God is not ashamed to strike to make a similitude mathal is the first direct object; mā either represents an indefinite noun described by what comes after it and constitutes a second direct object meaning ‘whatever that similitude may be’; or it the mā is extra to emphasise the vileness involved so that what follows constitutes the second direct object; even of a gnat ba‘ūda is the singular of ba‘ūd that is small flies; or anything above it that is larger than it so that this explanation is not affected by the size of the creature with regard to the judgement God is making; as for the believers they know it the similitude is the truth established and given in this instance from their Lord; but as for disbelievers they say ‘What did God desire by this for a similitude?’ mathalan is a specification meaning ‘by this similitude’; mā is an interrogative of rejection and is the subject; dhā means alladhī whose relative clause contains its predicate in other words ‘what use is there in it?’. God then responds to them saying Thereby that is by this similitude He leads many astray from the truth on account of their disbelieving in it and thereby He guides many believers on account of their belief in it; and thereby He leads none astray except the wicked those that reject obedience to Him.
