Verse. 1977

١٦ - ٱلنَّحْل

16 - An-Nahl

وَضَرَبَ اللہُ مَثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ اَحَدُہُمَاۗ اَبْكَمُ لَا يَـقْدِرُ عَلٰي شَيْءٍ وَّہُوَ كَلٌّ عَلٰي مَوْلٰىہُ۝۰ۙ اَيْنَـمَا يُوَجِّہْہُّ لَا يَاْتِ بِخَيْرٍ۝۰ۭ ہَلْ يَسْتَوِيْ ہُوَ۝۰ۙ وَمَنْ يَّاْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ۝۰ۙ وَہُوَعَلٰي صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَــقِيْمٍ۝۷۶ۧ
Wadaraba Allahu mathalan rajulayni ahaduhuma abkamu la yaqdiru AAala shayin wahuwa kallun AAala mawlahu aynama yuwajjihhu la yati bikhayrin hal yastawee huwa waman yamuru bialAAadli wahuwa AAala siratin mustaqeemin

English

Ahmed Ali

God presents another example of two men, one dumb and unable to do a thing and is a burden on his master. Wherever he is sent he returns without any good (result). Could he be equal to one who enjoins what is just, and follows the right path?

76

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : then allah gave a simile regarding himself and the idols, saying: (and allah coineth a similitude) allah explains the traits of (two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing) he cannot talk, this is the idol, (and he is a burden on his owner) his guardian and relatives; (whithersoever he directeth him) or call him (to go) east or west, (he bringeth no good) he does not respond to his caller with any good; this is the parable of the idol. (is he equal) in terms of bringing benefit and driving away harm, i.e. the idol (with one who enjoineth justice) the oneness of allah (and followeth a straight path) i.e. allah's divine oneness, meaning allah?

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : and god strikes a similitude (mathalan, this is substituted by [the following, rajulayn]) two men, one of whom is dumb [from birth], having no power over anything, as he cannot understand nor be understood, and who is a liability, burdensome, to his master: — the [legal] guardian of his affairs — wherever he directs him, he does not bring, therefrom, any good, he does [not] succeed, and this is the similitude of the disbeliever. is he, that is, the dumb one mentioned, equal to one who enjoins justice, that is, to one who is able to speak, of benefit to people, since he enjoins it [justice] and encourages [others to] it, and follows a path, a way, that is straight? — this being the second [man], the believer — no [he is not equal to him]. it is also said that this [last similitude] is a similitude of god, while the [similitude of the] dumb one is of the idols, so that the preceding [verse] contains the similitude of the disbeliever and the believer.