Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And the likeness of those who ignore warning is as the likeness of one who yells to what hears not save a call and a shout: deaf, dumb, blind, so they do not reason.

وَمَثَلُ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذ۪ي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ اِلَّا دُعَٓاءً وَنِدَٓاءًۜ صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Wamathalu allatheena kafarookamathali allathee yanAAiqu bima la yasmaAAuilla duAAaan wanidaan summun bukmunAAumyun fahum la yaAAqiloon
#wordmeaningroot
1wamathaluAnd (the) exampleمثل
2alladhīna(of) those who
3kafarūdisbelieve[d]كفر
4kamathali(is) like (the) exampleمثل
5alladhī(of) the one who
6yanʿiqushoutsنعق
7bimāat what
8not
9yasmaʿu(does) hearسمع
10illāexcept
11duʿāancallsدعو
12wanidāanand cries ندو
13ṣummundeafصمم
14buk'mundumbبكم
15ʿum'yun(and) blindعمي
16fahum[so] they
17(do) not
18yaʿqilūnaunderstandعقل
  • Aisha Bewley

    The likeness of those who are kafir is that of someone who yells out to something which cannot hear – it is nothing but a cry and a call. Deaf – dumb – blind. They do not use their intellect.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And the example of those who disbelieve is like one who repeats what he has heard of calls and shouts; deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not understand.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    The likeness of calling on those who reject the evident Truth is as the likeness of one who calls unto that which hears nothing but a shout and cry. Deaf, dumb, blind of reason -Hence, they fail to attain sense.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And the likeness of those who ignore warning is as the likeness of one who yells to what hears not save a call and a shout: deaf, dumb, blind, so they do not reason.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And the example of those who disbelieve is like one who repeats what he has heard of calls and cries; deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not comprehend.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    The example of those who are unappreciative is like the one who repeats what he has heard of calls and shouts; deaf, dumb, and blind; they do not reason.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    The example of such disbelievers is that of parrots who repeat what they hear of sounds and calls, without understanding. Deaf, dumb, and blind; they cannot understand.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    The semblance of the infidels is that of a man who shouts to one that cannot hear more than a call and a cry. They are deaf, dumb and blind, and they fail to understand.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

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

  • Muhammad Asad

    And so, the parable of those who re bent on denying the truth is that of the beast which hears the shepherd's cry, and hears in it nothing but the sound of a voice and a call. Deaf are they, and dumb, and blind: for they do not use their reason.

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    The likeness of those who disbelieve (in relation to the messenger) is as the likeness of one who calleth unto that which heareth naught except a shout and cry. Deaf, dumb, blind, therefore they have no sense.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Those who have refused to follow the Way of Allah resemble cattle; when the shepherd calls them they hear nothing except shouting and crying; they are deaf, dumb and blind, and so they understand nothing.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Their negative response to the Prophet fits exactly the example of the cattle’s response to the herdsman urging them forward: either of them can hear only the utterance but none of them can intelligently distinguish between shades of meaning nor perceive value differences; deaf, dumb and blind, they cannot claim the discourse with their intellect.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Such people are like the herd of cattle that hear the voice of the shepherd but can not understand its meanings. For all purposes and intentions they are deaf, dumb, blind and not capable of understanding anything.

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand. (Tafsîr Al-Qurtubi )

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout Like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    The example of the disbelievers ˹not responding to the Messenger’s warning˺ is like a flock not comprehending the calls and cries of the shepherd. ˹They are wilfully˺ deaf, dumb and blind so they have no understanding.

  • Taqi Usmani

    The example of (calling) those who disbelieve is such as someone is shouting at an animal that hears nothing but a call and cry. They are deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand

  • Abdul Haleem

    Calling to disbelieversis like a herdsman calling to things that hear nothing but a shout and a cry: they are deaf, dumb, and blind, and they understand nothing.

  • Arthur John Arberry

    The likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, blind -- they do not understand.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    The likeness of those who misbelieve is as the likeness of him who shouts to that which hears him not, save only a call and a cry; deafness, dumbness, blindness, and they shall not understand.

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    The likeness of those who disbelieve (or reject faith) is as the likeness of him who shouts like a goat-herd, to that which hears him not, save only a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, and blind they are devoid of understanding.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And the likeness of the ones who have disbelieved is as the likeness of one who screams to that which does not hear (anything) except an invocation and a calling out; deaf, dumb and blind; so they do not consider.

  • George Sale

    The unbelievers are like unto one who crieth aloud to that which heareth not so much as his calling, or the sound of his voice. They are deaf, dumb, and blind, therefore do they not understand.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And the parable of those who reject Faith is similar to the one (shouting) like a shepherd who loudly shouts to things (cattle) that listen to nothing except calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not have the wisdom!

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    The case of (one that calls) those who refuse (to obey the commandments of God) is like the case of one who shouts to that (animal) who hears nothing, but a mere call and a cry (of a shepherd). (They are) deaf, dumb and blind, moreover they do not use their reason.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    The parable of the faithless is that of someone who shouts after that which does not hear except a call and cry: deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not apply reason.