Surah Al-A'raf, ayah 176
وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَـٰهُ بِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۚ فَٱقْصُصِ ٱلْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
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.
Word by word
- وَلَوْwalawAnd if
- شِئْنَاshi'nāWe willed
- لَرَفَعْنَـٰهُlarafaʿnāhusurely, We (could) have raised him
- بِهَاbihāwith these
- وَلَـٰكِنَّهُۥٓwalākinnahu[and] but he
- أَخْلَدَakhladaadhered
- إِلَىilāto
- ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
- وَٱتَّبَعَwa-ittabaʿaand followed
- هَوَىٰهُ ۚhawāhuhis (vain) desires
- فَمَثَلُهُۥfamathaluhuSo his example
- كَمَثَلِkamathali(is) like (the) example
- ٱلْكَلْبِl-kalbi(of) the dog
- إِنinif
- تَحْمِلْtaḥmilyou attack
- عَلَيْهِʿalayhi[on] him
- يَلْهَثْyalhathhe lolls out his tongue
- أَوْawor
- تَتْرُكْهُtatruk'huif you leave him
- يَلْهَث ۚyalhathhe lolls out his tongue
- ذَّٰلِكَdhālikaThat
- مَثَلُmathalu(is the) example
- ٱلْقَوْمِl-qawmi(of) the people
- ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
- كَذَّبُوا۟kadhabūdenied
- بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا ۚbiāyātinā[in] Our Signs
- فَٱقْصُصِfa-uq'ṣuṣiSo relate
- ٱلْقَصَصَl-qaṣaṣathe story
- لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahumso that they may
- يَتَفَكَّرُونَyatafakkarūnareflect
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