يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌۭ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًۭا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًۭٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ
Translation
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.
Word-by-Word Translation
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
O mankind
ٱلنَّاسُ
O mankind
ضُرِبَ
Is set forth
مَثَلٌۭ
an example
فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟
so listen
لَهُۥٓ ۚ
to it
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those whom
تَدْعُونَ
you invoke
مِن
besides Allah
دُونِ
besides Allah
ٱللَّهِ
besides Allah
لَن
will never
يَخْلُقُوا۟
create
ذُبَابًۭا
a fly
وَلَوِ
even if
ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟
they gathered together
لَهُۥ ۖ
for it
وَإِن
And if
يَسْلُبْهُمُ
snatched away from them
ٱلذُّبَابُ
the fly
شَيْـًۭٔا
a thing
لَّا
not
يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ
they (could) take it back
مِنْهُ ۚ
from it
ضَعُفَ
So weak
ٱلطَّالِبُ
(are) the seeker
وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ
and the one who is sought
٧٣
(73)