ٱلْبَقَرَة : ٢٠

  • يَكَادُ Almost
  • ٱلۡبَرۡقُ the lightning
  • يَخۡطَفُ snatches away
  • أَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡۖ their sight
  • كُلَّمَآ Whenever
  • أَضَآءَ it flashes
  • لَهُم for them
  • مَّشَوۡاْ they walk
  • فِيهِ in it
  • وَإِذَآ and when
  • أَظۡلَمَ it darkens
  • عَلَيۡهِمۡ on them
  • قَامُواْۚ they stand (still)
  • وَلَوۡ And if
  • شَآءَ had willed
  • ٱللَّهُ Allah
  • لَذَهَبَ He would certainly have taken away
  • بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ their hearing
  • وَأَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡۚ and their sight
  • إِنَّ Indeed
  • ٱللَّهَ Allah
  • عَلَىٰ (is) on
  • كُلِّ every
  • شَيۡءٖ thing
  • قَدِيرٞ All-Powerful
The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.
The lightning well-nigh, almost, snatches away their sight, that is, takes it away swiftly; whensoever it gives them light, they walk in it, in its light; and when the darkness is over them, they stop, that is, they stand still: a simile of the perturbation that Al-Qur'anic arguments cause in their hearts, and of their acknowledging the truths of what they love to hear and recoiling from what they detest; had God willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight, that is, the exterior faculty, in the same way that He took away their inner one; Truly, God has power over all things, [that] He wills, as for example, His taking away of the above-mentioned.