Quran 2:17 — Al-Baqara, verse 17
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
They are like people who [labour to] kindle a fire: when it lights up everything around them, God takes away all their light, leaving them in utter darkness, unable to see-
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
mathaluhum kamathali alladhī is'tawqada nāran falammā aḍāat mā ḥawlahu dhahaba l-lahu binūrihim watarakahum fī ẓulumātin lā yub'ṣirūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- The likeness of them is as the likeness of a man who kindled a fire, and when it lit all about him God took away their light, and left them in darkness unseeing
- Muhammad Asad
- Their parable is that of people who kindle a fire: but as soon as it has illumined all around them, God takes away their light and leaves them in utter darkness, wherein they cannot see:
- Sahih International
- Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allāh took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مَثَلُهُمْmathaluhum | Their example | مثل |
| 2 | كَمَثَلِkamathali | (is) like (the) example | مثل |
| 3 | ٱلَّذِىalladhī | (of) the one who | — |
| 4 | ٱسْتَوْقَدَis'tawqada | kindled | وقد |
| 5 | نَارًۭاnāran | a fire | نور |
| 6 | فَلَمَّآfalammā | then, when | — |
| 7 | أَضَآءَتْaḍāat | it illuminated | ضوأ |
| 8 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 9 | حَوْلَهُۥḥawlahu | (was) around him | حول |
| 10 | ذَهَبَdhahaba | took away | ذهب |
| 11 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 12 | بِنُورِهِمْbinūrihim | their light | نور |
| 13 | وَتَرَكَهُمْwatarakahum | and left them | ترك |
| 14 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 15 | ظُلُمَـٰتٍۢẓulumātin | darkness[es] | ظلم |
| 16 | لَّاlā | (so) not | — |
| 17 | يُبْصِرُونَyub'ṣirūna | (do) they see | بصر |