Al-'Ankabut 29:22
The Spider · Juz 20 · Page 398
وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٖ ٢٢
And you will not cause failure [to Allāh] upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have not other than Allāh any protector or any helper.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 29:19–23
The Evidence for Life after Death
Allah tells us that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, showed them the proof of life after death, which they denied, in their souls. For Allah created them after they had been nothing at all, then they came into existence and became people who could hear and see. The One Who originated this is able to repeat it, it is very easy for Him. Then he taught them to contemplate the visible signs on the horizons and the things that Allah has created: the heavens with their stars and planets, moving and stationary, the earth with its plains and mountains, its valleys, deserts and wildernesses, trees and rivers, fruits and oceans. All of that indicates that these are themselves created things, and that there must be a Creator Who does as He chooses, Who merely says to a thing "Be!" and it is. Allah says:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ يُبْدِىءُ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ إِنَّ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
(See they not how Allah originates the creation, then repeats it. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) This is like the Ayah:
وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ
(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) (30:27). Then Allah says:
قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِىءُ النَّشْأَةَ الاٌّخِرَةَ
(Say: "Travel in the land and see how He originated the creation, and then Allah will bring forth the creation of the Hereafter.") meaning, the Day of Resurrection.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
(Verily, Allah is able to do all things.)
يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ
(He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills;) He is the Ruler Who is in control, Who does as He wishes and judges as He wants, and there is none who can put back His judgement. None can question Him about what He does; rather it is they who will be questioned, for His is the power to create and to command, and whatever He decides is fair and just, for He is the sovereign who cannot be unjust in the slightest. According to a Hadith recorded by the Sunan compilers:
«إِنَّ اللهَ لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِم لَهُم»
(If Allah willed to punish the dwellers of His heavens and His earth, He would do so, while He would not be unjust to them.) Allah says:
يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ
(He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills; and to Him you will be returned.) You will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection.
وَمَآ أَنتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ
(And you cannot escape on the earth or in the heaven. ) No one in heaven or on earth can flee from Him, for He is the Subduer Who is above His servants, and everything fears Him and is in need of Him, while He is the One Who is Independent of all else.
وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍوَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَِايَتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِ
(And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and the meeting with Him,) Those who disbelieved in the signs of Allah and denied the Resurrection,
أُوْلَئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحْمَتِى
(such have no hope of My mercy) they will have no share in it,
وَأُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
(and for such there is a painful torment.) meaning, extremely painful, in this world and the next.
Page 398
29:15
فَأَنجَيۡنَٰهُ وَأَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلسَّفِينَةِ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهَآ ءَايَةٗ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٥
But We saved him and the companions of the ship, and We made it1 a sign for the worlds.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the ship, the event or the story. ↩
29:16
وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُۖ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ١٦
And [We sent] Abraham, when he said to his people, "Worship Allāh and fear Him. That is best for you, if you should know.
29:17
إِنَّمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡثَٰنٗا وَتَخۡلُقُونَ إِفۡكًاۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمۡلِكُونَ لَكُمۡ رِزۡقٗا فَٱبۡتَغُواْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزۡقَ وَٱعۡبُدُوهُ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لَهُۥٓۖ إِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١٧
You only worship, besides Allāh, idols, and you produce a falsehood. Indeed, those you worship besides Allāh do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allāh provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned."
29:18
وَإِن تُكَذِّبُواْ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٞ مِّن قَبۡلِكُمۡۖ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٨
And if you [people] deny [the message] - already nations before you have denied. And there is not upon the Messenger except [the duty of] clear notification.1
1 translator’s note
- Commentators have differed over this verse - whether it is a continuation of the words of Prophet Abraham or words of comfort given by Allāh to Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ), which according to context seems more likely. ↩
29:19
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَيۡفَ يُبۡدِئُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٞ ١٩
Have they not considered how Allāh begins creation and then repeats it? Indeed that, for Allāh, is easy.
29:20
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ بَدَأَ ٱلۡخَلۡقَۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٢٠
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allāh will produce the final creation [i.e., development]. Indeed Allāh, over all things, is competent."
29:21
يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرۡحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُقۡلَبُونَ ٢١
He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned.
29:22
وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعۡجِزِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٖ ٢٢
And you will not cause failure [to Allāh] upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have not other than Allāh any protector or any helper.
29:23
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِۦٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَتِي وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٢٣
And the ones who disbelieve in the signs of Allāh and the meeting with Him - those have despaired of My mercy, and they will have a painful punishment.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy