Let’s look into the 27th part of this series.
Among the many tools of powerful expression, one stands out—the use of examples, parables, striking imagery. Allahﷻ, Rabbul ‘Alameen, repeatedly teaches through examples. He does not merely state—He shows, He illustrates, He makes you see. We have already seen such examples. Now consider another, from Surah Al-Hajj, verse 31.
Pure monotheism—is like someone standing in a lofty, elevated position
Before reading the verse, understand the message. A person who holds firmly to Tawheed—pure monotheism—is like someone standing in a lofty, elevated position. Secure. Honored and Protected. But the moment he commits shirk—associating partners with Allahﷻ—it is as though he is thrown headlong from that height.
Listen to how Allahﷻ describes it. Whoever associates partners with Allahﷻ—it is as though he has fallen from the sky. Fallen… from a height… from above… and as he falls—what happens? Either birds snatch him mid-air, tearing him apart, or the wind hurls him into a distant, shattered place. Look at the imagery. Look at the force. This is not a gentle fall. This is a violent collapse.
As long as you hold onto Tawheed, you are under Allahﷻ’s protection—in a place of elevation, dignity, and rank. But the moment you abandon that, the moment you leave the One True Power and cling to weak, created, insignificant things, you are no longer standing—you are falling. And once you fall, there are only two outcomes. You are either destroyed upon impact, or torn apart before you even reach the ground. Either way, your end is ruin. That is what shirk does. That is the reality Allahﷻ is showing.
Allahﷻ has already warned clearly in many places. If you commit shirk, your deeds are nullified. Even the Prophetﷺ ﷺ is told—if you were to associate partners, your deeds would be lost. Whoever commits shirk—Paradise is forbidden for him. Allahﷻ forgives all sins—but not shirk, if one dies upon it without repentance. These are direct warnings. Clear and Unambiguous.
Polytheists fell from Sky, No one can catch them
But here, Allahﷻ does something more powerful. He gives you an image you cannot forget. You were in the sky. You chose to let go. You fell. Now tell me—can anyone catch you? Can any saint? Can any idol? Can any so-called intermediary? As you fall from that height, can someone step in midway, hold you, lift you back up? Impossible. Once you are thrown, there is no third outcome. You will fall. You will be destroyed.
Yet what do people think? “Our saints will save us.” “Our pious elders will intercede.” “They will take us back to Allahﷻ.” This example shatters that illusion. Once you are pushed, there is no rescue. That is why Allahﷻ presents it this way—to create fear, to awaken, to make you realize—if I fall into shirk, my end is sealed.
Now consider another example, also in Surah Al-Hajj, verse 73. Allahﷻ calls out—“O mankind…” Not just believers—all of humanity. Then He says, “A parable is presented—so listen carefully.” When Allahﷻ Himself says listen carefully, you must pause, you must reflect.
They can’t create a housefly
What is the example? All those you call upon besides Allahﷻ—whoever they may be—idols, saints, so-called holy men, natural forces like the sun or fire—all of them together cannot create even a single fly. Look at the precision. Allahﷻ did not say they cannot create a mountain. No. He said a fly—the most insignificant, despised, tiny creature.
You go to them asking for children, wealth, healing, power, believing they can do anything. Allahﷻ asks you one question—can they create even a fly? And not just that—He uses a word of absolute negation. They will never create it. Not now. Not ever.
Then Allahﷻ intensifies it further. Even if all of them unite—all your saints, all your gods, all your revered figures, all deities across all religions—gather them, let them collaborate, let them research, let them attempt—even then they cannot create a fly. What does that show? The depth of their weakness. The absolute helplessness.
If one cannot create a fly, what power do they have? What are you asking from them? Why are you traveling to shrines, running to graves, seeking from the powerless, while the All-Powerful is right there? Allahﷻ is ready to give, yet you turn away from Him and go to those who cannot even create the smallest, most insignificant life.
