Sure 16 An-Nahl — Aya 76
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا رَّجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَبْكَمُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَىٰ مَوْلَىٰهُ أَيْنَمَا يُوَجِّههُّ لَا يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ ۖ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى هُوَ وَمَن يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۙ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
Und Allah gibt (euch) ein (anderes) Gleichnis von zwei Männern an die Hand: der eine von ihnen ist stumm, er hat über nichts Gewalt und ist für seinen Dienstherrn eine Last; wo er ihn auch hinschicken mag - er bringt nichts Gutes (zurück) Kann er dem gleich sein, der Gerechtigkeit gebietet und der selbst auf dem geraden Weg ist?
waḍaraba l-lahu mathalan rajulayni aḥaduhumā abkamu lā yaqdiru ʿalā shayin wahuwa kallun ʿalā mawlāhu aynamā yuwajjihhu lā yati bikhayrin hal yastawī huwa waman yamuru bil-ʿadli wahuwa ʿalā ṣirāṭin mus'taqīmin
Wort für Wort
- وَضَرَبَ waḍaraba And Allah sets forth
- ٱللَّهُ l-lahu And Allah sets forth
- مَثَلًۭا mathalan an example
- رَّجُلَيْنِ rajulayni (of) two men
- أَحَدُهُمَآ aḥaduhumā one of them
- أَبْكَمُ abkamu (is) dumb
- لَا lā not
- يَقْدِرُ yaqdiru he has power
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
- شَىْءٍۢ shayin anything
- وَهُوَ wahuwa while he
- كَلٌّ kallun (is) a burden
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā on
- مَوْلَىٰهُ mawlāhu his master
- أَيْنَمَا aynamā Wherever
- يُوَجِّههُّ yuwajjihhu he directs him
- لَا lā not
- يَأْتِ yati he comes
- بِخَيْرٍ ۖ bikhayrin with any good
- هَلْ hal Is
- يَسْتَوِى yastawī equal
- هُوَ huwa he
- وَمَن waman and (the one) who
- يَأْمُرُ yamuru commands
- بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۙ bil-ʿadli [of] justice
- وَهُوَ wahuwa and he
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā (is) on
- صِرَٰطٍۢ ṣirāṭin a path
- مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ mus'taqīmin straight
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Another Example
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.
(whichever way he directs him,) meaning, wherever he sends him
(he brings no good.) meaning, he does not succeed in what he wants.
(Is such a man equal) meaning, a man who has these attributes
(to one who commands justice) meaning fairness, one whose words are true and whose deeds are righteous.
(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.