سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 24
۞ مَثَلُ ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْأَصَمِّ وَٱلْبَصِيرِ وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The likeness of the two parties is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared? Will you not then take heed?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ مَثَلُ
mathalu
(The) example
ٱلْفَرِيقَيْنِ
l-farīqayni
(of) the two parties
كَٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
kal-aʿmā
(is) like the blind
وَٱلْأَصَمِّ
wal-aṣami
and the deaf
وَٱلْبَصِيرِ
wal-baṣīri
and the seer
وَٱلسَّمِيعِ ۚ
wal-samīʿi
and the hearer
هَلْ
hal
Are
يَسْتَوِيَانِ
yastawiyāni
they equal
مَثَلًا ۚ
mathalan
(in) comparison
أَفَلَا
afalā
Then, will not
تَذَكَّرُونَ
tadhakkarūna
you take heed
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
24. 1. In the previous verses, both the believers and the disbelievers, the fortunate and the wretched, were mentioned. Now, by presenting an example of both, their reality is being further clarified. It is said, one is like the blind and the deaf, and the other is like the one who sees and hears. The disbeliever is deprived in this world of seeing the beautiful face of truth and in the Hereafter of the path of salvation, similarly, he is deprived of hearing the arguments of truth, and thus remains deprived of those things which would be beneficial for him. On the contrary, the believer is intelligent, sees the truth, and distinguishes between truth and falsehood. Thus, he follows truth and goodness, listens to arguments, removes doubts through them, and avoids falsehood. Can these two be equal? The question is for negation. That is, they cannot be equal. As stated in another place: "لَا يَسْتَوِيْٓ اَصْحٰبُ النَّارِ وَاَصْحٰبُ الْجَنَّةِ ۭ اَصْحٰبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَاۗىِٕزُوْنَ" 59. Al-Hashr: 20) (The people of Paradise and the people of Hell are not equal; the people of Paradise are the successful ones.) In another place, it is stated as follows: "The blind and the seeing are not equal. Nor are the darkness and the light, the shade and the sun equal, nor are the living and the dead equal." (Surah Fatir. 19, 20) (وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْاَعْمٰى وَالْبَصِيْرُ 19ۙ وَلَا الظُّلُمٰتُ وَلَا النُّوْرُ 20 ۙ) 35. Fatir: 20-19)