This is the power of Qur’anic rhetoric. It doesn’t just inform—it exposes. It breaks illusions. It forces you to confront reality. So reflect—who truly has power? And who are you relying on?
If they cannot even create a single living being, then tell me—who truly has the power to create? Is it not the One who actually created you, the One who brought life into existence? On one side, you claim, “There is One Creator.” You accept that. You acknowledge that. But on the other side, what are you doing?
You take those who are weak… weaker… utterly weak… the weakest of the weak… and you elevate them. You declare them powerful. You decorate them with stories. You build narratives around them. You believe myths, legends, fabricated tales. And then you give them divine qualities.
Tell me—is there any argument more powerful than this to destroy such thinking? What a devastating, precise, crushing example Allahﷻ gives. “Those you call upon besides Allahﷻ—they will never create even a fly.” Never. Not once. Not ever.
And not only that—even if all of them gather together, still they cannot create a fly. Do you see how Allahﷻ exposes the weakness? First—they cannot create a fly. That alone shows weakness. Then—even if all of them unite, still they cannot. Now their weakness becomes even more exposed.
And Allahﷻ does not stop there. Because He knows—even this may not wake some people up. So He goes further. If a fly takes something from them—just something tiny—a bit of sugar, a drop of perfume, a trace of sandal paste—the fly lands, picks up something insignificant, and flies away. Now tell me—can your so-called gods retrieve it? Can they go after that fly? Can they command it? Can they take back what was taken? Impossible!.
Look at the humiliation. A tiny fly, carrying something invisible to the eye, and they cannot even reclaim it. What greater proof of weakness do you need? Creation itself is already beyond them—that is one level of weakness. Even collective effort fails—that is a second level. And now they cannot even retrieve what a fly steals—that is a third level of weakness.
Then Allahﷻ concludes—the seeker is weak, and the one being sought is weak. Look at the depth of this. You—the one asking—you are weak, because instead of trusting the All-Powerful, you go to the powerless. And the one you ask? Even weaker than them!
So what is this? Weakness asking something from the weakness. Helplessness seeking help from the helplessness. If someone comes to attack you, will you go to someone weaker than you for protection? No. You will go to someone stronger, someone capable, someone who can actually defend you. Then why—in matters of life, destiny, provision, forgiveness—do you turn to the weakest? Why does your logic disappear here?
You glorify awliya, saints, endlessly. You praise them in sermons. You elevate them beyond limits. First of all, do you even know who is truly a wali? That knowledge belongs to Allahﷻ alone. Yet you give them titles upon titles—great saint, master of worlds, controller of universes.
Take one example. You say about a man, “He can control the entire universe. He can play with galaxies like a ball.” But Allahﷻ says—they cannot create a fly. They cannot retrieve what a fly takes. And you say—he holds all worlds in his hand, he can compress oceans into a seed, he can play with creation.
What is this contradiction? What is this blindness? Allahﷻ declares them powerless—you declare them all-powerful. Allahﷻ says they cannot do anything—you say they can do everything. Then tell me—who are you believing? Allahﷻ? Or your stories?
They did not honour Allahﷻ as He deserves to be honoured
This is not just error. This is a complete collapse of understanding. That is why Allahﷻ ends by saying—they did not honor Allahﷻ as He deserves to be honoured. Look at your thinking. You reduce Allahﷻ’s power and elevate creation. Is this honoring Allahﷻ, or insulting His greatness?
Allahﷻ’s power is absolute, exclusive, not shared, not divided. Yet you imagine—He created everything, then distributed power. You handle wealth. You handle children. You handle healing.
Would you do that? You, a human—would you take your wealth and make your servant equal to you? Would you say, “Half of everything is yours”? “Your authority is equal to mine”? Never. Even you would not accept that. You would say, “I am the master. He is the servant.”
Then what about Allahﷻ, the Creator of everything? Would He share His authority? Would He divide His power? If you yourself refuse, how do you imagine Allahﷻ would accept? Reflect. Think. Use your own logic. If you cannot share your limited power, how can Allahﷻ share His infinite power?
