O mankind: a similitude is struck, so listen to it: — those to whom you call, besides God, will never create a fly though they gather together for it. And if the fly snatch away something from them, they could not recover it from it; weak are the seeker and the sought!
| # | word | meaning | root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | yāayyuhā | O mankind | |
| 2 | l-nāsu | O mankind | نوس |
| 3 | ḍuriba | Is set forth | ضرب |
| 4 | mathalun | an example | مثل |
| 5 | fa-is'tamiʿū | so listen | سمع |
| 6 | lahu | to it | |
| 7 | inna | Indeed | |
| 8 | alladhīna | those whom | |
| 9 | tadʿūna | you invoke | دعو |
| 10 | min | besides Allah | |
| 11 | dūni | besides Allah | دون |
| 12 | l-lahi | besides Allah | |
| 13 | lan | will never | |
| 14 | yakhluqū | create | خلق |
| 15 | dhubāban | a fly | ذبب |
| 16 | walawi | even if | |
| 17 | ij'tamaʿū | they gathered together | جمع |
| 18 | lahu | for it | |
| 19 | wa-in | And if | |
| 20 | yaslub'humu | snatched away from them | سلب |
| 21 | l-dhubābu | the fly | ذبب |
| 22 | shayan | a thing | شيا |
| 23 | lā | not | |
| 24 | yastanqidhūhu | they (could) take it back | نقذ |
| 25 | min'hu | from it | |
| 26 | ḍaʿufa | So weak | ضعف |
| 27 | l-ṭālibu | (are) the seeker | طلب |
| 28 | wal-maṭlūbu | and the one who is sought | طلب |
Mankind! an example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah are not even able to create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought!
O mankind, an example is being cited so listen to it: those you call upon besides God will not create a fly even if they all gathered to do so. And if the fly takes anything from them, they will not be able to return it from him. Weak is both the seeker and the sought!
"O Mankind! Here is an example for you to listen and ponder! Behold, those beings you invoke instead of Allah, cannot create as much as a fly, even if they were to join all their forces to do so. And if a fly robs them of anything, they cannot get it back from it. Weak indeed is the seeker and weak indeed the sought."
O mankind: a similitude is struck, so listen to it: — those to whom you call, besides God, will never create a fly though they gather together for it. And if the fly snatch away something from them, they could not recover it from it; weak are the seeker and the sought!
O people, an example is being put forth so listen to it: those you call upon besides God will not create a fly even if they all gathered to do so. And if the fly takes anything from them, they will not be able to return anything from it. Weak is both the seeker and the sought!
O people, an example is being cited so listen to it: those you call upon besides God will not create a fly even if they all gathered to do so. If the fly takes anything from them, they will not be able to return it from him. Weak is both the seeker and the sought!
O people, here is a parable that you must ponder carefully: the idols you set up beside GOD can never create a fly, even if they banded together to do so. Furthermore, if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it; weak is the pursuer and the pursued.
O men, give ear to this parable: Those you worship other than God can never create as much as a fly, even if they get together to do so; and if the fly were to rob them of a thing they would not be able to snatch it away from it. How weak the seeker and how weak the sought!
O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.
O MEN! A parable is set forth ; hearken, then, to it! Behold, those beings whom you invoke instead of God cannot create a fly, even were they to join all their forces to that end! And if a fly robs them of anything, they cannot rescue it from him! Weak indeed is the seeker, and the sought!
O mankind! A similitude is coined, so pay ye heed to it: Lo! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought!
O people, a parable is set forth: pay heed to it. Those who call upon aught other than Allah shall never be able to create even a fly, even if all of them were to come together to do that. And if the fly were to snatch away anything from them, they would not be able to recover that from it. Powerless is the supplicant; and powerless is he to whom he supplicates.*
O you people: An allegorical representation is introduced to describe a subject under the guise of some other subject of aptly suggestive resemblance intended to convey a useful lesson by which moral and spiritual relations are typically set forth. Thus: those whom you invoke besides Allah, idols or human, shall not be able to create a fly even if they get together and combine their efforts. And if a fly should ravish anything out of their hands or out of their environ never shall they be able to reclaim it. How helpless is the suppliant - who is defeated by a fly- and the creature entreated -the fly-.
Listen people; whatever you worship beside God, cannot create even a fly, even though they combine their forces together. Now if a fly of Mine snatches away something from them, they cannot get it back from it! How weak of a worshipper and an object of worship.
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allâh, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.
O men! Here is a parable set forth! listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, ye call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! and if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!
O humanity! A lesson is set forth, so listen to it ˹carefully˺: those ˹idols˺ you invoke besides Allah can never create ˹so much as˺ a fly, even if they ˹all˺ were to come together for that. And if a fly were to snatch anything away from them, they cannot ˹even˺ retrieve it from the fly. How powerless are those who invoke and those invoked!
O people, here is a parable set forth to you, so listen to it carefully: All those whom you invoke besides Allah can never create (even) a fly, even though they all join hands together for that. And if a fly snatches something away from them, they cannot release it from its possession. (Equally) feeble are the invoker and the invoked.
People, here is an illustration, so listen carefully: those you call on beside God could not, even if they combined all their forces, create a fly, and if a fly took something away from them, they would not be able to retrieve it. How feeble are the petitioners and how feeble are those they petition!
O men, a similitude is struck; so give you ear to it. Surely those upon whom you call, apart from God, shall never create a fly, though they banded together to do it; and if a fly should rob them of aught, they would never rescue it from him. Feeble indeed alike are the seeker and the sought!
O ye folk! a parable is struck out for you, so listen to it. Verily, those on whom ye call beside God could never create a fly if they all united together to do it, and if the fly should despoil them of aught they could not snatch it away from it - weak is both the seeker and the sought.
When Our clear revelations are read to them, you may recognize disdain in the faces of those who disbelieve; they well-nigh attack those who recite Our revelations to them. Say, "Shall I inform you of something worse than that for you? The Fire which Allah has promised to those who disbelieve; an evil journey end!"
O you mankind, a similitude is struck; so listen to it. Surely the ones whom you invoke apart from Allah will never create a fly, even if they gathered together for (the purpose); and in case a fly should rob them of anything, they would not be able to rescue it from him. Weak (indeed) are the seeker and the sought!
O men, a parable is propounded unto you; wherefore hearken unto it. Verily the idols which ye invoke, besides God, can never create a single fly, although they were all assembled for that purpose: And if the fly snatch any thing from them, they cannot recover the same from it. Weak is the petitioner, and the petitioned.
O Mankind! Here is a story told (to you)! Listen to it! Verily, those to whom you call, besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all get together for the purpose! And if the fly should grab anything from them, they would have no power to regain it from the fly. Weak are those who call and (weak are) those to whom they call!
O people! here is a parable, so listen to it. Those whom you call upon apart from Allâh cannot create even a fly, though they may all join hands for it. And if the fly should snatch away something from them, they cannot recover it from it. Feeble indeed is the seeker (- the worshippers) and (feeble) the sought after (- the worshipped one).
O mankind! Listen to a parable that is being drawn: Indeed those whom you invoke besides Allah will never create a fly even if they all rallied to do so! And if a fly should take away something from them, they can not recover that from it. Feeble is the seeker and the sought!