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 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.
176. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him by these signs, but he inclined towards the earth and followed his own desires. His example is like that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants, and if you leave it, it still pants. This is the example of those who deny Our signs. So relate these stories to them, so that they may reflect.
In these words, Allah Almighty has described two states of the dog: one of compulsion and the other of choice. That is, in every condition, it keeps its tongue hanging out and continues to pant. This is also the condition of the worldly dog: once someone falls into the snare of Satan, then his state becomes such that whether he is compelled or not, in any case, he rushes towards the greed of the world, and the distinction between lawful and unlawful, or permissible and impermissible, is lost to him. Some commentators have written with reference to the Torah that the address of this verse is towards Bal‘am bin Ba‘ura. This person was very devout, ascetic, and his supplications were answered. When Sayyiduna Musa ؑ and the Children of Israel descended in the fields of Moab opposite the city of Jericho (Ariha), at that time Balq bin Safur was the king of the Moabites. Out of fear of defeat, he sent messengers to Bal‘am, asking him to come and curse them. At first, he refused, but out of greed, he finally agreed to come. Bal‘am went to Balq and, climbing a mountain, saw the Children of Israel, but instead of uttering words of curse, words of blessing spontaneously came out for the Children of Israel. [تورات۔ كتاب عدد باب 23، 24]
But since his intention was to curse, Allah Almighty took away from him all the wondrous gifts and blessings that had been granted to him.
In these words, Allah Almighty has described two states of the dog: one of compulsion and the other of choice. That is, in every condition, it keeps its tongue hanging out and continues to pant. This is also the condition of the worldly dog: once someone falls into the snare of Satan, then his state becomes such that whether he is compelled or not, in any case, he rushes towards the greed of the world, and the distinction between lawful and unlawful, or permissible and impermissible, is lost to him. Some commentators have written with reference to the Torah that the address of this verse is towards Bal‘am bin Ba‘ura. This person was very devout, ascetic, and his supplications were answered. When Sayyiduna Musa ؑ and the Children of Israel descended in the fields of Moab opposite the city of Jericho (Ariha), at that time Balq bin Safur was the king of the Moabites. Out of fear of defeat, he sent messengers to Bal‘am, asking him to come and curse them. At first, he refused, but out of greed, he finally agreed to come. Bal‘am went to Balq and, climbing a mountain, saw the Children of Israel, but instead of uttering words of curse, words of blessing spontaneously came out for the Children of Israel. [تورات۔ كتاب عدد باب 23، 24]
But since his intention was to curse, Allah Almighty took away from him all the wondrous gifts and blessings that had been granted to him.
