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Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

Verse 73of 78

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌۭ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًۭا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًۭٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ﴿٧٣

Translation (Sahih International)

O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.

Word-by-word meaning

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO mankind
ٱلنَّاسُl-nāsuO mankind
ضُرِبَḍuribaIs set forth
مَثَلٌۭmathalunan example
فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟fa-is'tamiʿūso listen
لَهُۥٓ ۚlahuto it
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose whom
تَدْعُونَtadʿūnayou invoke
مِنminbesides Allah
دُونِdūnibesides Allah
ٱللَّهِl-lahibesides Allah
لَنlanwill never
يَخْلُقُوا۟yakhluqūcreate
ذُبَابًۭاdhubābana fly
وَلَوِwalawieven if
ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ij'tamaʿūthey gathered together
لَهُۥ ۖlahufor it
وَإِنwa-inAnd if
يَسْلُبْهُمُyaslub'humusnatched away from them
ٱلذُّبَابُl-dhubābuthe fly
شَيْـًۭٔاshayana thing
لَّاnot
يَسْتَنقِذُوهُyastanqidhūhuthey (could) take it back
مِنْهُ ۚmin'hufrom it
ضَعُفَḍaʿufaSo weak
ٱلطَّالِبُl-ṭālibu(are) the seeker
وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُwal-maṭlūbuand the one who is sought

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The insignificance of the Idols and the foolishness of their WorshippersHere Allah points out the insignificance of the idols and the foolishness of those who worship them.يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ(O mankind! A parable has been made,) meaning, a parable of that which is worshipped by those who are ignorant of Allah and who join others as partners with Him.فَاسْتَمِعُواْ لَهُ(so listen to it) pay attention and understand.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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