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 al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(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 ]
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 ]
