مَّثَلًا
Appears 3 times in Quran
Occurrences in Quran
Found 3 verses containing "مَّثَلًا".
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
Qaryah may mean any town or place, or metaphorically speaking it may stand for the whole world. Thus Ashabul-Qaryah may signify humanity at large. Or, the word signifying a particular town may refer to Mecca, the Centre and Citadel of Islam. In this case the word 'the Messengers' will apply to the Holy Prophet who represented in his person all the Messengers and Prophets of God.
Important Words:
القریة (the town) is infinitive-noun from قری. They say قری الضیف i.e. he entertained the guest. قری الماء فی الحوض means, he collected the water in the pond. قریة means, a town, a central town. It is so called because people from all quarters gather there and also because they are entertained there. The word also means, gathering of men (Aqrab).
Commentary:
A part of the Surah deals, in metaphorical language, with the advent of a great Reformer in the Latter Days who was to represent the Second Coming of the Holy Prophet. This important subject begins with the present verse.
The word القریة may have been used here in its wider sense meaning any town or place, or speaking metaphorically, it may stand for the whole world. The whole world has been called a قریة here because in the Latter Days the means of commun-ication were to develop so extensively that the whole world was to become, as it were, one town. In this sense of the word the expression may signify humanity at large. The use of the word "parable" with regard to the account of اصحاب القریة i.e. people of the town, seems to lend further support to the view that القریة may not be a particular town that has been mentioned here. The whole account is a parable or simile.
Or the word القریة signifying a particular town may refer to Mecca, the Centre and Citadel of Islam. In that case the word المرسلون (the Messengers) will apply to the Holy Prophet in whose person all the Messengers and Prophets of God were represented. See next verse.
3222
Important Words:
القریة (the town) is infinitive-noun from قری. They say قری الضیف i.e. he entertained the guest. قری الماء فی الحوض means, he collected the water in the pond. قریة means, a town, a central town. It is so called because people from all quarters gather there and also because they are entertained there. The word also means, gathering of men (Aqrab).
Commentary:
A part of the Surah deals, in metaphorical language, with the advent of a great Reformer in the Latter Days who was to represent the Second Coming of the Holy Prophet. This important subject begins with the present verse.
The word القریة may have been used here in its wider sense meaning any town or place, or speaking metaphorically, it may stand for the whole world. The whole world has been called a قریة here because in the Latter Days the means of commun-ication were to develop so extensively that the whole world was to become, as it were, one town. In this sense of the word the expression may signify humanity at large. The use of the word "parable" with regard to the account of اصحاب القریة i.e. people of the town, seems to lend further support to the view that القریة may not be a particular town that has been mentioned here. The whole account is a parable or simile.
Or the word القریة signifying a particular town may refer to Mecca, the Centre and Citadel of Islam. In that case the word المرسلون (the Messengers) will apply to the Holy Prophet in whose person all the Messengers and Prophets of God were represented. See next verse.
2432
Qaryah may mean any town or place, or metaphorically speaking it may stand for the whole world. Thus Ashabul-Qaryah may signify humanity at large. Or, the word signifying a particular town may refer to Mecca, the Centre and Citadel of Islam. In this case the word 'the Messengers' will apply to the Holy Prophet who represented in his person all the Messengers and Prophets of God.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
یعنی جس طرح اُن کو مال سپرد کرنے سے پہلے تم اپنے مال کے مالک تھے اور جتنا چاہتے تھے اپنی جان پر خرچ کر سکتے تھے۔ کیا تم اپنے غلاموں کو مال پر اتنا قبضہ بھی دیا کرتے ہو کہ پھر تم ڈرنے لگو کہ معلوم نہیں یہ ہمیں کچھ کھانے کو بھی دیں گے یا نہیں اور تمہارے قبضہ کی کوئی علامت باقی نہ رہتی ہو۔
The verse purports to say that when a master and a slave are not equal though they are both human beings, and when the master would not share his wealth and property with his slave, how then could God, the sole Creator and Controller of all things, be regarded as sharing the control of the universe with anybody?
Commentary:
This verse contains a very effective argument against polytheism. It purports to say that when a master and slave are not equal though they are both human beings, and when the master would not share his wealth and property with his slave, how then could God, the sole Creator and Controller of all things, be equal to idols of wood and stone and how could He be regarded as sharing the control of the universe with anybody. See also 21:23.
1
یعنی جس طرح اُن کو مال سپرد کرنے سے پہلے تم اپنے مال کے مالک تھے اور جتنا چاہتے تھے اپنی جان پر خرچ کر سکتے تھے۔ کیا تم اپنے غلاموں کو مال پر اتنا قبضہ بھی دیا کرتے ہو کہ پھر تم ڈرنے لگو کہ معلوم نہیں یہ ہمیں کچھ کھانے کو بھی دیں گے یا نہیں اور تمہارے قبضہ کی کوئی علامت باقی نہ رہتی ہو۔
3010
Commentary:
This verse contains a very effective argument against polytheism. It purports to say that when a master and slave are not equal though they are both human beings, and when the master would not share his wealth and property with his slave, how then could God, the sole Creator and Controller of all things, be equal to idols of wood and stone and how could He be regarded as sharing the control of the universe with anybody. See also 21:23.
2283
The verse purports to say that when a master and a slave are not equal though they are both human beings, and when the master would not share his wealth and property with his slave, how then could God, the sole Creator and Controller of all things, be regarded as sharing the control of the universe with anybody?
۞ وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَٰبٍ وَحَفَفْنَٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًا
从这节经文开始, 以比喻的形式讲两种人--------基督教徒和穆斯林--------的情况, 这 “两个人” 代表这两种人, 而 “两座果园” 代表基督教国家兴起的两个时期。这节经文指出, 在基督教国家盛衰交替的历史中, 他们将两次上升到拥有极大权力的地位。第一个时期是在伊斯兰教来临之前, 而第二个时期从公元十七世纪初开始, 那时欧洲的基督教国家开始作出极大的进展, 而在十九世纪时他们得到史无前例的权力和威望, 可以称为达到顶峰。
یعنی مسلمانوں اور مسیحی اقوام کی۔
باغ سے مراد قوم اسرائیل کو ملنے والی دنیوی مال و دولت اور اولاد ہے۔ اس جگہ عیسائی قوم کے دو حصوں کا ذکر ہے اور مراد یہ ہے کہ عیسائی قوم کی پہلی ترقی کے بعد ان پر کمزوری کا دور آئے گا جس کے بعد وہ پھر دنیوی طور پر ترقی کرنے لگ جائیں گے۔
یہاں مراد مالک ہیں۔ لیکن چونکہ مثال میں باغوں کا ذکر تھا۔ اس لئے مالکوں کی جگہ ان کے مملوکہ ممالک کا ذکر کر دیا ہے اور تمثیلی طور پر ایسے لفظ اختیار کیے ہیں جن سے یہ سمجھا جائے گا کہ گویا یہاں کھیتوں کا ذکر ہے۔
With this verse begins, in the form of a parable, the conditions of the two peoples—Christians and Muslims, the "two men" representing these two peoples and "two gardens" the two periods of the rise of the Christian nations. The verse denotes that in their chequered history Christian nations would rise to great power twice. The first period preceded the advent of Islam while the second began with the dawn of the 17th century. A.D., when Christian nations of Europe began to make great progress and acquire unprecedented power and prestige which reached its zenith in the nineteenth century.
Commentary:
With this verse begins, in the form of a parable, a description of the conditions respectively of Muslim and Christian nations in the Latter Days. The form and wording of the dialogue unmistakably shows that it is no real conversation between two living persons but is a portraiture, in metaphorical language, of the conditions of these two peoples at a certain time. The dialogue represents the decline and degradation of Muslims at their nadir and the power and prosperity of western Christian nations at their zenith in the Latter Days.
Now parables, like dreams, require to be interpreted, and the present and following several verses having been couched in allegorical language it is difficult to grasp and fully appreciate their full significance and beauty without putting on them a construction which their apparent form does not seem to bear. In the language of dreams a "garden" signifies wife, children, riches and life full of happiness; sometimes it also denotes cantonments and army headquarters. "Grapes" represent abundant provisions which can be stored up and last for a long time; "palm trees" signify exercise of authority over large number of men; "corn" in the case of a monarch denotes expansion of his dominions and in that of other people their "work". A "stream" denotes an eminent man and "fruits" mean fresh sources of honour (Ta‘tirul-Anam).
