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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O people! An example is presented, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah, even if they all gathered together, they could not create a (single) fly, and if the fly were to snatch something away from them, they could not recover it from it. Both the seeker [102] and the sought are weak.
[102]
The Helplessness and Powerlessness of Both the Seeker and the Sought:
In this example, Allah Almighty has chosen the fly because it is a very small and insignificant creature, which everyone finds repulsive and detestable. Now, those who seek their needs from anyone other than Allah have, by considering themselves weak, asked their deity for their needs. Therefore, there remains no doubt about their weakness. And as for the one from whom the request is being made, his own condition is such that he cannot even create a contemptible creature like a fly. Rather, if a fly sits on the offerings and vows presented before them and carries away even a tiny portion, they cannot take it back from it. Moreover, this is not the issue of just one deity; even if all the deities combined, they could neither create a single fly nor retrieve what it has snatched away. Then, what could be a greater sign of their helplessness and weakness than this? Now, if these polytheists were to reflect on just this one point, they would fully realize their own foolishness—that in weakness and helplessness, their deities surpass them. Therefore, seeking needs from them is an extremely foolish act.
[102]
The Helplessness and Powerlessness of Both the Seeker and the Sought:
In this example, Allah Almighty has chosen the fly because it is a very small and insignificant creature, which everyone finds repulsive and detestable. Now, those who seek their needs from anyone other than Allah have, by considering themselves weak, asked their deity for their needs. Therefore, there remains no doubt about their weakness. And as for the one from whom the request is being made, his own condition is such that he cannot even create a contemptible creature like a fly. Rather, if a fly sits on the offerings and vows presented before them and carries away even a tiny portion, they cannot take it back from it. Moreover, this is not the issue of just one deity; even if all the deities combined, they could neither create a single fly nor retrieve what it has snatched away. Then, what could be a greater sign of their helplessness and weakness than this? Now, if these polytheists were to reflect on just this one point, they would fully realize their own foolishness—that in weakness and helplessness, their deities surpass them. Therefore, seeking needs from them is an extremely foolish act.
