The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
ضَرَبَ
لَكُم مَّثَلًا
مِنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ
...
30:28. He does propound to you a similitude from your own (experience):
C3535. One way in which we can get some idea of the things higher than our own plane is to think of Parables and Similitudes drawn from our own lives and experience. And such a Similitude or Parable is offered to us now about false worship.
See next note.
...هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم مِّن شُرَكَاء فِي مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ...
do ye have partners among those whom your right hands possess, to share as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on you?
C3536. Allah is far higher above His Creation than any, the highest, of His creatures can be above any, the lowest, of His creatures. And yet would a man share his wealth on equal terms with his dependants?
Even what he calls his wealth is not really his own, but given by Allah. It is "his" in common speech by reason merely of certain accidental circumstances.
How then can men raise Allah's creatures to equality with Allah in worship?
...فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاء تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ...
Do ye fear them as ye fear each other?
C3537. Men fear each other as equals in a state of society at perpetual warfare. To remove this fear they appoint an authority among themselves
a King or sovereign authority whom they consider just
to preserve them from this fear and give them an established order.
But they must obey and revere this authority and depend upon this authority for their own tranquility and security.
Even with their equals there is always the fear of public opinion. But men do not fear, or obey, or revere those who are their slaves or dependents.
Man is dependent on Allah. And Allah is the Sovereign authority in an infinitely higher sense. He is in no sense dependent on us, but we must honor and revere Him and fear to disobey His Will or His Law.
"The fear of Allah is the beginning of wisdom."
...كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾
Thus do We explain the Signs in detail to a people that understand.
C3538. Cf. 6:55, and 7:32, 7:174. etc.
Asad’s Version:
30:28
He propounds unto you a parable drawn from your own life: 20 Would you [agree to) have some of those Whom your right hands possess 21 as [full-fledged] partners in whatever We may have bestowed upon you as sustenance, so that you [and they] would have equal shares in it, and you would fear [to make use of it without consulting] them, just as you might fear [the more powerful of] your equals? 22 Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who use their reason.