The parable describes the conditions of two men. One of them had two gardens which metaphorically interpreted means that God had bestowed upon him an abundance of wealth and offspring in two separate periods of his life. This interpretation is supported by v. 35 below where the same person says, I am richer than thou in wealth and stronger in respect of men.
The words, and We surrounded them with date-palms, signify that this man will protect his riches and offspring and dominions with military force.
The expression, and between the two We placed corn-fields, denotes that in between the two gardens there will be ordinary property which will not be so strongly protected.
758
从这节经文开始, 以比喻的形式讲两种人--------基督教徒和穆斯林--------的情况, 这 “两个人” 代表这两种人, 而 “两座果园” 代表基督教国家兴起的两个时期。这节经文指出, 在基督教国家盛衰交替的历史中, 他们将两次上升到拥有极大权力的地位。第一个时期是在伊斯兰教来临之前, 而第二个时期从公元十七世纪初开始, 那时欧洲的基督教国家开始作出极大的进展, 而在十九世纪时他们得到史无前例的权力和威望, 可以称为达到顶峰。
1
یعنی مسلمانوں اور مسیحی اقوام کی۔
2
باغ سے مراد قوم اسرائیل کو ملنے والی دنیوی مال و دولت اور اولاد ہے۔ اس جگہ عیسائی قوم کے دو حصوں کا ذکر ہے اور مراد یہ ہے کہ عیسائی قوم کی پہلی ترقی کے بعد ان پر کمزوری کا دور آئے گا جس کے بعد وہ پھر دنیوی طور پر ترقی کرنے لگ جائیں گے۔
3
یہاں مراد مالک ہیں۔ لیکن چونکہ مثال میں باغوں کا ذکر تھا۔ اس لئے مالکوں کی جگہ ان کے مملوکہ ممالک کا ذکر کر دیا ہے اور تمثیلی طور پر ایسے لفظ اختیار کیے ہیں جن سے یہ سمجھا جائے گا کہ گویا یہاں کھیتوں کا ذکر ہے۔
2073
Commentary:
With this verse begins, in the form of a parable, a description of the conditions respectively of Muslim and Christian nations in the Latter Days. The form and wording of the dialogue unmistakably shows that it is no real conversation between two living persons but is a portraiture, in metaphorical language, of the conditions of these two peoples at a certain time. The dialogue represents the decline and degradation of Muslims at their nadir and the power and prosperity of western Christian nations at their zenith in the Latter Days.
Now parables, like dreams, require to be interpreted, and the present and following several verses having been couched in allegorical language it is difficult to grasp and fully appreciate their full significance and beauty without putting on them a construction which their apparent form does not seem to bear. In the language of dreams a "garden" signifies wife, children, riches and life full of happiness; sometimes it also denotes cantonments and army headquarters. "Grapes" represent abundant provisions which can be stored up and last for a long time; "palm trees" signify exercise of authority over large number of men; "corn" in the case of a monarch denotes expansion of his dominions and in that of other people their "work". A "stream" denotes an eminent man and "fruits" mean fresh sources of honour (Ta‘tirul-Anam).
The parable describes the conditions of two men. One of them had two gardens which metaphorically interpreted means that God had bestowed upon him an abundance of wealth and offspring in two separate periods of his life. This interpretation is supported by v. 35 below where the same person says, I am richer than thou in wealth and stronger in respect of men.
The words, and We surrounded them with date-palms, signify that this man will protect his riches and offspring and dominions with military force.
The expression, and between the two We placed corn-fields, denotes that in between the two gardens there will be ordinary property which will not be so strongly protected.
1689
With this verse begins, in the form of a parable, the conditions of the two peoples—Christians and Muslims, the "two men" representing these two peoples and "two gardens" the two periods of the rise of the Christian nations. The verse denotes that in their chequered history Christian nations would rise to great power twice. The first period preceded the advent of Islam while the second began with the dawn of the 17th century. A.D., when Christian nations of Europe began to make great progress and acquire unprecedented power and prestige which reached its zenith in the nineteenth century.