O people! A parable is presented, so listen to it: Those you invoke besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they banded together for that purpose. And if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it from it. Weak are the pursuer and the pursued.
Al-Hajj 22:73
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يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ
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O people! A parable is presented, so listen to it: Those you invoke besides God will never create a fly, even if they banded together for that purpose. And if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it from it. Weak are the pursuer and the pursued.
People, here's an example, so listen carefully: Those you pray to instead of Allah can't even create a tiny fly, even if they all worked together. And if a fly took something away from them, they couldn't get it back. How weak are both — the one who asks and the one who is asked!
People, here is an example, so listen carefully: Those you call on besides Allah could never create even a fly, even if they all worked together. And if a fly took something away from them, they couldn't even get it back. How weak are those who ask, and how weak are those they ask from!
O people, a parable is struck, so listen to it: those you call upon besides God will never create a fly, even if they all gathered together for it. And if a fly snatches something from them, they cannot retrieve it from it. How feeble is the seeker and the sought!
O, people! A parable is presented, so listen to it: those you call upon besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they came together for that purpose. And if the fly snatches anything from them, they cannot recover it from it. Weak is the pursuer and the pursued.
O, people! A parable is presented, so listen to it: those you call upon besides God will never create a fly, even if they came together for that purpose. And if the fly snatches anything from them, they cannot recover it from it. Weak is the pursuer and the pursued.
O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allāh will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for it [i.e., that purpose]. And if the fly should steal from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allâh, cannot create (even) 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 (both) the seeker and the sought.
O people, a similitude is set forth, so listen to it: those whom you invoke besides Allah can never create even a fly, even if they all come together for that. And if a fly snatches something away from them, they cannot retrieve it. How feeble is the invoker as well as the invoked!
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!
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!
People, here is an illustration. So listen carefully. Surely, those whom you invoke other than God cannot create even a fly, even if they were all to combine together to do it, and if a fly should snatch anything away from them, they cannot recover it from it. Both are indeed weak, the seeker and the sought.
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.
O people! Listen to a parable that is being drawn: Indeed those whom you invoke besides Allah will never create [even] a fly even if they all rallied to do so! And if a fly should take away something from them, they can not recover that from it. Feeble is the seeker and the sought!
Ya ayyuha alnnasu duriba mathalun faistamiAAoo lahu inna allatheena tadAAoona min dooni Allahi lan yakhluqoo thubaban walawi ijtamaAAoo lahu wain yaslubuhumu alththubabu shayan la yastanqithoohu minhu daAAufa alttalibu waalmatloobu