Surah Ar-Room
Chapter 30 · Verse 28 · Revealed in Makkah
“He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.”
Translation: Saheeh International
Listen to recitation
Mishary Rashid Alafasy
Reflection — Ibn Kathir
A Parable of Tawhid
This is the parable Allah makes of the idolators, those who worship others besides Him and attribute partners to Him, while at the same time admitting that these so-called partners -- idols and false gods -- are enslaved to and belong to Him. In their Talbiyah (during Hajj and `Umrah they used to say, "At Your service, You have no partner except the partner that You have, You own Him and whatever he owns."
ضَرَبَ لَكُمْ مَّثَلاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ
Reflection — Maarif ul Quran
لَهُ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ (For Him is the highest attribute - 30:27) The word مَثَل mathal is used for any such thing which has resemblance and similarity with something else, but its being exactly like that is not necessary. Therefore, the Qur'an has used the word 'mathal' for Allah Ta’ ala at several places, as in this very verse, and in another but Allah Ta’ ala's Being is completely beyond resemblance. (That is why the word 'mathal' has been translated above as 'attribute', which is also a possible lexical meaning of the word.)
What does this verse bring up for you today?