Tafsir Al-Jalalayn: Al-A'raaf, Ayah 176
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Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
(And had We willed We could have raised him by their means) We could have raised him by means of the greatest name to heaven and made him sovereign over the people of this world, (but he clung to the earth) he inclined to the wealth of this world (and followed his own lust) the lust of leadership; it is also said that this means: the lust of his ego by engaging in evil things. (Therefore his likeness) the likeness of Bal'am; and it is said: the likeness of Umayyah Ibn al-Salt (is as the likeness of a dog; if thou attackest him) and drive him away from you (he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him) and do not drive him away (he panteth with his tongue out) such is the case with Bal'am and Umayyah, when they were admonished they did not take any heed and when they were left alone, they did not understand anything. (Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations) Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an. These people are the Jews. (Narrate unto them the history (of the men of old)) recite to them the Qur'an, (that haply they may take thought) that haply they may reflect on the similes of the Qur'an.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The bad example is not for us. He who takes back his present is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'It does not befit us to leave bad examples. The one who takes back his gift is like the dog which goes back to its vomit.'"
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'It does not befit us to leave bad examples. The one who takes back his gift is like a dog with its vomit.'"
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The one who takes back his gift is like a dog swallowing its own vomit, and we (believers) should not act according to this bad example."
"The likeness of the Quran is that of a hobbled camel. If its owner ties its rope, he will keep it, but if he loosens its rope it will go away."
A person suffered from intense thirst while on a journey, when he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst and ea...
“The likeness of one who takes back his gift is that of a dog that eats until it is full and vomits; then it goes back to its vomit and eats it again.”
"The parable of the one who gives a gift, and then takes it back, is that of a dog who eats until he is full, and vomits, then he returns to his vomit." There are narrations on this topic from Ibn...
The example of a man who has memorised the Qur'an is like that of a hobbled camel. If he remained vigilant, he would be able to retain it (with him), and if he loosened the hobbled camel it would esca...
"Some of those who met the Prophet told us that he said: 'The likeness of the one who gives (something), then takes back his gift, is that of a dog which eats, then vomits, then eats its vomit.'"
Al-Jalalayn Commentary
And had We willed We would have raised him up to the ranks of the scholars thereby by facilitating his way to good deeds; but he was disposed to at peace in the earth — that is this world — and inclined to it and followed his whims by calling others to them and so We abased him. Therefore his likeness his description is as the likeness of a dog if you attack it by driving it away or curbing it it lolls its tongue out and if you leave it it lolls its tongue out and no other animal is like it in this way both conditional sentences constitute a circumstantial qualifier that is to say it has its tongue lolling out despicably in all circumstances. The purpose here is to point out the similarity between the one who follows his whims and a dog in terms of condition and vileness judging by the contextualising fā’ of fa-mathaluhu ‘therefore his likeness’ which relates what comes after it to what came before it in the way of ‘inclining towards this world and following whims’ and judging by God’s saying That likeness is the likeness of those people who deny Our signs. So recount the tale to the Jews that they might reflect upon it and so believe.