Quran 7:176 — Al-A'raaf, verse 176
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
if it had been Our will, We could have used these signs to raise him high, but instead he clung to the earth and followed his own desires- he was like a dog that pants with a lolling tongue whether you drive it away or leave it alone. Such is the image of those who reject Our signs. Tell them the story so that they may reflect.
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
walaw shi'nā larafaʿnāhu bihā walākinnahu akhlada ilā l-arḍi wa-ittabaʿa hawāhu famathaluhu kamathali l-kalbi in taḥmil ʿalayhi yalhath aw tatruk'hu yalhath dhālika mathalu l-qawmi alladhīna kadhabū biāyātinā fa-uq'ṣuṣi l-qaṣaṣa laʿallahum yatafakkarūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And had We willed, We would have raised him up thereby; but he inclined towards the earth and followed his lust. So the likeness of him is as the likeness of a dog; if thou attackest it it lolls its tongue out, or if thou leavest it, it lolls its tongue out. That is that people's likeness who cried lies to Our signs. So relate the story; haply they will reflect.
- Muhammad Asad
- Now had We so willed, We could indeed have exalted him by means of those [messages]: but he always clung to the earth and followed but his own desires. Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog: if thou approach him threateningly, he will pant with his tongue lolling; and. if thou leave him alone, he will pant with his tongue lolling. Such is the parable of those who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages. Tell [them], then, this story, so that they might take thought.
- Sahih International
- And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَوْwalaw | And if | — |
| 2 | شِئْنَاshi'nā | We willed | شيأ |
| 3 | لَرَفَعْنَـٰهُlarafaʿnāhu | surely, We (could) have raised him | رفع |
| 4 | بِهَاbihā | with these | — |
| 5 | وَلَـٰكِنَّهُۥٓwalākinnahu | [and] but he | — |
| 6 | أَخْلَدَakhlada | adhered | خلد |
| 7 | إِلَىilā | to | — |
| 8 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the earth | أرض |
| 9 | وَٱتَّبَعَwa-ittabaʿa | and followed | تبع |
| 10 | هَوَىٰهُ ۚhawāhu | his (vain) desires | هوي |
| 11 | فَمَثَلُهُۥfamathaluhu | So his example | مثل |
| 12 | كَمَثَلِkamathali | (is) like (the) example | مثل |
| 13 | ٱلْكَلْبِl-kalbi | (of) the dog | كلب |
| 14 | إِنin | if | — |
| 15 | تَحْمِلْtaḥmil | you attack | حمل |
| 16 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | [on] him | — |
| 17 | يَلْهَثْyalhath | he lolls out his tongue | لهث |
| 18 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 19 | تَتْرُكْهُtatruk'hu | if you leave him | ترك |
| 20 | يَلْهَث ۚyalhath | he lolls out his tongue | لهث |
| 21 | ذَّٰلِكَdhālika | That | — |
| 22 | مَثَلُmathalu | (is the) example | مثل |
| 23 | ٱلْقَوْمِl-qawmi | (of) the people | قوم |
| 24 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | who | — |
| 25 | كَذَّبُوا۟kadhabū | denied | كذب |
| 26 | بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۚbiāyātinā | [in] Our Signs | أيي |
| 27 | فَٱقْصُصِfa-uq'ṣuṣi | So relate | قصص |
| 28 | ٱلْقَصَصَl-qaṣaṣa | the story | قصص |
| 29 | لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahum | so that they may | — |
| 30 | يَتَفَكَّرُونَyatafakkarūna | reflect | فكر |