Al-'Ankabut 29:42
The Spider · Juz 20 · Page 401
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٤٢
Indeed, Allāh knows whatever thing they call upon1 other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- In worship. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 29:42–45
‘Recite what has been revealed to you of the book’ here means ‘the propagation of the revelation’ i.e. reciting the Quran before people and making them aware of the will of God. This work of propagation is a task calling for great patience. To perform this work well, one has to be the well-wisher of one’s opponents, one has to ignore their excesses and one has to look at one’s addressees as one’s invitees, even if they are rivals and opponents. Just as prayer restrains a man from evil in everyday life, similarly, it saves a missionary from unmissionary-like behaviour. Only that man can become preacher of God’s message whose heart is full of God’s remembrance and who bows down before God in all sincerity. Prayer, or salaat, restrains the human being from committing evil. If a man bows down or prostrates himself (performs ruku‘ and sajdah) before God in all earnestness, he develops a sense of responsibility and humility. The character which forms in a man as a result of this makes him do that which he should do and desist from that which he should not do. When a man attains perfect knowledge through intense realization of God, or ma‘rifah, the result is that the thought of God permeates his very existence. This is what is meant by remembrance of God (dhikr). This spring of God’s remembrance, or dhikr, wells up and flows through his body and soul. Reaching this height of spirituality, man begins uttering noble words in praise of God, and this is undoubtedly the highest form of prayer or worship.
Page 401
29:39
وَقَٰرُونَ وَفِرۡعَوۡنَ وَهَٰمَٰنَۖ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كَانُواْ سَٰبِقِينَ ٣٩
And [We destroyed] Qārūn and Pharaoh and Hāmān. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment].
29:40
فَكُلًّا أَخَذۡنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ حَاصِبٗا وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَخَذَتۡهُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ خَسَفۡنَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ أَغۡرَقۡنَاۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٤٠
So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allāh would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.
29:41
مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتۡ بَيۡتٗاۖ وَإِنَّ أَوۡهَنَ ٱلۡبُيُوتِ لَبَيۡتُ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤١
The example of those who take allies other than Allāh is like that of the spider who takes [i.e., constructs] a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.
29:42
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٤٢
Indeed, Allāh knows whatever thing they call upon1 other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- In worship. ↩
29:43
وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُ نَضۡرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِۖ وَمَا يَعۡقِلُهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡعَٰلِمُونَ ٤٣
And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.
29:44
خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٤٤
Allāh created the heavens and the earth in truth. Indeed in that is a sign for the believers.
29:45
ٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ ٤٥
Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.