Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 176

(Ayah 177,176) ➊ {وَ لَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنٰهُ بِهَا … : } If We had willed, We could have elevated him to the heights of the righteous and the pious by granting him the ability to act upon these verses, but he clung to the earth and lowliness (the petty provisions of the world), and by following his own desires, he remained constantly engaged in seeking the world. So his example is given as that of a dog who pants with its tongue hanging out at all times. Some commentators have mentioned his name as Bal‘am bin Ba‘ura from previous nations, and some have mentioned certain individuals from the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), such as Umayyah bin Salt, etc., but the reality is that all those people mentioned above are included in the meaning of this verse, and these individuals are also among them.

➋ {فَمَثَلُهٗ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ … : ’’ لَهَثٌ‘‘} Panting with the tongue hanging out due to exhaustion, thirst, or heat is meant here. If other animals are attacked, they start panting due to running, thirst, and heat, but if they are left alone, they sit calmly and do not pant with their tongues out. However, the dog is such an animal that it cannot easily draw in fresh air nor expel hot air, so whether someone attacks it and it is out of breath from running, or it is sitting calmly, in every case its tongue will be hanging out and it will be panting. The example of one who denies the verses of Allah due to greed for the world is like that of this dog. Because if he had believed in and acted upon Allah’s verses according to his knowledge, he would have limited his needs and desires to what is lawful according to Allah and His Messenger, and would have spent the rest of his time free from all kinds of greed and worry, engaged in the worship of Allah, learning and teaching the religion, and acting upon it, thus living a life of utmost peace and contentment. But whether he needed the world or not, he remained constantly striving to acquire the world by every means, lawful or unlawful, just like the dog who, whether attacked or not, keeps panting with its tongue out. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “A bad example is not suitable for us. The person who takes back his gift is like the dog who licks up its own vomit.” [ بخاری، الہبۃ و فضلھا، باب لا یحل لأحد أن یرجع فی ہبتہ : ۲۶۲۲، عن ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنھما ]

176. 1 Lahath means to stick out the tongue due to fatigue or thirst, etc. It is the habit of a dog that whether you scold it or leave it alone, in both cases it does not stop barking. Similarly, it is also its habit that whether it is full or hungry, healthy or sick, tired or energetic, in every condition it pants with its tongue hanging out. This is exactly the state of such a person: whether you admonish him or not, his condition remains the same, and he keeps drooling for the wealth and luxuries of the world.

176. 2 And take a lesson from such people, avoid misguidance, and adopt the truth.

176. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him by these signs, but he inclined towards the earth and followed his own desires. His example is like that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants, and if you leave it, it still pants. This is the example of those who deny Our signs. So relate these stories to them, so that they may reflect.

In these words, Allah Almighty has described two states of the dog: one of compulsion and the other of choice. That is, in every condition, it keeps its tongue hanging out and continues to pant. This is also the condition of the worldly dog: once someone falls into the snare of Satan, then his state becomes such that whether he is compelled or not, in any case, he rushes towards the greed of the world, and the distinction between lawful and unlawful, or permissible and impermissible, is lost to him. Some commentators have written with reference to the Torah that the address of this verse is towards Bal‘am bin Ba‘ura. This person was very devout, ascetic, and his supplications were answered. When Sayyiduna Musa ؑ and the Children of Israel descended in the fields of Moab opposite the city of Jericho (Ariha), at that time Balq bin Safur was the king of the Moabites. Out of fear of defeat, he sent messengers to Bal‘am, asking him to come and curse them. At first, he refused, but out of greed, he finally agreed to come. Bal‘am went to Balq and, climbing a mountain, saw the Children of Israel, but instead of uttering words of curse, words of blessing spontaneously came out for the Children of Israel. [تورات۔ كتاب عدد باب 23، 24]
But since his intention was to curse, Allah Almighty took away from him all the wondrous gifts and blessings that had been granted to him.