And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby,1 but he adhered [instead] to the earth2 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.3 So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.
Translation: Saheeh International (English)
1 i.e., through the revelations, signs or evidences of which he had been given knowledge.
2 i.e., its worldly pleasures.
3 Whether or not they have been exposed to Allāh's signs or warnings, it is all the same: they will not believe.
لَرَفَعۡنَٰهُsurely, We (could) have raised himlarafaʿnāhu
بِهَاwith thesebihā
وَلَٰكِنَّهُۥٓ[and] but hewalākinnahu
أَخۡلَدَadheredakhlada
إِلَىtoilā
ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earthl-arḍi
وَٱتَّبَعَand followedwa-ittabaʿa
هَوَىٰهُۚhis (vain) desireshawāhu
فَمَثَلُهُۥSo his examplefamathaluhu
كَمَثَلِ(is) like (the) examplekamathali
ٱلۡكَلۡبِ(of) the dogl-kalbi
إِنifin
تَحۡمِلۡyou attacktaḥmil
عَلَيۡهِ[on] himʿalayhi
يَلۡهَثۡhe lolls out his tongueyalhath
أَوۡoraw
تَتۡرُكۡهُif you leave himtatruk'hu
يَلۡهَثۚhe lolls out his tongueyalhath
ذَّٰلِكَThatdhālika
مَثَلُ(is the) examplemathalu
ٱلۡقَوۡمِ(of) the peoplel-qawmi
ٱلَّذِينَwhoalladhīna
كَذَّبُواْdeniedkadhabū
بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاۚ[in] Our Signsbiāyātinā
فَٱقۡصُصِSo relatefa-uq'ṣuṣi
ٱلۡقَصَصَthe storyl-qaṣaṣa
لَعَلَّهُمۡso that they maylaʿallahum
يَتَفَكَّرُونَreflectyatafakkarūna
Tafsir
If Allah had desired, He would have made this person benefit through these signs, enabling him to act according to them, so that he would be raised up in this world and in the next. But he chose what led to his failure, being attracted to the desires of the worldly life, and preferring them to the Afterlife. His example in his extreme greed for this world is like the example of a dog, which pants with its tongue constantly, whether it is resting or whether it is chased away. This example is the example of the people who are astray because of rejecting Allah’s signs. So relate the stories to them O Messenger so that they may think and reject their denial of the truth and their misguidance.