This is how Allahﷻ argues—not just emotionally, but logically, deeply, unavoidably. And that is the beauty of the Qur’an. It doesn’t just speak—it forces you to think. It leaves you with no escape.
You buy a man with your own money. You make him your servant. Yes, if he behaves well, you may call him a good servant. But will he ever become equal to you? Will you raise him to your level? Will you share your authority with him? Never.
Take an example. A leader has a subordinate. Will that subordinate sign half the official documents of the leader? A Prime Minister signs an order—will his servant be allowed to sign alongside him? Will anyone permit that? No.
Because you clearly understand who belongs where, who has authority, and who does not. You know how to place people in their proper position. Then tell me—does the One who created you not know that?
You understand hierarchy. You understand authority. You understand limits. But you imagine that the Creator does not? Look at what people write. Look at what they claim. “Allahﷻ has given full authority to this person.” “He can do whatever he wants.” “He can manage everything.” “He has been given all powers.”
What kind of thinking is this? Allahﷻ gave all powers—to whom? To dead people? To so-called saints? You would never give such authority. Would Allahﷻ give it?
If someone tells you, “Give your authority to your servant,” how do you react? Anger rises immediately. “How can I give that?” “Who is he?” Even a brother won’t share everything with a brother. A father won’t hand over everything to a son. Everyone says—this is mine, my right, my authority.
And when it comes to a servant, you make it very clear—he is a servant, I am the master. You keep him in his place. You do not elevate him. You do not equalize him.
Then how do you think about Allahﷻ? You say, “Yes, Allahﷻ is the Creator…” but then—“You handle this, you handle that, you give children, you give wealth, you cure diseases.” To whom are you saying this? To created beings. To servants.
Would you ever allow your servant to control your household? In your own home, your wife may decide what to cook. You may suggest what to cook. That is normal. But if an outsider walks in and says, “Cook biryani today,” what will you say? “Who are you to command in my house?” You will not tolerate it. You will question him immediately.
Then will Allahﷻ not question? Or do you think Allahﷻ has no sense of honor? In your shop, you decide the price. You control the business. If someone walks in and says, “Sell this for one rupee,” what will you say? “Who are you to decide my pricing?”
You guard your authority fiercely. You do not allow interference. Even a small person, in his own house, has authority, and he protects it. But when it comes to Allahﷻ, you distribute His authority? You take what belongs to Him and hand it over to others?
Then how great must the anger of Allahﷻ be? What kind of thinking is this? Think deeply. Will any human accept his authority being taken away? No. Never. Then how do you imagine Allahﷻ will accept it?
If someone gives your wife gifts?
Even in personal matters, your wife belongs to you, your household is yours. If someone else gives her gifts—even a close relative—will you accept it easily? No. You will question, “Who are you?”
You have this sense of ownership, this sense of exclusive right. But when it comes to Allahﷻ, you forget everything. Understand this clearly. All of creation—Prophetﷺs, angels, jinn, humans—are servants of Allahﷻ. Yet you take servants and assign them divine roles. You say they can give, they can help, they can control.
Has any servant in this world ever functioned like that? Imagine a king, a powerful ruler, who says, “Come directly to me. Ask me. I will give you.” He is capable. He is generous. He keeps his doors open. And instead of going to him, you go to his servant and ask, “Give me land. Give me money.”
What will happen? Will the king accept that? He will say, “Am I the king, or is he the king?” Then why do you do this with Allahﷻ?
Allahﷻ says, “Ask Me. I am ready to give. Even if you sin—ask Me, I will forgive.” He is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem, infinitely Merciful. Yet you turn away and go to the weakest of the weak.
Then Allahﷻ asks through this powerful example, “I present to you a parable—from yourselves.” Not from outside, from your own life, from your own behavior. “Do your servants share your wealth? Do you make them equal partners? Do you fear for them like you fear for yourselves?”
