The Quran

Preface

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلَينِ أَحَدُهُما أَبكَمُ لا يَقدِرُ عَلىٰ شَيءٍ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلىٰ مَولاهُ أَينَما يُوَجِّههُ لا يَأتِ بِخَيرٍ ۖ هَل يَستَوي هُوَ وَمَن يَأمُرُ بِالعَدلِ ۙ وَهُوَ عَلىٰ صِراطٍ مُستَقيمٍ

Yusuf Ali

God sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb, with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way be directs him, he brings no good:¹ is such a man equal with one who commands Justice, and is on a Straight Way?²

In the second Parable, one man is dumb; he can explain nothing, and he can certainly do nothing; he is only a wearisome burden to his master, no matter what his master asks him to do; or perhaps he is really harmful instead of bringing any good: such are idols (literal and metaphorical) when taken as false gods. The other man is in a position to command, and he commands what is just and righteous; not only his commands but his doings also are on the path of righteousness. Such are the qualities of God.
The gist of the argument is that those who deviate from the worship of God commit twofold treason: (l) They do not recognise the immense difference between the Creator and created things, although, in their own little selfish lives, they are tenacious of any little differences there may be between themselves and other fellow-creatures not so gifted. (2) They are guilty of gross ingratitude in forgetting that the source of goodness and power is God, to Whom alone they owe all the gifts they enjoy in life.