And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but (7:176)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Had We willed We Would have opened his hearts ears and influenced him with the divine course of action, and thereby exalted his best faculties to the highest spiritual honours. But he chose to direct his intellect earthward, indulge in vanities and remain low. And there, he stood similitude exact of the dog which lolls his tongue whether you drive him away or you let him alone. This is exactly the similitude of those who deny Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority. Therefore, recourse O Muhammad to the narratives of such persons so that they may hopefully pause to think

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(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.

And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but meaning

*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.
 

And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but meaning in Urdu

اگر ہم چاہتے تو اسے اُن آیتوں کے ذریعہ سے بلندی عطا کرتے، مگر وہ تو زمین ہی کی طرف جھک کر رہ گیا اور اپنی خواہش نفس ہی کے پیچھے پڑا رہا، لہٰذا اس کی حالت کتے کی سی ہو گئی کہ تم اس پر حملہ کرو تب بھی زبان لٹکائے رہے اور اسے چھوڑ دو تب بھی زبان لٹکائے رہے یہی مثال ہے اُن لوگوں کی جو ہماری آیات کو جھٹلاتے ہیں تم یہ حکایات اِن کو سناتے رہو، شاید کہ یہ کچھ غور و فکر کریں