You know the answer. No. You do not share. You do not equalize. You do not treat them the same. Then Allahﷻ asks—why do you do this with Me? You refuse to share your limited authority, yet you attribute partners to the One with absolute authority.
What greater injustice is there than this?
Allahﷻ says, this is how We make things clear—for those who think, for those who reflect. If you have even a little intellect, this one example is enough. If you truly reflect, you will say, “I would never do this. Then how can I attribute this to Allahﷻ?” And that realization is what destroys shirk completely.
Allahﷻ presents yet another remarkable example regarding shirk—not just one, but multiple examples, layer upon layer. And notice something profound—most of these examples are drawn from your own life, from your own behavior, from what you already understand.
Sharing your wealth to your servants?
Allahﷻ says He has not made people equal in provision. One is given little, another is given more, another is given wealth beyond measure. Look around—is everyone equal? No. One has a thousand, another has ten thousand, another has lakhs, another has crores.
This difference, this distribution, is by Allahﷻ. He has raised some above others in wealth. Now Allahﷻ asks—those who have been given more, those who have been favored with abundance, do they share their wealth equally with their servants?
Do they say, “You and I are equal”? “This wealth is yours as much as mine”? No. Never. Yes, they may give food, they may give wages, they may show kindness. But will they say, “All my wealth belongs equally to you”? Will they say, “You and I are the same”? Never.
You may give a plate of food, you may give leftovers, you may give charity. But equality? Never. Then Allahﷻ asks—are you denying the blessings of Allahﷻ?
Because if you claim that others can give what Allahﷻ gives, then you are denying that the blessing comes from Allahﷻ alone. You refuse to share your own wealth equally, yet you claim Allahﷻ shares His authority.
Allahﷻ is asking—what am I to you? Am I less than you? You do not share your authority, yet you expect Me to share Mine?
Look at the power of the argument. Allahﷻ uses you, your own logic, to expose your contradiction. Then comes another example, another powerful image.
Allahﷻ says, “I present to you a man.” Two types of men, two types of servants. One servant belongs to many masters. Another servant belongs to one master only.
Now imagine this. One servant owned by many people. Each one gives commands—go here, go there, bring this, bring that. What happens to him? Confusion. Chaos. He cannot satisfy everyone. He cannot even think straight.
Now look at the other servant—one master, one command, one direction. Clear. Stable. Peaceful. Then Allahﷻ asks—are these two equal? Can you ever say they are the same? No.
This is the difference between one who worships only Allahﷻ and one who serves many masters. The one who worships Allahﷻ alone has clarity, direction, peace. The one who associates partners has countless masters—the sun, the moon, graves, saints, nature, objects—each pulling him in a different direction.
Tell me—which life is better? Being a servant of One, or a slave to hundreds? Even in worldly life, you know the answer.
Then why do you accept multiple masters in worship?
Allahﷻ says, I present this example. A servant owned by many, and a servant owned by one. Are they equal?
Then He concludes—all praise belongs to Allahﷻ, but most people do not understand.
Look at the impact. Look at the clarity. After this, how can shirk remain?
If someone truly understands La ilaha illAllahﷻ, can he still associate partners?
When someone enters Islam, what do you teach him? Do you teach him to call upon saints, to go to graves? No. You teach him La ilaha illAllahﷻ— “there is no God except Allahﷻ”. Then how do people accept that and still fall into shirk? Is that not a contradiction?
If you do not completely abandon shirk, your hereafter is destroyed. That is why Allahﷻ repeats, explains, illustrates, uses examples, again and again—until it reaches the heart. Because when an example hits, it stays. It forces reflection.
Allahﷻ is not just speaking. He is driving the truth into your mind. And through these examples, He establishes the truth with absolute clarity. There are many more examples, many more literary depths in the Qur’an. Insha Allahﷻ, they can be explored in the upcoming posts.