The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 488
CH. 16 AN-NAHL PT. 14 فَلَا تَضْرِ بُو اللَّهِ الْأَمْثَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ So coin not similitudes for. 75 وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ Allah. Surely, Allah knows and you know not. 1875 ضَرَبَ اللهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لَّا يَقْدِرُ Allah sets forth for you the. 76 parable of a slave who is owned, be in the power of God to make anyone He likes to be the recipient of His revealed Law? The verse also points out that polytheistic beliefs tend to mar man's material and spiritual progress. A polytheist attributes those powers to false gods which they do not possess and thus his attention is turned away from that Being Who is the source of all power and Who can bestow great favours upon him. It is thus that the intellectual progress and mental advancement of those communities and individuals who hold polytheistic beliefs becomes retarded and impeded while those who believe in the Oneness of God continue to make some progress even in the period of their decline and decay. 1875. Commentary: Prophets have been called "sons of God". Such expressions have been used metaphorically and only mean that God chose them to be the heirs to His heavenly kingdom. But men out of their ignorance and perversity take such expressions literally and begin to regard God's honoured servants as His sons in the physical sense of the word. By applying to them the epithet "the sons of God", these Divine Scriptures meant to demonstrate their spiritual eminence and very deep connection with Him. It is foolish to read in such terms any significance unworthy of God. The words, Allah knows and you know not, signify that such expressions when used in heavenly Scriptures do not conflict with God's attributes. For example, the epithet The verse means to say that it is "son" when used by God about a foolish on the part of man to devise a person means one who has such close law regarding God Himself while he spiritual connection with Him as is is quite ignorant of His unlimited possessed by a son with his parents. powers. God has reserved to Himself But when disbelievers use this term, the right to grant to His servants such they use it in its physical sense and privileges in respect of religion as He thus detract, on the one hand, from in His infinite, infallible wisdom the Supreme Exaltedness of God and, regards suitable and for this purpose on the other, from the dignity of those He chooses him whom He considers whom in their folly they wish to really deserving, on account of his honour; because a physical sincerity and devotion, to be raised to relationship cannot equal the honour the rank of His spiritual heir. and dignity which result from In some Scriptures some of the spiritual nearness to God. 1696