The Heights
7. Al-A'rāf
الأعراف
Page #173
7:176
وَلَوْ
شِئْنَا
لَرَفَعْنَاهُ
بِهَا
وَلَكِنَّهُ
أَخْلَدَ
إِلَى
الْأَرْضِ
وَاتَّبَعَ
هَوَاهُ
فَمَثَلُهُ
كَمَثَلِ
الْكَلْبِ
إِن
تَحْمِلْ
عَلَيْهِ
يَلْهَثْ
أَوْ
تَتْرُكْهُ
يَلْهَث
ذَّلِكَ
مَثَلُ
الْقَوْمِ
الَّذِينَ
كَذَّبُوا
بِآيَاتِنَا
فَاقْصُصِ
الْقَصَصَ
لَعَلَّهُمْ
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
wa-law shiʾnā la-rafaʿnāhu bihā wa-lākinnahū ʾakhlada ʾilā l-ʾarḍi wa-ttabaʿa hawāhu fa-mathaluhū ka-mathali l-kalbi ʾin taḥmil ʿalayhi yalhath ʾaw tatrukhu yalhath dhālika mathalu l-qawmi lladhīna kadhdhabū bi-ʾāyātinā fa-qṣuṣi l-qaṣaṣa laʿallahum yatafakkarūna
Had We wished, We would have surely raised him by their means, but he clung to the earth and followed his [base] desires. So his parable is that of a dog: if you make for it, it lolls out its tongue, and if you let it alone, it lolls out its tongue. Such is the parable of the people who deny Our signs. So recount these narratives, so that they may reflect.
— Ali Quli Qarai
If it had been Our will, We should have elevated him with Our signs; but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; So relate the story; perchance they may reflect.
