Surah Baqarah ayat 171 Tafsir Quran 2:171

﴿وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً ۚ صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 171]

2:171 The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries cattle or sheep - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.

The likeness the attribute of those who disbelieve and the one who calls them to guidance is as the likeness of one who shouts to that which hears nothing save a call and a cry only a sound not understanding its meaning when they listen to an admonition they are like cattle that hear the cry of their shepherd but do not understand what he is saying; they are deaf dumb blind — they do not comprehend any admonition.

Their negative response to the Prophet fits exactly the example of the cattle’s response to the herdsman urging them forward: either of them can hear only the utterance but none of them can intelligently distinguish between shades of meaning nor perceive value differences; deaf, dumb and blind, they cannot claim the discourse with their intellect

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, "Rather.
We shall follow what we found our fathers following," meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities.
Allah criticized their reasoning: أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَاؤُهُمْ ( (Would they do that! ) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and: لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَهْتَدُونَ ( ...did not understand anything nor were they guided ) meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance.
Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger ﷺ called to Islam, but they refused, saying, "Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following." So Allah revealed this Ayah ( 2:170 ) above." The Disbeliever is just like an Animal Allah then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah: لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ ( For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. ) ( 16:60 ) Similarly, Allah said here ( 2:171 above ) وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( And the example of those who disbelieve... ) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.
This is what is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ ( They are deaf, dumb, and blind. ) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way. فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( So they do not understand. ) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.

(2:171) The mental condition of those who rejected the way of Allah may be likened to that of the cattle whom the shepherd calls but they hear nothing except the sound of shouts and cries. *169 They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; therefore they do not understand anything.

The example of those who disbelieve is meaning

*169).
This parable has two aspects.
On the one hand, it suggests that these people are like herds of irrational animals, dumb cattle, that always follow their herdsmen, moving on as they hear their calls without understanding what they mean.
( Thus these people follow their leaders even though they do not grasp where it is they are being led to - Ed. ) On the other hand, it also suggests that when the Truth is preached to them they show such insensitivity to it that one may as well be addressing animals who merely comprehend sounds but are incapable of understanding their meaning.
The expression lends itself to both interpretations.

 

The Polytheist imitates Other Polytheists Allah states that if the disbelievers and polytheists are called to follow what Allah has revealed to His Messenger and abandon the practices of misguidance and ignorance that they indulge in, they will say, "Rather.
We shall follow what we found our fathers following," meaning, worshipping the idols and the false deities.
Allah criticized their reasoning: أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَاؤُهُمْ ( (Would they do that! ) even though their fathers), meaning, those whom they follow and whose practices they imitate, and: لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَهْتَدُونَ ( ...did not understand anything nor were they guided ) meaning, they had no sound understanding or guidance.
Ibn Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this was revealed about a group of Jews whom Allah's Messenger ﷺ called to Islam, but they refused, saying, "Rather, we shall follow what we found our forefathers following." So Allah revealed this Ayah ( 2:170 ) above." The Disbeliever is just like an Animal Allah then made a parable of the disbelievers, just as He said in another Ayah: لِلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ ( For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description. ) ( 16:60 ) Similarly, Allah said here ( 2:171 above ) وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ( And the example of those who disbelieve... ) meaning, in their injustice, misguidance and ignorance, they are just like wandering animals, not understanding what they are told; if the shepherd heralds them or calls them to what benefits them, they would not understand what is actually being said to them, for they only hear unintelligible sounds.
This is what is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ ( They are deaf, dumb, and blind. ) means, they are deaf, as they do not hear the truth; mute, as they do not utter it; and blind, as they do not see or recognize its path and way. فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ ( So they do not understand. ) means, they do not comprehend or understand anything.

Allah then gave a similitude regarding the unbelievers vis--vis Muhammad ( pbuh ) saying: ( The likeness of those who disbelieve ) vis--vis Muhammad ( pbuh ) ( is as the likeness of one who calleth unto that which heareth nothing ) just like camels and sheep with their shepherd: his speech is unintelligible to them when he says to them, for example, eat or drink ( except a shout and a cry. Deaf ) concerning the Truth, ( dumb ) regarding the Truth, ( blind ) to guidance; i.e. they pretend to be deaf, dumb and blind when it comes to the Truth and guidance, ( therefore they have no sense ) they do not understand Allah’s command and the call of the Prophet ( pbuh ) just as camels and cattle do not comprehend the words of their shepherd.

And the example of those who disbelieve, is as that of him who shouts to the (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind. So they do not understand.

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