يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ
O people! Listen to a parable that is being drawn: Indeed those whom you invoke besides Allah will never create [even] a fly even if they all rallied to do so! And if a fly should take away something from them, they can not recover that from it. Feeble is the seeker and the sought!
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 22:73
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 22:73] Both idols and their worshippers are weak and foolish creatures. By ignoring Allah, the creator of the worlds, they worship helpless objects who cannot even create the lowest form of life. The idolworshippers of Makka used to anoint their idols with honey and scents and shut the doors of the temple. As soon as they left the flies, lurking there, used to swarm the idols and eat the honey. In the morning the stupid heathens used to rejoice under the false impression that their idols had consumed the honey. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The challenge regarding the exclusive creative power of Allah in this verse is similar to the challenge in verse 23 of al Baqarah which refers to the inimitable book of Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet.
Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy Commentary
Commentary on Quran 22:73-78
God has exemplified in a fly man’s inability to handle anything without His mercy and Will. For all these creations, although at human service, cannot function until man as a human being, acts in due conformity with His commands. thus, then really speaking all other creation is under the control of the Immaculate who are not for a moment disregardful of Him. God again has repeated His sole power to nominate. Prophet, be it from man or angel. Finally, He has termed the Immaculates as truly faithful and Muslim, who shall give evidence as to the behaviour of men at large and on whose deeds shall the prophet testify on Judgment Day.