Quran 2:26 — Al-Baqara, verse 26
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
God does not shy from drawing comparisons even with something as small as a gnat, or larger: the believers know it is the truth from their Lord, but the disbelievers say, ‘What does God mean by such a comparison?’ Through it He makes many go astray and leads many to the right path. But it is only the rebels He makes go astray:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ
inna l-laha lā yastaḥyī an yaḍriba mathalan mā baʿūḍatan famā fawqahā fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū fayaʿlamūna annahu l-ḥaqu min rabbihim wa-ammā alladhīna kafarū fayaqūlūna mādhā arāda l-lahu bihādhā mathalan yuḍillu bihi kathīran wayahdī bihi kathīran wamā yuḍillu bihi illā l-fāsiqīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- God is not ashamed to strike a similitude even of a gnat, or aught above it. As for the believers, they know it is the truth from their Lord; but as for unbelievers, they say, 'What did God desire by this for a similitude?' Thereby He leads many astray, and thereby He guides many; and thereby He leads none astray save the ungodly
- Muhammad Asad
- Behold, God does not disdain to propound a parable of a gnat, or of something [even] less than that. Now, as for those who have attained to faith, they know that it is the truth from their Sustainer - whereas those who are bent on denying the truth say, "What could God mean by this parable?" In this way does He cause many a one to go astray, just as He guides many a one aright: but none does He cause thereby to go astray save the iniquitous,
- Sahih International
- Indeed, Allāh is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allāh intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient,
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ۞ إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 2 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 3 | لَاlā | (is) not | — |
| 4 | يَسْتَحْىِۦٓyastaḥyī | ashamed | حيي |
| 5 | أَنan | to | — |
| 6 | يَضْرِبَyaḍriba | set forth | ضرب |
| 7 | مَثَلًۭاmathalan | an example | مثل |
| 8 | مَّاmā | (like) even | — |
| 9 | بَعُوضَةًۭbaʿūḍatan | (of) a mosquito | بعض |
| 10 | فَمَاfamā | and (even) something | — |
| 11 | فَوْقَهَا ۚfawqahā | above it | فوق |
| 12 | فَأَمَّاfa-ammā | Then as for | — |
| 13 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 14 | ءَامَنُوا۟āmanū | believed | أمن |
| 15 | فَيَعْلَمُونَfayaʿlamūna | [thus] they will know | علم |
| 16 | أَنَّهُannahu | that it | — |
| 17 | ٱلْحَقُّl-ḥaqu | (is) the truth | حقق |
| 18 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 19 | رَّبِّهِمْ ۖrabbihim | their Lord | ربب |
| 20 | وَأَمَّاwa-ammā | And as for | — |
| 21 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 22 | كَفَرُوا۟kafarū | disbelieved | كفر |
| 23 | فَيَقُولُونَfayaqūlūna | [thus] they will say | قول |
| 24 | مَاذَآmādhā | what | — |
| 25 | أَرَادَarāda | (did) intend | رود |
| 26 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 27 | بِهَـٰذَاbihādhā | by this | — |
| 28 | مَثَلًۭا ۘmathalan | example | مثل |
| 29 | يُضِلُّyuḍillu | He lets go astray | ضلل |
| 30 | بِهِۦbihi | by it | — |
| 31 | كَثِيرًۭاkathīran | many | كثر |
| 32 | وَيَهْدِىwayahdī | and He guides | هدي |
| 33 | بِهِۦbihi | by it | — |
| 34 | كَثِيرًۭا ۚkathīran | many | كثر |
| 35 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 36 | يُضِلُّyuḍillu | He lets go astray | ضلل |
| 37 | بِهِۦٓbihi | by it | — |
| 38 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 39 | ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَl-fāsiqīna | the defiantly disobedient | فسق |