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Ayah
Word by Word
وَمَثَلُ
And (the) example
ٱلَّذِينَ
(of) those who
كَفَرُواْ
disbelieve[d]
كَمَثَلِ
(is) like (the) example
ٱلَّذِي
(of) the one who
يَنۡعِقُ
shouts
بِمَا
at what
لَا
not
يَسۡمَعُ
(does) hear
إِلَّا
except
دُعَآءٗ
calls
وَنِدَآءٗۚ
and cries
صُمُّۢ
deaf
بُكۡمٌ
dumb
عُمۡيٞ
(and) blind
فَهُمۡ
[so] they
لَا
(do) not
يَعۡقِلُونَ
understand
وَمَثَلُ
And (the) example
ٱلَّذِينَ
(of) those who
كَفَرُواْ
disbelieve[d]
كَمَثَلِ
(is) like (the) example
ٱلَّذِي
(of) the one who
يَنۡعِقُ
shouts
بِمَا
at what
لَا
not
يَسۡمَعُ
(does) hear
إِلَّا
except
دُعَآءٗ
calls
وَنِدَآءٗۚ
and cries
صُمُّۢ
deaf
بُكۡمٌ
dumb
عُمۡيٞ
(and) blind
فَهُمۡ
[so] they
لَا
(do) not
يَعۡقِلُونَ
understand
Translation
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.
Tafsir
The likeness, the attribute, of those who disbelieve, and the one who calls them to guidance, is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry, only a sound, not understanding its meaning: when they listen to an admonition they are like cattle that hear the cry of their shepherd but do not understand what he is saying; they are deaf, dumb, blind - they do not comprehend, any admonition.
"The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists
Allah says;
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ابَاءنَا
When it is said to them:""Follow what Allah has sent down.""
They say:""Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.""
Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, ""Rather. We shall follow what we found our fathers following,"" meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities.
Allah criticized their reasoning:
أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ابَاوُهُمْ
(Would they do that!) even though their fathers,
meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and:
لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْياً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
did not understand anything nor were they guided.
meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance.
Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger called to Islam, but they refused, saying, ""Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following."" So Allah revealed this Ayah (2:170) above.""
The Disbeliever is just like an Animal
Allah says;
وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَاء وَنِدَاء
And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries.
Allah made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah:
لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ
For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. (16:60)
Similarly, Allah said here
وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
(And the example of those who disbelieve...),
meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.
This is what is reported from Ibn Abbas, Abu Al-Aliyah, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ata Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi bin Anas.
صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ
They are deaf, dumb, and blind.
means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way.
فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
So they do not understand.
means, they do not comprehend or understand anything."
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