Surah Hajj >> Currently viewing Surah Hajj Ayat 73 (22:73)

Surah Hajj Ayat 73 in Arabic Text

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٞ فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ لَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخۡلُقُواْ ذُبَابٗا وَلَوِ ٱجۡتَمَعُواْ لَهُۥۖ وَإِن يَسۡلُبۡهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيۡـٔٗا لَّا يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ مِنۡهُۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلۡمَطۡلُوبُ
Yaaa ayyuhan naasu duriba masalun fastami’oo lah; innal lazeena tad’oona min doonil laahi lai yakhluqoo zubaabanw wa lawijtama’oo lahoo wa iny yaslub humuz zubaabu shai’an laa yastanqizoohu minh; da’ufat taalibu wal matloob

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 73

Sahih International
O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.

Yusuf Ali
O men! Here is a parable set forth! listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, ye call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! and if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!

Abul Ala Maududi
O people, a parable is set forth: pay heed to it. Those who call upon aught other than Allah shall never be able to create even a fly, even if all of them were to come together to do that. And if the fly were to snatch away anything from them, they would not be able to recover that from it. Powerless is the supplicant; and powerless is he to whom he supplicates.

Muhsin Khan
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.

Pickthall
O mankind! A similitude is coined, so pay ye heed to it: Lo! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought!

Dr. Ghali
O you mankind, a similitude is struck; so listen to it. Surely the ones whom you invoke apart from Allah will never create a fly, even if they gathered together for (the purpose); and in case a fly should rob them of anything, they would not be able to rescue it from him. Weak (indeed) are the seeker and the sought!

Abdel Haleem
People, here is an illustration, so listen carefully: those you call on beside God could not, even if they combined all their forces, create a fly, and if a fly took something away from them, they would not be able to retrieve it. How feeble are the petitioners and how feeble are those they petition!

Muhammad Junagarhi
لوگو! ایک مثال بیان کی جا رہی ہے، ذرا کان لگا کر سن لو! اللہ کے سوا جن جن کو تم پکارتے رہے ہو وه ایک مکھی بھی تو پیدا نہیں کر سکتے، گو سارے کے سارے ہی جمع ہو جائیں، بلکہ اگر مکھی ان سے کوئی چیز لے بھاگے تو یہ تو اسے بھی اس سے چھین نہیں سکتے، بڑا بودا ہے طلب کرنے واﻻ اور بڑا بودا ہے وه جس سے طلب کیا جا رہا ہے

Quran 22 Verse 73 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Hajj ayat 73, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(22:73) O people, a parable is set forth: pay heed to it. Those who call upon aught other than Allah shall never be able to create even a fly, even if all of them were to come together to do that. And if the fly were to snatch away anything from them, they would not be able to recover that from it. Powerless is the supplicant; and powerless is he to whom he supplicates.[123]


123. This parable has been cited to impress upon the idolworshipers that their deities are absolutely powerless, for even if they all collaborated to create an insignificant thing like a fly, they could not; nay, even if a fly snatched away anything from them they could not prevent it. This shows how weak they themselves are and how powerless are the idols they supplicate.

Ibn-Kathir

73. O mankind! A parable has been made, so listen to it: Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are the seeker and the sought. 74. They have not regarded Allah with His rightful esteem. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.


The insignificance of the Idols and the foolishness of their Worshippers

Here Allah points out the insignificance of the idols and the foolishness of those who worship them.

﴿يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ﴾

(O mankind! A parable has been made,) meaning, a parable of that which is worshipped by those who are ignorant of Allah and who join others as partners with Him.

﴿فَاسْتَمِعُواْ لَهُ﴾

(so listen to it) pay attention and understand.

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُواْ ذُبَاباً وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُواْ لَهُ﴾

(Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose.) Even if all the idols and false gods whom you worship were to come together to create a single fly, they would not be able to do that. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah recorded the Marfu` report:

«وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ (خَلْقًا) كَخَلْقِي، فَلْيَخْلُقُوا مِثْلَ خَلْقِي ذَرَّةً أَوْ ذُبَابَةً أَوْ حَبَّة»

(“Who does more wrong than one who tries to create something like My creation Let them create an ant or a fly or a seed like My creation!”) This was also recorded by the authors of the Two Sahihs via `Umarah from Abu Zur`ah from Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet said: a

«قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذَهَبَ يَخْلُقُ كَخَلْقِي، فَلْيَخْلُقُوا ذَرَّةً، فَلْيَخْلُقُوا شَعِيرَة»

(Allah says: “Who does more wrong than one who tries to create (something) like My creation Let them create an ant, let them create a grain of barley.”) Then Allah says:

﴿وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئاً لاَّ يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ﴾

(And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly.) They are unable to create a single fly and, moreover, they are unable to resist it or take revenge against it if it were to take anything from the good and perfumed thing on which it lands. If they wanted to recover that, they would not be able to, even though the fly is the weakest and most insignificant of Allah’s creatures. Allah says:

﴿ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ﴾

(So weak are the seeker and the sought.) Ibn `Abbas said, “The seeker is the idol and the sought is the fly.” This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, and it is what is apparent from the context. As-Suddi and others said, “The seeker is the worshipper, and the sought is the idol.” Then Allah says:

﴿مَا قَدَرُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ﴾

(They have not regarded Allah with His rightful esteem.) meaning, they have not recognized the might and power of Allah when they wor- ship alongside Him those who cannot even ward off a fly, because they are so weak and incapable.

﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾

(Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.) means, He is the All-Strong Who, by His might and power, created all things.

﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ﴾

(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) ﴿30:27﴾

﴿إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ – إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ ﴾

(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful. Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.) ﴿85:12-13﴾

﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ ﴾

(Verily, Allah is the Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.) ﴿51:58﴾.

﴿عَزِيزٌ﴾

(All-Mighty) means, He has subjugated and subdued all things, and there is none that can resist Him or overcome His might and power, and He is the One, the Subduer.

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