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Al-Baqarah 171

Ayah 171 of 286 · Medinan

وَمَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِي يَنۡعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَآءٗ وَنِدَآءٗۚ صُمُّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡيٞ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ ١٧١

The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries [i.e., cattle or sheep] - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَمَثَلُAnd (the) examplewamathalu
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those whoalladhīna
  3. كَفَرُواْdisbelieve[d]kafarū
  4. كَمَثَلِ(is) like (the) examplekamathali
  5. ٱلَّذِي(of) the one whoalladhī
  6. يَنۡعِقُshoutsyanʿiqu
  7. بِمَاat whatbimā
  8. لَاnotlā
  9. يَسۡمَعُ(does) hearyasmaʿu
  10. إِلَّاexceptillā
  11. دُعَآءٗcallsduʿāan
  12. وَنِدَآءٗۚand cries wanidāan
  13. صُمُّۢdeafṣummun
  14. بُكۡمٌdumbbuk'mun
  15. عُمۡيٞ(and) blindʿum'yun
  16. فَهُمۡ[so] theyfahum
  17. لَا(do) notlā
  18. يَعۡقِلُونَunderstandyaʿqilūna

Tafsir

The example of those who disbelieve and stubbornly follow the path of their fathers is like the example of the shepherd who shouts, calling to his animals that hear his voice, but do not understand what he says. They are deaf to hearing the truth so that it will benefit them, dumb as they are unable to speak about the truth, and blind to seeing it, and because of this they do not understand the guidance which you call them to.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran