Al-'Ankabut 29:11
The Spider · Juz 20 · Page 397
وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ ١١
And Allāh will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the hypocrites.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 29:10–11
The Attitudes of the Hypocrites and the Ways in which Allah tests People
Allah mentions the descriptions of the liars who falsely claim faith with their lips, while faith is not firm in their hearts. When a test or trial comes in this world, they think that this is a punishment from Allah, so they leave Islam. Allah says:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يِقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَآ أُوذِىَ فِى اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ
(Of mankind are some who say: "We believe in Allah." But if they are made to suffer for Allah, they consider the trial of mankind as Allah's punishment;) Ibn `Abbas said, "Meaning that their trial is leaving Islam if they are made to suffer for Allah." This was also the view of others among the Salaf. This Ayah is like the Ayah,
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ
(And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge: if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face...) until:
ذلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَلُ الْبَعِيدُ
(That is a straying far away) 22:11-12. Then Allah says:
وَلَئِنْ جَآءَ نَصْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ
(and if victory comes from your Lord, they will say: "Verily, we were with you.") meaning, "if victory comes from your Lord, O Muhammad, and there are spoils of war, these people will say to you, `We were with you,' i.e., we are your brothers in faith." This is like the Ayat:
الَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ قَالُواْ أَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَّعَكُمْ وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُواْ أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُمْ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(Those who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allah, they say: "Were we not with you" But if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers") (4:141).
فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِ فَيُصْبِحُواْ عَلَى مَآ أَسَرُّواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ نَدِمِينَ
(Perhaps Allah may bring a victory or a decision according to His will. Then they will become regretful for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves) (5:52). And Allah tells us about them here:
وَلَئِنْ جَآءَ نَصْرٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ
(and if victory comes from your Lord, they will say: "Verily, we were with you.") Then Allah says:
أَوَ لَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِمَا فِى صُدُورِ الْعَلَمِينَ
(Is not Allah Best Aware of what is in the breasts of the creatures) meaning, `does Allah not know best what is in their hearts and what they store secretly within themselves, even though outwardly they may appear to be in agreement with you'
وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْمُنَفِقِينَ
(And indeed Allah knows those who believe, and verily He knows the hypocrites.) Allah will test the people with calamities and with times of ease, so that He may distinguish the believers from the hypocrites, to see who will obey Allah both in times of hardship and of ease, and who will obey Him only when things are going in accordance with their desires. As Allah says:
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّبِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَرَكُمْ
(And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard and the patient, and We shall test your facts.) (47:31) After the battle of Uhud, with its trials and tribulations for the Muslims, Allah said:
مَّا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ
(Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good...) (3:179)
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29:7
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ وَلَنَجۡزِيَنَّهُمۡ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٧
And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.
29:8
وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ حُسۡنٗاۖ وَإِن جَٰهَدَاكَ لِتُشۡرِكَ بِي مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞ فَلَا تُطِعۡهُمَآۚ إِلَيَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٨
And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge,1 do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., no knowledge of its divinity. There can be no knowledge about something which is non-existent or untrue. ↩
29:9
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ لَنُدۡخِلَنَّهُمۡ فِي ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٩
And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely admit them among the righteous [into Paradise].
29:10
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ فَإِذَآ أُوذِيَ فِي ٱللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتۡنَةَ ٱلنَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَلَئِن جَآءَ نَصۡرٞ مِّن رَّبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمۡۚ أَوَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَعۡلَمَ بِمَا فِي صُدُورِ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٠
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allāh," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allāh, he considers the trial [i.e., harm] of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allāh. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, "Indeed, We were with you." Is not Allāh most knowing of what is within the breasts of the worlds [i.e., all creatures]?
29:11
وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ ١١
And Allāh will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the hypocrites.
29:12
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّبِعُواْ سَبِيلَنَا وَلۡنَحۡمِلۡ خَطَٰيَٰكُمۡ وَمَا هُم بِحَٰمِلِينَ مِنۡ خَطَٰيَٰهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍۖ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ١٢
And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Follow our way, and we will carry your sins."1 But they will not carry anything of their sins. Indeed, they are liars.
1 translator’s note
- The phrase may also read: "and let us carry your sins," i.e., the responsibility for your sins. ↩
29:13
وَلَيَحۡمِلُنَّ أَثۡقَالَهُمۡ وَأَثۡقَالٗا مَّعَ أَثۡقَالِهِمۡۖ وَلَيُسۡـَٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ ١٣
But they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their burdens,1 and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what they used to invent.
1 translator’s note
- Besides their own sins, they will carry those of the people they misled, although it will not lessen the burden of the latter. ↩
29:14
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمۡ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمۡسِينَ عَامٗا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمۡ ظَٰلِمُونَ ١٤
And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years, and the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy