يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا O mankind yāayyuhā O mankind l-nāsu Is set forth ḍuriba an example mathalun so listen fa-is'tamiʿū to it lahu Indeed inna those whom alladhīna you invoke tadʿūna besides Allah min besides Allah dūni besides Allah l-lahi will never lan create yakhluqū a fly dhubāban even if walawi they gathered together ij'tamaʿū for it lahu And if wa-in snatched away from them yaslub'humu the fly l-dhubābu a thing shayan not lā they (could) take it back yastanqidhūhu from it min'hu So weak ḍaʿufa (are) the seeker l-ṭālibu and the one who is sought wal-maṭlūbu
O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allāh will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for it [i.e., that purpose]. And if the fly should steal from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued.1