Transliteration:( Wa law shi'naa larafa'naahu bihaa wa laakin nahooo akhlada ilal ardi wattaba'a hawaah; famasaluhoo kamasalil kalbi in tahmil 'alaihi yalhas aw tatruk hu yalhas; zaalika masalul qawmil lazeena kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa; faqsusil qasasa la'allahum yatafakkaroon )
176. And if We had willed, We would have exalted him by those signs [405], but he clung to the earth and followed his desires [406]. So his example is like that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants, and if you leave it, it still pants [407]. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories to them so that they may reflect [408].
This verse shows that greatness is not attained by simply reciting or knowing the Qur’an or previous scriptures. True elevation comes through the grace of Allah Almighty combined with humility and obedience. Even the hypocrites knew the Qur’an, but it brought them no spiritual benefit. Allah clearly states: “If We had willed, We would have exalted him by those signs,” referring to a person like Bal‘am bin Bāoora, who had deep scriptural knowledge, yet failed due to insincerity and disobedience.
Rather than submitting to Divine knowledge, he clung to worldly desires and base instincts. A true scholar should never become a slave to his sensual urges. Allah selects righteous scholars to carry His light, not those who use religious knowledge to feed personal ambitions. Such misuse transforms divine scholarship into spiritual ruin.
The person who denies Divine signs and acts in hostility toward Prophets—like Bal‘am opposing Hazrat Musa and Yusha (peace be upon them)—is compared to a panting dog. Whether chased or left alone, a dog pants persistently. Similarly, a dishonorable scholar or enemy of the Prophet finds no rest in truth nor in error. Despite having knowledge, such a person faces disgrace in both worlds.
The example of Bal‘am bin Bāoora is not an isolated case. Allah warns that until the Day of Judgement, people like him—those who abuse sacred knowledge and oppose truth—will continue to arise. These stories are relayed to prompt deep reflection and sincere reform.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 176 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 175 which provides the complete commentary from verse 175 through 177.
(7:176) Now had We so willed We could indeed have exalted him through those signs, but he clung to earthly life and followed his carnal desires. Thus his parable is that of the dog who lolls out his tongue whether you attack him or leave him alone.[139] Such is the parable of those who reject Our signs as false. Narrate to them these parables that they may reflect.
139. Since the statement here embodies a very significant point, it needs to be carefully examined. The person mentioned in the verse as the representative of the evil type possessed knowledge of God’s signs, and hence of the truth. This should have helped him to give up an attitude which he knew to be wrong, and to act in a manner which he knew to be right. Had he followed the truth and acted righteously God would have enabled him to rise to higher levels of humanity. He, however, overly occupied himself with the advantages, pleasures, and embellishments of the worldly life. Instead of resisting worldly temptations, he totally, succumbed to them so much so that he abandoned altogether his lofty spiritual ambitions and became indifferent to the possibilities of intellectual and moral growth. He even brazenly, violated all those limits which, according to his knowledge. should have been observed. Hence when he deliberately turned away from the truth merely because of his moral weakness, he was misled by Satan who is ever ready to beguile and mislead man. Satan continually led him from one act of depravity to another until he landed him in the company of those who are totally under Satan’s control and who have lost all capacity for rational judgement.
This is followed by a statement in which God likens the person in question to a dog. A dog’s protruding tongue and the unceasing flow of saliva from his mouth symbolize unquenchable greed and avarice. The reason for likening the human character described above to a dog is because of his excessive worldliness. It is known that in several languages of the world it is common to call people overly devoted to worldliness as ‘dogs of the world’. For what, after all, is the characteristic of a dog? It is nothing else but greed and avarice. Just look at the dog! As he moves around, he continuously sniffs the earth. Even if a rock is hurled at him he runs at it in the hope that it might be a piece of bone or bread. Before he discovers it to be a rock, he hastens to seize it in his mouth. Even a person’s indifference does not deter a dog from waiting expectantly for food – panting for breath, his tongue spread out and drooping, and a whole world from one perspective alone – that of his belly! Even if he discovers a large carcass, he would not be content with his portion of it, but would try to make it exclusively his and would not let any other dog even come close. It seems that if any urge other than appetite tickles him, it is the sexual urge. This metaphor of the dog, highlights the fate of the worldly man who breaks loose from his faith and knowledge, who entrusts his reins to blind lust and who ends up as one wholly devoted to gratifying his own appetite.
[420]- i.e., through the revelations, signs or evidences of which he had been given knowledge. [421]- i.e., its worldly pleasures. [422]- Whether or not they have been exposed to Allāh's signs or warnings, it is all the same: they will not believe.
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