Equal are not the blind and those who can see,
And the blind and the sighted are not equal!
Not equal are the blind and the seeing man,
For [thus it is:] the blind and the seeing are not equal;
Not alike are the blind and the seeing.
Not alike are the blind (disbelievers in Islamic Monotheism) and the seeing (believers in Islamic Monotheism).
Not equal are the blind and the seeing.
The blind and the seeing are not alike,
Not alike are the blind and the seeing.
The blind man is not equal with the seer;
The blind one and the seer are not equal,
The blind and the seeing are not equal,
Not equal are the blind and the seeing,
The blind and the seeing are not alike
And the blind and the seeing are not alike
Wam<u>a</u> yastawee alaAAm<u>a</u> wa<b>a</b>lba<u>s</u>eer<b>u</b>
The blind and the sighted are not equal,
The blind and the seeing are not alike;
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ
The disbeliever and believer are not the same in status, just as the blind and seeing are not the same.
The disbeliever and believer are not the same in status, just as the blind and seeing are not the same.
<h2 class="title">The Believer and the Disbeliever are not equal</h2><p>Allah says that these antonyms are clearly not equal, the blind and the seeing are not equal, there is a difference and a huge gap between them. Darkness and light are not equal, neither are shade and the sun's heat. By the same token, the living and the dead are not equal. This is the parable Allah makes of the believers who are the living, and the disbelievers who are the dead. This is like the Ayat:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَـهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ</div><p>(Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light (of belief) whereby he can walk amongst men -- like him who is in the (depths of) darkness from which he can never come out) (6:122),</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً</div><p>(The parable of the two parties is as that of the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared) (11:24) The believer sees and hears, and walks in the light upon a straight path in this world and the Hereafter, until he comes to settle in Gardens (Paradise) wherein is shade and springs. The disbeliever is blind and deaf, walking in darkness from which he cannot escape, he is lost in his misguidance in this world and the Hereafter, until he ends up in fierce hot wind and boiling water, and shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor good.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ</div><p>(Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear,) means. He guides them to listen to the proof and accept it and adhere it.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ</div><p>(but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.) means, `just as the dead cannot benefit from guidance and the call to truth after they have died as disbelievers and ended up in the graves, so too you cannot help these idolators who are decreed to be doomed, and you cannot guide them.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ </div><p>You are only a warner means, all you have to do is to convey the Message and warn them, and Allah leaves astray whomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever He wills.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَـكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا</div><p>(Verily, We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.) means, a bearer of glad tidings to the believers and a warner to the disbelievers.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلاَ فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ</div><p>(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.) means, there was never any nation among the sons of Adam but Allah sent warners to them, and left them with no excuse. This is like the Ayat:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ</div><p>(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7).</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ</div><p>(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified) (16:36). And there are many similar Ayat.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ</div><p>(And if they deny you, those before them also denied. Their Messengers came to them with clear signs,) means, clear miracles and definitive proofs.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَبِالزُّبُرِ</div><p>(and with the Scriptures,) means, the Books.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَبِالْكِتَـبِ الْمُنِيرِ</div><p>(and with the Book giving light.) means, clear and obvious.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ</div><p>(Then I took hold of those who disbelieved,) means, `despite all of this, they denied the Messengers and the Message they brought, so I seized them, i.e., with My punishment.'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ</div><p>and how terrible was My denial! means, how great and intense and terrible do you think My punishment was؟ And Allah knows best.</p>
The Believer and the Disbeliever are not equalAllah says that these antonyms are clearly not equal, the blind and the seeing are not equal, there is a difference and a huge gap between them. Darkness and light are not equal, neither are shade and the sun's heat. By the same token, the living and the dead are not equal. This is the parable Allah makes of the believers who are the living, and the disbelievers who are the dead. This is like the Ayat:أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَـهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ(Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light (of belief) whereby he can walk amongst men -- like him who is in the (depths of) darkness from which he can never come out) (6:122),مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً(The parable of the two parties is as that of the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared) (11:24) The believer sees and hears, and walks in the light upon a straight path in this world and the Hereafter, until he comes to settle in Gardens (Paradise) wherein is shade and springs. The disbeliever is blind and deaf, walking in darkness from which he cannot escape, he is lost in his misguidance in this world and the Hereafter, until he ends up in fierce hot wind and boiling water, and shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor good.إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ(Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear,) means. He guides them to listen to the proof and accept it and adhere it.وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ(but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.) means, `just as the dead cannot benefit from guidance and the call to truth after they have died as disbelievers and ended up in the graves, so too you cannot help these idolators who are decreed to be doomed, and you cannot guide them.'إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ You are only a warner means, all you have to do is to convey the Message and warn them, and Allah leaves astray whomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever He wills.إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَـكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا(Verily, We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.) means, a bearer of glad tidings to the believers and a warner to the disbelievers.وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلاَ فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.) means, there was never any nation among the sons of Adam but Allah sent warners to them, and left them with no excuse. This is like the Ayat:إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7).وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified) (16:36). And there are many similar Ayat.وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ(And if they deny you, those before them also denied. Their Messengers came to them with clear signs,) means, clear miracles and definitive proofs.وَبِالزُّبُرِ(and with the Scriptures,) means, the Books.وَبِالْكِتَـبِ الْمُنِيرِ(and with the Book giving light.) means, clear and obvious.ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ(Then I took hold of those who disbelieved,) means, `despite all of this, they denied the Messengers and the Message they brought, so I seized them, i.e., with My punishment.'فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِand how terrible was My denial! means, how great and intense and terrible do you think My punishment was؟ And Allah knows best.