Tafsir of Surah Al-A'raaf 7:176
﴿وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
Translation of the meaning
And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.
English Translation - Noor International Center — v1.1.2 · QuranEnc.comThe words of the two imams are given in their original Arabic, verbatim, with references.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim
فأخبر سبحانه أن الرفعة عنده ليست بمجرد العلم، فإن هذا كان من العلماء، وإنما هي باتباع الحق وإيثاره وقصد مرضاة الله.«إعلام الموقعين عن رب العالمين» 1/129