سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 176
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَـٰهُ بِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۚ فَٱقْصُصِ ٱلْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿176﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
شِئْنَا
shi'nā
We willed
لَرَفَعْنَـٰهُ
larafaʿnāhu
surely, We (could) have raised him
بِهَا
bihā
with these
وَلَـٰكِنَّهُۥٓ
walākinnahu
[and] but he
أَخْلَدَ
akhlada
adhered
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَٱتَّبَعَ
wa-ittabaʿa
and followed
هَوَىٰهُ ۚ
hawāhu
his (vain) desires
فَمَثَلُهُۥ
famathaluhu
So his example
كَمَثَلِ
kamathali
(is) like (the) example
ٱلْكَلْبِ
l-kalbi
(of) the dog
إِن
in
if
تَحْمِلْ
taḥmil
you attack
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
[on] him
يَلْهَثْ
yalhath
he lolls out his tongue
أَوْ
aw
or
تَتْرُكْهُ
tatruk'hu
if you leave him
يَلْهَث ۚ
yalhath
he lolls out his tongue
ذَّٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
مَثَلُ
mathalu
(is the) example
ٱلْقَوْمِ
l-qawmi
(of) the people
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
كَذَّبُوا۟
kadhabū
denied
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۚ
biāyātinā
[in] Our Signs
فَٱقْصُصِ
fa-uq'ṣuṣi
So relate
ٱلْقَصَصَ
l-qaṣaṣa
the story
لَعَلَّهُمْ
laʿallahum
so that they may
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
yatafakkarūna
reflect
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.
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. 2 And take a lesson from such people, avoid misguidance, and adopt the truth.
