7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَـكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ...

7: 176. 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.

C1150. Notice the contrast between the exalted spiritual honours which they would have received from Allah if they had followed His Will, and the earthly desires which eventually bring them low to the position of beasts and worse.

...فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ ...

His similitude is that of a dog:

... إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ ...

if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue, or

C1151. The dog, especially in the hot weather, lolls out his tongue, whether he is attacked and pursued and is tired, or he is left alone. It is part of his nature to slobber. So with the man who rejects Allah.

Whether he is warned or left alone, he continues to throw out his dirty saliva. The injury he will do will be to his own soul. But there may be infection in his evil example,. So we must protect others. And we must never give up hope of his own amendment. So we must continue to warn him and make him think.

...أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ...

if you leave him alone he (still) lolls out his tongue.

... ذَّلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا...

That is the similitude of those who reject our signs;

...فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿١٧٦﴾

so relate the story; perchance they may reflect.

سَاء مَثَلاً الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا وَأَنفُسَهُمْ كَانُواْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴿١٧٧﴾

7: 177. Evil as an example are people who reject Our signs and wrong their own souls.

Others version:

7: 176

Asad Now had We so willed, We could indeed have exalted him by means of those [messages]: but he always clung to the earth and followed but his own desires.

Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog: if you approach him threateningly, he will pant with his tongue lolling; and if you leave him alone, he will pant with his tongue lolling [note 142]. Such are the parable of those who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages. Tell [them], then, this story, so that they might take thought.

Pickthall And had We willed We could have raised him by their means, but he clung to the earth and followed his own lust. Therefore his likeness is as the likeness of a dog; if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out. Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations. Narrate unto them the history (of the men of old), that haply they may take thought.

Transliteration Wa lau syi'na_ larafa'na_hu biha_ wa la_kinnahu_ akhlada ilal ardi wattaba'a hawa_h(u), fa masaluhu_ ka masalil kalb(i), in tahmil 'alaihi yalhas au tatruk-hu yalhas, za_lika masalul qaumil lazina kazzabu_ bi a_ya_tina_, faqsusil qasasa la'allahum yatafakkaru_n(a).

7: 177

Pickthall Evil as an example are the folk who denied Our revelations, and were wont to wrong themselves.

Transliteration Sa_'a masalanil qaumul lazina kazzabu_ bi a_ya_tina_ wa anfusahum ka_nu_ yazlimu_n(a).