16:73
وَيَعۡبُدُونَ
waya'buduna
And they worship
مِن
min
other than
دُونِ
duni
other than
ٱللَّهِ
al-lahi
Allah
مَا
ma
which
لَا
la
not
يَمۡلِكُ
yamliku
possesses
لَهُمۡ
lahum
for them
رِزۡقٗا
riz'qan
any provision
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
al-samawati
the heavens
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ
wal-ardi
and the earth
شَيۡـٔٗا
shayan
[anything]
وَلَا
wala
and not
يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ
yastati'una
they are able
٧٣

Those they worship beside God have no power to provide anything for them from the heavens or the earth: they can do nothing

Translation 1260

16:74
فَلَا
fala
So (do) not
تَضۡرِبُواْ
tadribu
put forth
لِلَّهِ
lillahi
for Allah
ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَۚ
al-amthala
the similitude
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
al-laha
Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
ya'lamu
knows
وَأَنتُمۡ
wa-antum
and you
لَا
la
(do) not
تَعۡلَمُونَ
ta'lamuna
know
٧٤

So do not make up images about God: God knows and you do not

Translation 1260

16:75
۞ضَرَبَ
daraba
Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah sets forth
مَثَلًا
mathalan
the example
عَبۡدٗا
abdan
(of) a slave
مَّمۡلُوكٗا
mamlukan
(who is) owned
لَّا
la
not
يَقۡدِرُ
yaqdiru
he has power
عَلَىٰ
ala
on
شَيۡءٖ
shayin
anything
وَمَن
waman
and (one) whom
رَّزَقۡنَٰهُ
razaqnahu
We provided him
مِنَّا
minna
from Us
رِزۡقًا
riz'qan
a provision
حَسَنٗا
hasanan
good
فَهُوَ
fahuwa
so he
يُنفِقُ
yunfiqu
spends
مِنۡهُ
min'hu
from it
سِرّٗا
sirran
secretly
وَجَهۡرًاۖ
wajahran
and publicly
هَلۡ
hal
Can
يَسۡتَوُۥنَۚ
yastawuna
they be equal
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ
al-hamdu
All praise
لِلَّهِۚ
lillahi
(is) for Allah
بَلۡ
bal
Nay
أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ
aktharuhum
but most of them
لَا
la
(do) not
يَعۡلَمُونَ
ya'lamuna
know
٧٥

God presents this illustration: a slave controlled by his master, with no power over anything, and another man We have supplied with good provision, from which he gives alms privately and openly. Can they be considered equal? All praise belongs to God, but most of them do not recognize this

Translation 1260

16:76
وَضَرَبَ
wadaraba
And Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُ
al-lahu
And Allah sets forth
مَثَلٗا
mathalan
an example
رَّجُلَيۡنِ
rajulayni
(of) two men
أَحَدُهُمَآ
ahaduhuma
one of them
أَبۡكَمُ
abkamu
(is) dumb
لَا
la
not
يَقۡدِرُ
yaqdiru
he has power
عَلَىٰ
ala
on
شَيۡءٖ
shayin
anything
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
while he
كَلٌّ
kallun
(is) a burden
عَلَىٰ
ala
on
مَوۡلَىٰهُ
mawlahu
his master
أَيۡنَمَا
aynama
Wherever
يُوَجِّههُّ
yuwajjihhu
he directs him
لَا
la
not
يَأۡتِ
yati
he comes
بِخَيۡرٍ
bikhayrin
with any good
هَلۡ
hal
Is
يَسۡتَوِي
yastawi
equal
هُوَ
huwa
he
وَمَن
waman
and (the one) who
يَأۡمُرُ
yamuru
commands
بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ
bil-'adli
[of] justice
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and he
عَلَىٰ
ala
(is) on
صِرَٰطٖ
siratin
a path
مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ
mus'taqimin
straight
٧٦

God presents another illustration: two men, one of them dumb, unable to do anything, a burden to his carer- whatever task he directs him to, he achieves nothing good- can he be considered equal to one who commands justice and is on the straight path

Translation 1260

16:77
وَلِلَّهِ
walillahi
And to Allah (belongs)
غَيۡبُ
ghaybu
(the) unseen
ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
al-samawati
(of) the heavens
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ
wal-ardi
and the earth
وَمَآ
wama
And not
أَمۡرُ
amru
(is the) matter
ٱلسَّاعَةِ
al-sa'ati
(of) the Hour
إِلَّا
illa
but
كَلَمۡحِ
kalamhi
as a twinkling
ٱلۡبَصَرِ
al-basari
(of) the eye
أَوۡ
aw
or
هُوَ
huwa
it
أَقۡرَبُۚ
aqrabu
(is) nearer
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
al-laha
Allah
عَلَىٰ
ala
on
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَيۡءٖ
shayin
thing
قَدِيرٞ
qadirun
(is) All-Powerful
٧٧

All that is hidden from view in the heavens and earth belongs to God. The coming of the Hour of Judgement is like the blink of an eye, or even quicker: God has power over everything

Translation 1260

16:78
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
أَخۡرَجَكُم
akhrajakum
brought you forth
مِّنۢ
min
from
بُطُونِ
butuni
the wombs
أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡ
ummahatikum
(of) your mothers
لَا
la
not
تَعۡلَمُونَ
ta'lamuna
knowing
شَيۡـٔٗا
shayan
anything
وَجَعَلَ
waja'ala
and made
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلسَّمۡعَ
al-sam'a
the hearing
وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ
wal-absara
and the sight
وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَ
wal-afidata
and the hearts
لَعَلَّكُمۡ
la'allakum
so that you may
تَشۡكُرُونَ
tashkuruna
give thanks
٧٨

It is God who brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and minds, so that you might be thankful

Translation 1260

16:79
أَلَمۡ
alam
Do not
يَرَوۡاْ
yaraw
they see
إِلَى
ila
towards
ٱلطَّيۡرِ
al-tayri
the birds
مُسَخَّرَٰتٖ
musakharatin
controlled
فِي
fi
in
جَوِّ
jawwi
the midst
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
al-samai
(of) the sky
مَا
ma
None
يُمۡسِكُهُنَّ
yum'sikuhunna
holds them up
إِلَّا
illa
except
ٱللَّهُۚ
al-lahu
Allah
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِي
fi
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhalika
that
لَأٓيَٰتٖ
laayatin
(are) Signs
لِّقَوۡمٖ
liqawmin
for a people
يُؤۡمِنُونَ
yu'minuna
who believe
٧٩

Do they not see the birds made to fly through the air in the sky? Nothing holds them up except God. There truly are signs in this for those who believe

Translation 1260