following a certain religion, and we find our way in their footprints."
Dr. Munir Munshey
No! Rather they say, "We found our parents adhering to a particular way (of life). And now we are following their footsteps."
Syed Vickar Ahamed
No, they say: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we follow their footsteps."
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
The fact is, they have said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are following in their footsteps."
Abdel Haleem
No indeed! They say, ‘We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are guided by their footsteps.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Nay! they say: verily we have found our fathers on a certain way, and verily by their footsteps we are guided
Ahmed Ali
In fact they say: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and are guided by their footprints."
Aisha Bewley
No, in fact they say, ´We found our fathers following a religion and we are simply guided in their footsteps.´
Ali Ünal
Not at all! (Indeed, their only argument is that) they say: "We have found our forefathers following a certain religion, and we are led in their footsteps."
Ali Quli Qara'i
Rather they say, ‘We found our fathers following a creed, and we are indeed guided in their footsteps.’
Hamid S. Aziz
Nay! They say, "We found our fathers in a religion, and surely we are guided by their footsteps."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
No, but they said: “We found our fathers on a course, and we are guided by their footsteps.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
No, they say, “We found our fathers following a certain way, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps.
Musharraf Hussain
Nay; they say, “We found our forefathers on this path and we are guided by their footsteps.”
Maududi
Nay; they simply claim: "We found our forefathers on a way, and we continue to find guidance in their footsteps."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
The fact is, they have said: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and we are following in their footsteps.
Mohammad Shafi
But they say, "We did find our fathers following certain community rites, and we do indeed follow in their footsteps."
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
But rather they said, 'We found our forefathers on one religion and we are going on their footsteps'.
The fact is that: they said, "We found our parents carrying on certain practices, and we are following in their footsteps."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
No, but they say: 'We found our fathers following a creed, and by following in their footsteps we are guided
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Nay, they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footprints
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
But they said: "We (E), we found our fathers on a constitution (set example) , and We (E) on their tracks are guided."
Bijan Moeinian
Their only argument is, “We follow the footsteps of our forefathers [even if they are wrong.]”
Faridul Haque
Rather they said, “We found our forefathers upon a religion, and we are following their footsteps.”
Sher Ali
Nay, but they say, `We found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(No,) but they say: ‘Indeed, we found our fathers following a course (and a religion), and surely we are rightly guided (following) in their footsteps.
Amatul Rahman Omar
Nay, but they go on saying, `We have found our forefathers on a certain course, and we (while walking) in their footsteps, are following the right course (of true guidance)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Nay! They say: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps."
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
Nay! They said, “We have indeed found our fathers on a way and we indeed are guided by following their footsteps.”
Munir Mezyed
Nay, but they say: "We found our fathers following a certain system of faith and worship, and so we are certainly inspired by their footsteps."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
But they say: we found our fathers upon a practice and we are guided by their traditions.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
No! They say, “We saw our ancestors following a religion, and we are following in their footsteps.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
Rather, they said, “Indeed, we found our forefathers on a course, and indeed we are being guided in their footsteps.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Moreover they say: "We found our forefathers following such a community and we are merely being guided along their tracks."
Samy Mahdy
Nay, but they said, “We found our parents upon a community style, and we are upon their traces, guided.”
Ahmed Hulusi
On the contrary, they said, “We found our forefathers upon this religious understanding and we are guided to the reality upon their footsteps (conditionings – genes).
Mir Aneesuddin
No, they say, “We found our fathers on ( these ) religious procedures and we are guided by their footsteps.”
In effect they projected their own cause so as to say: "We have found our fathers bent on a particular system of faith and worship and we walk in their foot steps."
The Wise Quran
Nay, they said, 'Indeed we, we found our forefathers upon a religion, and indeed, we are guided upon their footsteps.'