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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 26of 286

۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْىِۦٓ أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًۭا مَّا بَعُوضَةًۭ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِۦ كَثِيرًۭا وَيَهْدِى بِهِۦ كَثِيرًۭا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ﴿٢٦

Translation (Sahih International)

Indeed, Allah 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 Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient,

Word-by-word meaning

۞ إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
لَا(is) not
يَسْتَحْىِۦٓyastaḥyīashamed
أَنanto
يَضْرِبَyaḍribaset forth
مَثَلًۭاmathalanan example
مَّا(like) even
بَعُوضَةًۭbaʿūḍatan(of) a mosquito
فَمَاfamāand (even) something
فَوْقَهَا ۚfawqahāabove it
فَأَمَّاfa-ammāThen as for
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieved
فَيَعْلَمُونَfayaʿlamūna[thus] they will know
أَنَّهُannahuthat it
ٱلْحَقُّl-ḥaqu(is) the truth
مِنminfrom
رَّبِّهِمْ ۖrabbihimtheir Lord
وَأَمَّاwa-ammāAnd as for
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieved
فَيَقُولُونَfayaqūlūna[thus] they will say
مَاذَآmādhāwhat
أَرَادَarāda(did) intend
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāby this
مَثَلًۭا ۘmathalanexample
يُضِلُّyuḍilluHe lets go astray
بِهِۦbihiby it
كَثِيرًۭاkathīranmany
وَيَهْدِىwayahdīand He guides
بِهِۦbihiby it
كَثِيرًۭا ۚkathīranmany
وَمَاwamāAnd not
يُضِلُّyuḍilluHe lets go astray
بِهِۦٓbihiby it
إِلَّاillāexcept
ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَl-fāsiqīnathe defiantly disobedient

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

In his Tafsir, As-Suddi reported that Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Mas`ud, and some Companions said; "When Allah gave these two examples of the hypocrites" meaning Allah's statements, مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى اسْتَوْقَدَ نَاراً (Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindled a fire), and, أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ (Or like a rainstorm from the sky), "The hypocrites said, `Allah's far more exalted than for Him to make such examples.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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