Surah An-Nahl (النحل) • The Bee

Quran 16:75

16:75

۞ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لَّا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ وَمَن رَّزَقْنَـٰهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا ۖ هَلْ يَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

ḍaraba l-lahu mathalan ʿabdan mamlūkan lā yaqdiru ʿalā shayin waman razaqnāhu minnā riz'qan ḥasanan fahuwa yunfiqu min'hu sirran wajahran hal yastawūna l-ḥamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum lā yaʿlamūna

Allāh presents an example: a slave [who is] owned and unable to do a thing and he to whom We have provided from Us good provision, so he spends from it secretly and publicly. Can they be equal? Praise to Allāh! But most of them do not know.

— Saheeh International

God presents this illustration: a slave controlled by his master, with no power over anything, and another man We have supplied with good provision, from which he gives alms privately and openly. Can they be considered equal? All praise belongs to God, but most of them do not recognize this.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Allâh puts forward the example of (two men - a believer and a disbeliever); a slave (disbeliever) under the possession of another, he has no power of any sort, and (the other), a man (believer) on whom We have bestowed a good provision from Us, and he spends thereof secretly and openly. Can they be equal? (By no means). All the praises and thanks are to Allâh. Nay! (But) most of them know not.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 14Page 275meccan

Word by Word

۞ ضَرَبَḍarabaAllah sets forth
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah sets forth
مَثَلًاmathalanthe example
عَبْدًۭاʿabdan(of) a slave
مَّمْلُوكًۭاmamlūkan(who is) owned
لَّاlānot
يَقْدِرُyaqdiruhe has power
عَلَىٰʿalāon
شَىْءٍۢshayinanything
وَمَنwamanand (one) whom
رَّزَقْنَـٰهُrazaqnāhuWe provided him
مِنَّاminnāfrom Us
رِزْقًاriz'qana provision
حَسَنًۭاḥasanangood
فَهُوَfahuwaso he
يُنفِقُyunfiquspends
مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
سِرًّۭاsirransecretly
وَجَهْرًاۖwajahranand publicly
هَلْhalCan
يَسْتَوُۥنَۚyastawūnathey be equal
ٱلْحَمْدُl-ḥamduAll praise
لِلَّهِۚlillahi(is) for Allah
بَلْbalNay
أَكْثَرُهُمْaktharuhumbut most of them
لَاlā(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow