Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
O MEN! A parable is set forth [herewith]; hearken, then, to it! Behold, those beings whom you invoke instead of God cannot create [as much as] a fly, even were they to join all their forces to that end! And if a fly robs them of anything, they cannot [even] rescue it from him! Weak indeed is the seeker, and [weak] the sought
Arthur John Arberry
O men, a similitude is struck; so give you ear to it. Surely those upon whom you call, apart from God, shall never create a fly, though they banded together to do it; and if a fly should rob them of aught, they would never rescue it from him. Feeble indeed alike are the seeker and the sought
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
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
Arabic
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلࣱ فَٱسۡتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥۤۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن یَخۡلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابࣰا وَلَوِ ٱجۡتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥۖ وَإِن یَسۡلُبۡهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَیۡءࣰا لَّا یَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ مِنۡهُۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلۡمَطۡلُوبُ ٧٣
Transliteration (2021)
yāayyuhā l-nāsu ḍuriba mathalun fa-is'tamiʿū lahu inna alladhīna tadʿūna min dūni l-lahi lan yakhluqū dhubāban walawi ij'tamaʿū lahu wa-in yaslub'humu l-dhubābu shayan lā yastanqidhūhu min'hu ḍaʿufa l-ṭālibu wal-maṭlūb