The Quran: Sūra XVI.: Naḥl or The Bee.: Section 10 (71-76)
The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934]
71. WaAllahu faddala baAAdakum AAala baAAdin fee alrrizqi fama allatheena fuddiloo biraddee rizqihim AAala ma malakat aymanuhum fahum feehi sawaon afabiniAAmati Allahi yajhadoona
71. God has bestowed His gifts
Of sustenance more freely on some
Of you than on others: those
More favoured are not going
To throw back their gifts
To those whom their right hands
Possess, so as to be equal
In that respect. Will they then
Deny the favours of God?
72. WaAllahu jaAAala lakum min anfusikum azwajan wajaAAala lakum min azwajikum baneena wahafadatan warazaqakum mina alttayyibati afabialbatili yu/minoona wabiniAAmati Allahi hum yakfuroona
72. And God has made for you
Mates (and Companions) of your own nature,
And made for you, out of them,
Sons and daughters and grandchildren,
And provided for you sustenance
Of the best: will they
Then believe in vain things,
And be ungrateful for God's favours?—
73. WayaAAbudoona min dooni Allahi ma la yamliku lahum rizqan mina alssamawati waal-ardi shay-an wala yastateeAAoona
73. And worship others than God,—
Such as have no power
Of providing them, for sustenance,
With anything in heavens or earth,
And cannot possibly have
Such power?
74. Fala tadriboo lillahi al-amthala inna Allaha yaAAlamu waantum la taAAlamoona
74. Invent not similitudes
For God: for God knoweth,
And ye know not.
75. Daraba Allahu mathalan AAabdan mamlookan la yaqdiru AAala shay-in waman razaqnahu minna rizqan hasanan fahuwa yunfiqu minhu sirran wajahran hal yastawoona alhamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum la yaAAlamoona
75. God sets forth the Parable
(Of two men: one) a slave
Under the dominion of another;
He has no power of any sort;
And (the other) a man
On whom We have bestowed
Goodly favours from Ourselves,
And he spends thereof (freely),
Privately and publicly:
Are the two equal?
(By no means;)
Praise be to God. But
Most of them understand not.
76. Wadaraba Allahu mathalan rajulayni ahaduhuma abkamu la yaqdiru AAala shay-in wahuwa kallun AAala mawlahu aynama yuwajjihhu la ya/ti bikhayrin hal yastawee huwa waman ya/muru bialAAadli wahuwa AAala siratin mustaqeemin
76. God sets forth (another) Parable
Of two men: one of them
Dumb, with no power
Of any sort; a wearisome burden
Is he to his master;
Whichever way he directs him,
He brings no good:
Is such a man equal
With one who commands
Justice, and is on
A Straight Way?