An-Nahl: 76

Ayah

Word by Word

وَضَرَبَ

And Allah sets forth

ٱللَّهُ

And Allah sets forth

مَثَلٗا

an example

رَّجُلَيۡنِ

(of) two men

أَحَدُهُمَآ

one of them

أَبۡكَمُ

(is) dumb

لَا

not

يَقۡدِرُ

he has power

عَلَىٰ

شَيۡءٖ

anything

وَهُوَ

while he

كَلٌّ

(is) a burden

عَلَىٰ

مَوۡلَىٰهُ

his master

أَيۡنَمَا

Wherever

يُوَجِّههُّ

he directs him

لَا

not

يَأۡتِ

he comes

بِخَيۡرٍ

with any good

هَلۡ

يَسۡتَوِي

equal

هُوَ

وَمَن

and (the one) who

يَأۡمُرُ

commands

بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ

[of] justice

وَهُوَ

and he

عَلَىٰ

(is) on

صِرَٰطٖ

a path

مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ

straight

Translation

Allah sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb, with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way be directs him, he brings no good: is such a man equal with one who commands Justice, and is on a Straight Way?

Tafsir

"Another Example Allah tells: وَضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلً رَّجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَبْكَمُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَى مَوْلاهُ And Allah gives an example of two men, one of them dumb, who has no power over anything, and he is a burden on his master; Mujahid said, ""This also refers to idols and the True God, may He be exalted."" Meaning that the idol is dumb and cannot speak or say anything, good or otherwise. It cannot do anything at all, no words, no action, it is dependent and is a burden on its master. أَيْنَمَا يُوَجِّههُّ whichever way he directs him, meaning, wherever he sends him. لَا يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ he brings no good. meaning, he does not succeed in what he wants. هَلْ يَسْتَوِي Is such a man equal, meaning, a man who has these attributes, هُوَ وَمَن يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ to one who commands justice, meaning fairness, one whose words are true and whose deeds are righteous. وَهُوَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ and is himself on the straight path. Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said: ""This is also an example of the disbeliever and the believer,"" as in the previous Ayah."