16:71
Allah has bestowed His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others: those more
favoured are not going to throw back their gifts to those whom their right hands possess, so as to be equal
in that respect. Will they then deny the favours of Allah?
The passage reflects on the differences in abilities and advantages that individuals receive. People who possess greater skills, resources, or status rarely relinquish these advantages in order to place themselves on equal footing with those who possess fewer such benefits. In practice, individuals tend to recognize and maintain distinctions arising from these differences rather than deny them.
The argument then extends this observation to a theological reflection. If people acknowledge distinctions among themselves based on varying abilities and circumstances, it becomes inconsistent to disregard the far greater distinction between the Creator and created beings. The passage therefore challenges the notion of attributing partnership to God by emphasizing the profound difference between the divine and all created entities.
References:
Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. Translation and Commentary of the Quran. (surah 16 verse 71).