The Quran

176

Preface

وَلَو شِئنا لَرَفَعناهُ بِها وَلٰكِنَّهُ أَخلَدَ إِلَى الأَرضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَواهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الكَلبِ إِن تَحمِل عَلَيهِ يَلهَث أَو تَترُكهُ يَلهَث ۚ ذٰلِكَ مَثَلُ القَومِ الَّذينَ كَذَّبوا بِآياتِنا ۚ فَاقصُصِ القَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَفَكَّرونَ

Yusuf Ali

If it had been Our will, We should have elevated him with Our signs; but he inclined to the earth, and followed his own vain desires.¹ His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue,² or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our signs; So relate the story; perchance they may reflect.

Notice the contrast between the exalted spiritual honours which they would have received from God if they had followed His Will, and the earthly desires which eventually bring them low to the position of beasts and worse.
The dog, especially in the hot weather, lolls out his tongue, whether he is attacked and pursued and is tired, or is left alone. It is part of his nature to slobber. So with the man who rejects God. Whether he is warned or left alone, he continues to throw out his dirty saliva. The injury he will do will be to his own soul. But there may be infection in his evil example. So we must protect others. And we must never give up hope of his own amendment. So we must continue to warn him and make him think.