Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 26-26

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَسۡتَحۡـىٖۤ اَنۡ يَّضۡرِبَ مَثَلًا مَّا ​بَعُوۡضَةً فَمَا فَوۡقَهَا ​ؕ فَاَمَّا ​الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا فَيَعۡلَمُوۡنَ اَنَّهُ الۡحَـقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ​ۚ وَاَمَّا الَّذِيۡنَ ڪَفَرُوۡا فَيَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مَاذَآ اَرَادَ اللّٰهُ بِهٰذَا مَثَلًا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهٖ ڪَثِيۡرًا وَّيَهۡدِىۡ بِهٖ كَثِيۡرًا ​ؕ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهٖۤ اِلَّا الۡفٰسِقِيۡنَۙ ‏ ﴿2:26﴾

(2:26) Behold! Allah is not ashamed to propound the parable of a gnat, or even of something more lowly.28 On hearing these parables the believers know that it is the truth from their Lord, while those bent on denying the Truth say: “What does Allah mean by these parables?” Thus He causes many to go astray just as He directs many to the Right Way.29 And He thereby causes to go astray only the transgressors,30


Notes

28. Here an objection is indirectly refuted. At several places in the Qur'an, spiders, flies, gnats and so on are mentioned in order to elucidate certain points. Opponents objected to this on the grounds that such objects were too lowly to find a place in the Book of God. They indicated that had the Qur'an indeed been a revelation from God it would not have mentioned such trivial objects.

29. Those who do not wish to understand things and are not motivated by the urge to seek the truth become enmeshed in superficial questions relating to the Book of God, draw altogether erroneous conclusions when they encounter references to apparently insignificant things such as gnats, and are thereby thrown further and further away from the Truth. Those who seek the Truth and possess true perception, on the other hand, penetrate through these superficialities and perceive the gems of wisdom that they embody. This appreciation makes their hearts attest that such wisdom could have no other source than God Himself.

30. Fasiq means transgressor, disobedient. See also (n 33 below )