سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 73
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ ﴿73﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allâh, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O mankind
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
O mankind
ضُرِبَ
ḍuriba
Is set forth
مَثَلٌۭ
mathalun
an example
فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟
fa-is'tamiʿū
so listen
لَهُۥٓ ۚ
lahu
to it
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
تَدْعُونَ
tadʿūna
you invoke
مِن
min
besides Allah
دُونِ
dūni
besides Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
besides Allah
لَن
lan
will never
يَخْلُقُوا۟
yakhluqū
create
ذُبَابًۭا
dhubāban
a fly
وَلَوِ
walawi
even if
ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟
ij'tamaʿū
they gathered together
لَهُۥ ۖ
lahu
for it
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
يَسْلُبْهُمُ
yaslub'humu
snatched away from them
ٱلذُّبَابُ
l-dhubābu
the fly
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
a thing
لَّا
lā
not
يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ
yastanqidhūhu
they (could) take it back
مِنْهُ ۚ
min'hu
from it
ضَعُفَ
ḍaʿufa
So weak
ٱلطَّالِبُ
l-ṭālibu
(are) the seeker
وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ
wal-maṭlūbu
and the one who is sought
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.
73. 1. That is, these false deities whom you call upon for help besides Allah, even if all of them were to gather together, they would not be able to create even a very insignificant creature like a fly. Despite this, if you still consider them to fulfill your needs, then your intellect is lamentable. From this, it is understood that those who have been worshipped besides Allah are merely lifeless stone idols that cannot even create a fly.
73. 2. By "seeker" is meant the self-made deity, and by "sought" is meant the fly, or according to some, by "seeker" is meant the worshipper and by "sought" his deity. In a Hadith Qudsi, the helplessness of false deities is mentioned in these words: Allah Almighty says, "Who can be more unjust than the one who wants to create like Me? If anyone truly has this power, then let him create a particle or a barleycorn and show it." (Sahih Bukhari)
73. 2. By "seeker" is meant the self-made deity, and by "sought" is meant the fly, or according to some, by "seeker" is meant the worshipper and by "sought" his deity. In a Hadith Qudsi, the helplessness of false deities is mentioned in these words: Allah Almighty says, "Who can be more unjust than the one who wants to create like Me? If anyone truly has this power, then let him create a particle or a barleycorn and show it." (Sahih Bukhari)
