The Eloquent Simile Transcended — "They Are Like Cattle, Rather More Astray"
balagha
Level: advanced
tasbiha
blg-049
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ كَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ بَلۡ هُمۡ أَضَلُّ
— الأعراف 179
Simile then transcendence:
Sometimes the Quran does not stop at the simile — it transcends it with "bal" (rather) to establish that the compared is more extreme in the quality than the very thing it was compared to.
Quranic example: "They are like cattle — rather, they are more astray." (Surah 7:179)
The beauty:
The comparison to cattle alone suffices for diminishment — but "rather they are more astray" transcends the comparison altogether. Cattle do not reason yet they follow their nature: they eat what is lawful for them, they respond well to those who treat them well. These people: they had reason yet did not benefit from it; they knew the truth yet turned away — their misguidance is therefore greater. Beyond the simile lies a reversal: cattle know their keeper; these people do not know their Creator. The initial eloquent simile paved the way for the even stronger negation.
Source: Al-Zamakhshari (2/179); Al-Zarkashi (3/400); Al-Jurjani
Question: Why did the Quran say "rather they are more astray" after comparing them to cattle?
Answer: Because cattle follow their nature and know their keeper — whereas these people have reason they did not benefit from and knowledge they turned away from, making their misguidance greater.