ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَمْلُوكًا لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَمَنْ رَزَقْنَاهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنْفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۷۵﴾ وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا أَبْكَمُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَى مَوْلَاهُ أَيْنَمَا يُوَجِّهْهُ لَا يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي هُوَ وَمَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَهُوَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿۷۶﴾ وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا أَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ إِلَّا كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿۷۷﴾

﴾75﴿ Darabal laahu masalan 'abdam mammlookal laa yaqdiru 'alaa shai'inw wa marrazaqnaahu mminnaa rizqan hasanan fahuwa yunfiqu minhu sirranw wa jahra; hal yasta-woon; alhamdu lillaah; bal aksaruhum laa ya'lamoon
﴾76﴿ Wa darabal laahu masalar rajulaini ahaduhumaaa abkamu laa yaqdiru 'alaa shai'inw wa huwa kallun 'alaa mawlaahu ainamaa yuwajjihhu laa yaati bikhairin hal yastawee huwa wa many-yaamuru bil'adli wa huwa 'alaa Siraatim Mustaqeem
﴾77﴿ Wa lillaahi ghaibus samaawaati wal ard; wa maaa amrus Saa'ati illaa kalamhil basari aw huwa aqrab; innal laaha 'alaaa kulli shai'in Qadeer

﴾75﴿ Allah has set forth an example: a slave who is owned and has no power over anything, and another whom We have provided with good provision from Us, and he spends from it secretly and openly. Are they equal? Praise be to Allah! But most people do not know
﴾76﴿ And Allah presents an example of two men: one of them is mute, unable to do anything, and he is a burden on his master—wherever he directs him, he brings no good. Is he equal to one who commands justice while he is on a straight path
﴾77﴿ And to Him alone belongs the knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. The matter of the Hour (the Day of Judgment) is only like the blink of an eye or even closer. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent

[75] This verse is a refutation of those who equate Allah Most High with creation.
It indicates: Do not invent examples or comparisons about Allah from yourselves; rather, listen carefully to the examples Allah Himself has presented.
The essence of the example is as follows: Imagine a slave who has no power or control and cannot act without permission from his master. In contrast, consider a free person who has been given lawful wealth and spends from it according to his own will. Clearly, these two cannot be considered equal in any way—meaning, the owner and the owned, the slave and the master, are not equal.
Thus, how can polytheists equate Allah—who alone is the true Owner and Controller—with beings who are owned by Allah and lack independent authority, whether they are angels, humans, or jinn?
The word "(مَمْلُوكًا)" ("owned") is specifically used here because "عبد" (slave) can refer to any servant, free or enslaved, so this clarifies the intended meaning.
"(هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ)" ("Are they equal?"): Since there are numerous slaves and masters possessing these characteristics, a plural form is appropriately used.
"(الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ)" ("All praise is due to Allah"): This phrase emphasizes the clarity and strength of this example, highlighting that all attributes of divinity belong exclusively to Allah, and no creation can share or resemble Him in any way.
[76] This is another example to refute the polytheists.
The detailed explanation of the example is: Imagine a person who is mute, unable to speak, and has no ability over anything—his hands and feet do not function. He is a burden upon his master, who must carry and move him from one place to another, and take full responsibility for his care. Whatever good is asked from him, he cannot provide it—because he neither understands nor hears.
Now contrast this with another person who commands justice, possesses strength, can walk on the right path that leads to the destination, and can distinguish between good and evil. These two can never be considered equal.
This example refers to false deities—whether idols or those buried in graves—who cannot speak, their limbs do not work, they require the living to wash, shroud, and move them, and if someone requests something from them, they cannot fulfill it because they neither hear nor know.
In contrast, the true deity is Allah Most High—He commands justice, has full power over everything, and perfectly manages the system of the entire universe.
The difference between the first and second example:
The first only negates control and authority, while the second negates speech, knowledge, hearing, and power altogether.
Benefit: Since the distinction in the second example is much clearer on both sides, the phrase "(هَلْ يَسْتَوِي)" ("Are they equal?") is placed in the middle of the verse. In the first example, where the difference is less apparent, "(هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ)" ("Are they equal?") is mentioned at the end.
[77] This verse is a continuation of the previous example and a refutation of shirk in knowledge (شِرک فی العِلم) and in control (شِرک فی التصرّف).
The intended meaning of "the Hour" (السّاعَة) is either the moment when all creation will perish upon the blowing of the trumpet, or the moment when all will be resurrected together with the second blowing.
The example used for this moment is that of a blink of an eye—highlighting how extremely brief and sudden it will be.
"(أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ)" ("or even closer"): Since the blink of an eye is itself a very short span of time, the verse emphasizes further that this moment will be even quicker—it will be instantaneous, not even measurable in time.
"لَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ" ("the glance of an eye") refers to a time that can still be measured, whereas the Hour will occur even faster than that.
A similar expression is found in verse (50) of Surah Al-Qamar.