his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are no more destructive to them than a man’s greed for wealth and status is to his religion.” (1)

Allah’s saying: “His example is like that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants; and if you leave it, it pants.” It is said that a dog pants when it lolls out its tongue. Mujahid said: This is like one who reads the Book but does not act upon it.

The meaning is that if you rebuke this disbeliever, he does not desist; and if you leave him alone, he does not accept guidance. Both situations are alike for him, just as the two conditions of a dog are alike: if it is chased and driven away, it pants; and if it is left alone and lies down, it pants. Al-Qutaybi said: Everything that pants does so only from exhaustion or thirst, except for the dog, which pants when weary, when at rest, and when thirsty. Thus, Allah has made it an example of one who denies His signs, saying: If you admonish him, he is astray; and if you leave him alone, he is astray—like the dog: if you chase it, it pants, and if you leave it as it is, it pants. Similar to this is Allah’s saying: “If you call them to guidance, they will not follow you. It is all the same for you whether you call them or remain silent.” [al-A‘raf 193]

He then extended this comparison to all those who deny Allah’s signs, saying: “That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the accounts, that perhaps they may reflect.” It was also said that this is an example of the disbelievers of Mecca, for they used to wish for a guide who would guide them and call them to obey Allah. Yet when a Prophet whose truthfulness they did not doubt came to them, they denied him; thus, they did not accept guidance, whether they were left alone or called.

“How evil is the example of the people who denied Our signs! They were only wronging themselves. Whoever Allah guides is rightly guided, and whoever He leaves astray—it is they who are the losers.” (177–178)

“How evil is the example of the people who denied Our signs!” That is: How evil is the example of the people who denied Our signs. Its underlying construction is: “Evil as an example is the example of the people”; then the word “example” was omitted, and “the people” was put in its place and raised grammatically. “They were only wronging themselves.”