Re: Seafood - Crab/Lobster Halal?
Also, there was this lady I was talking to the other day... she is muslim, and she said the exact same thing "This is what we have been taught by our elders" ... it is a timeless message and not restricted to non-muslims...
Sorry to differ but this ayah is not continuation of ayah 168, I'll give the reference from Ibn Abbas(ra) as well but first think logically, Allah says in this Ayah "Follow what Allah has sent down.'' **They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.'',** Ok I can agree that Allah is addressing the whole mankind in the first part of ayah, but in 2nd part of the ayah it is definately only non-believers who are saying *"Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.'' *
No here is the reference from Ibn Kathir:
(170 When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down.'' They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.'' (Would they do that!) even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided) (171. And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.)
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: [FONT=Traditional Arabic]﴿أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَاؤُهُمْ﴾ ((Would they do that!) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and: [FONT=Traditional Arabic]﴿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 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."