002:172

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                002:172

وَمَثَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِىۡ يَنۡعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ اِلَّا دُعَآءً وَّنِدَآءً ؕ صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡـىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ

Wa-ma-tha-lol-la-zee-na-ka-fa-roo-ka-ma-tha-lil-la-zee
Yun-aiy-qo-bay-maa-laa-yus-ma-o
Il-laa-do-aa-un-wa-nay-daa-un
Soom-moon-book-moon-oom-yoon-fa-hoom-la-yau-qay-loon.

And the example of those who disbelieved is like the example of him
Who hollers for he himself can’t hear (= goat-herd who can’t understand)
Except a call spoken aloud or scream.
Deaf, dumb and blind, they can’t act wisely.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• مَثَلُ — Ma-tha-lo..(l) — Example (= Alike; duplicate; identical; illustration. Comparable in case, kind, likeness, looks, quality, recital, similarity; similitude. Of comparable, kind, quality shape or type)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — La-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m, 3rd person. Those articles, things or persons)
• كَفَرُوۡا — Ka-fa-roo — Disbelieved (= v., pl., 1. Denied, refused or rejected faith or belief in Allah, the Holy Qor-aan and Islaam to become Moslem.    2. Was blasphemer, faithless. heretic, infidel, pagan, non-believer or resistor to God and unbelievers.    3. Acted ungratefully by failing to appreciate, thank for, use or utilize God-given abilities, blessings capabilities capacities, gifts, talents and opportunities by abusing or misusing them.   4. Breached faith)
• كَ — Ka — Like (= As; just as; there case is similar to; with the likeness)
• مَثَلِ — Ma-tha-lay — Example (= Alike; duplicate, identical; illustration. See مَثَلُ above)
• الَّذِىۡ — La-zee — He who (= s., m., 3rd person article; thing; person; he; who; which)
• يَنۡعِقُ — Yun-aiy-qo — Hollers (= v., Loudly calls; Screams, shouts or speaks at a flock or herd of goats or sheep.   Loud grunt to one’s goat-herd)
• بِمَا — Bay-maa — Because / For (= Combination of two words.   بِ   means ‘with / in’ and  مَاۤ  means ‘all that, whatever, whatsoever or whenever.’   The combination بِمَا (bay-maa) means ‘because of; on account of; for the reason; due to; with / in all that’)
• لَا — Laa — No, not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• يَسۡمَعُ — Yus-ma-o — Hears (= v., Acts that make a sound audible in the ears; responds; comprehends; heeds; listens; pays attention; understands)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• دُعَآءً — Do-aa-un — Call spoken aloud (= n., Announcement; cry, hollering; scream, speech or shout to draw attention. Also [non-applicable in present case] beseeching; imploring; invocation; request; supplication)
• وَّ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above)
• نِدَآءً — Nay-daa-un — Scream (= Announcement; cry; loud call; screaming shout; loud hollering)
• صُمٌّۢ — Soom-moon — Deaf (= Unable to hear)
• بُكۡمٌ — Book-moon — Dumb (= Unable to comprehend or understand)
• عُمۡىٌ — Oom-yoon — Blind (= Unable to see)
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; hence; so; thus; thereafter; therefore; yet
• هُمۡ — Hoom — Them (= Pro., m., pl., 3rd person. Refers to ‘all those men’)
• لَا — Laa — Not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ — Yau-qay-loon  — Act wisely (= v., pres., pl., 3^rd person. Act intelligently, sensibly and smartly; understand. See Note 002:171 ‘)

* Note 002:172.   This verse has been translated in different ways.   Since the disbelieving callers do not act wisely, they are like him who does the following.

• Shouts loudly since he himself can’t hear soft talk conversation or “Calls out to that which hears no more than a call and a cry.” [M Muhammad Ali]
• Screams loudly or hollers like a shepherd’s call or cry to his herd of goats or “Calls out to an animal which pays heed only to the sound of the voice without comprehending its import.” [M Zafrulla Khan]

Reproduced
* Note 002:019.   The whole of the verse 002:019 is repeated at the end of verse 002:172 except for one word.   That word يَرۡجِعُوۡنَۙ  (yur-jay-oon) in the instant verse 002:019 means those who won’t return, come back, turn back or revert to the Guidance that is mentioned in the earlier verse 002:017.   That word يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ (yau-qay-loon) in 002:172 means those who won’t act wisely, be smart or use intelligence and understanding mentioned earlier in verse 002:172 and in verse 002:171.    Both these words describe the conditions of the people who are mentioned just before them.   As the described conditions and the people are similar, it is reasonable to say that both these words convey similar messages even when they are not 100% exactly the same.