Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 171

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The example of (calling) those who disbelieve is such as someone is shouting at an animal that hears nothing but a call and cry. They are deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The example of the disbelievers ˹not responding to the Messenger’s warning˺ is like a flock not comprehending the calls and cries of the shepherd. ˹They are wilfully˺ deaf, dumb and blind so they have no understanding.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The similitude of those who disbelieved is like cattle not understanding the calls of the shepherd except shouts and cries. They are deaf, dumb, and blind; and they understand nothing.

A. J. Arberry

The likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, blind -- they do not understand.

Abdul Haleem

Calling to disbelieversis like a herdsman calling to things that hear nothing but a shout and a cry: they are deaf, dumb, and blind, and they understand nothing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And the likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of one who shouteth unto that which heareth naught except a call and a cry; deaf, dumb; blind, wherefore they understand not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout Like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries; Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.

Abul Ala Maududi

The mental condition of those who rejected the way of Allah may be likened to that of the cattle whom the shepherd calls but they hear nothing except the sound of shouts and cries. They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; therefore they do not understand anything.

Ahmed Ali

The semblance of the infidels is that of a man who shouts to one that cannot hear more than a call and a cry. They are deaf, dumb and blind, and they fail to understand.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the example of the disbelievers is similar to one who calls upon one that hears nothing except screaming and yelling; deaf, dumb, blind – so they do not have sense.

Ali Quli Qarai

The parable of the faithless is that of someone who shouts after that which does not hear [anything] except a call and cry: deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not exercise their reason.

Ali Ünal

The likeness of those who refuse to believe is that of those who hear, from the one who is calling them, nothing except a shouting and crying out – they are deaf, dumb and blind, and so they have no understanding of (what is said to them).

Amatul Rahman Omar

The case of (one that calls) those who refuse (to obey the commandments of God) is like the case of one who shouts to that (animal) who hears nothing, but a mere call and a cry (of a shepherd). (They are) deaf, dumb and blind, moreover they do not use their reason.

English Literal

And (the) example/proverb of those who disbelieved (is) as (the) example/proverb of who cries/caws with what he does not hear, except calling/requesting and calling/crying , deaf, mute, blind, so they do not reason/comprehend .

Faridul Haque

And the example of the disbelievers is similar to one who calls upon one that hears nothing except screaming and yelling; deaf, dumb, blind - so they do not have sense.

Hamid S. Aziz

The likeness of those who disbelieve (or reject faith) is as the likeness of him who shouts like a goat-herd, to that which hears him not, save only a call and a cry; deaf, dumb, and blind they are devoid of understanding.

Hilali & Khan

And the example of those who disbelieve, is as that of him who shouts to the (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the parable of those who disbelieve is as the parable of one who calls out to that which hears no more than a call and a cry. Deaf, dumb, blind, so they have no sense.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And the parable of those who disbelieve is as the parable of one who calls out to that which hears no more than a call and a cry; deaf, dumb (and) blind, so they do not understand.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

The likeness of those who disbelieve (in relation to the messenger) is as the likeness of one who calleth unto that which heareth naught except a shout and cry. Deaf, dumb, blind, therefore they have no sense.

Muhammad Sarwar

Preaching to unbelievers is like talking to someone who cannot hear anything except yells and shouts. They are deaf, dumb, and blind; they have no understanding.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The likeness of those who disbelieve is as the likeness of he who calls to that which does not hear, except a shout and a voice. Deaf, dumb, and blind, they do not understand.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who deny the truth are like animals which hear nothing in your call but the sound of a voice, without understanding its meaning. They are deaf, dumb and blind. They understand nothing.

Talal Itani

The parable of those who disbelieve is that of someone who calls upon someone who hears nothing except screaming and yelling. Deaf, dumb, and blind—they do not understand.

Tafsir jalalayn

The likeness, the attribute, of those who disbelieve, and the one who calls them to guidance, is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing, save a call and a cry, only a sound, not understanding its meaning; when they listen to an admonition they are like cattle that hear the cry of their shepherd but do not understand what he is saying; they are deaf, dumb, blind -- they do not comprehend, any admonition.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَاء وَنِدَاء

And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hear nothing but calls and cries.

Allah made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah;

لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ

For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. (16;60)

Similarly, Allah said here
وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
(And the example of those who disbelieve...),

meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.

This is what is reported from Ibn Abbas, Abu Al-Aliyah, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ata Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi bin Anas.

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ

They are deaf, dumb, and blind.

means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way.

فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ



So they do not understand.

means, they do not comprehend or understand anything