Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 29 (39:29)

ٱلزُّمَر

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَّجُلًا فِيهِ شُرَكَآءُ مُتَشَٰكِسُونَ وَرَجُلًا سَلَمًا لِّرَجُلٍ هَلْ …

Quran 39:29 is ayah 29 of Surah Az-Zumar (“The Troops”), a Meccan surah of 75 ayahs. It is in Juz 23, on page 461 of the Madani Mushaf.

39:29
ضَرَبَٱللَّهُمَثَلًارَّجُلًافِيهِشُرَكَآءُمُتَشَٰكِسُونَوَرَجُلًاسَلَمًالِّرَجُلٍهَلْيَسْتَوِيَانِمَثَلًا ۚٱلْحَمْدُلِلَّهِ ۚبَلْأَكْثَرُهُمْلَايَعْلَمُونَ٢٩
ḍaraba l-lahu mathalan rajulan fīhi shurakāu mutashākisūna warajulan salaman lirajulin hal yastawiyāni mathalan l-ḥamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum lā yaʿlamūna

Allāh presents an example: a man [i.e., slave] owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allāh! But most of them do not know.(29)

Word by word

  1. ضَرَبَḍarabaAllah sets forth
  2. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah sets forth
  3. مَثَلًاmathalanan example
  4. رَّجُلًاrajulana man
  5. فِيهِfīhiabout him
  6. شُرَكَآءُshurakāupartners
  7. مُتَشَٰكِسُونَmutashākisūnaquarreling
  8. وَرَجُلًاwarajulanand a man
  9. سَلَمًاsalaman(belonging) exclusively
  10. لِّرَجُلٍlirajulinto one man
  11. هَلْhalare
  12. يَسْتَوِيَانِyastawiyānithey both equal
  13. مَثَلًا ۚmathalan(in) comparison
  14. ٱلْحَمْدُl-ḥamduAll praise
  15. لِلَّهِ ۚlillahi(be) to Allah
  16. بَلْbalNay
  17. أَكْثَرُهُمْaktharuhummost of them
  18. لَاlā(do) not
  19. يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 39:29

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 39:27–31 together.

Read the English tafsir of 39:27–31 →

Read the full Surah Az-Zumar