29al-‘AnkabūtThe Spiderسُورَةُ العنكبوت

Alif-Lām-Mīm [A-L-M].

Do people think that they are going to be left alone, content with verbalizing their divine commitment [and conviction], and not being subject to [a divinely calculated worldly] ordeal?

And [let it be known that] We did indeed put to a rigorous trial those who preceded them, thus will Allah certainly come to know those who are true [to their commitment and faith] and He will come to know those who are impostors.

Do those [individuals] who do all the wrong things think they are ahead of Us [and We cannot catch up with their sins]? Appalling is their assessment.

Whoever anticipates his encounter with Allah, [he should know that] Allah’s set time is [definitely] approaching — and He is the Constantly Hearing, the Constantly Knowing.

Therefore whoever struggles [in Our way], he struggles for [the benefit of] himself: for, certainly, Allah is in no need of the worlds of living beings.

And as for those who committed themselves [and their lives to affirming Our power and authority] and did the right thing [in their lives], We shall definitely wipe out their faults and We shall definitely compensate them superbly above their best deeds.

And Our advice to social beings is that they be ever kind to their parents; however, should they [the parents] ever deplete their energies in the hope that you [as their child] will ignorantly correlate [other deities and authorities] with Me, then [in that instance] do not obey them [your parents]: for, it is unto Me you will all return, whereupon I shall inform you of [the truth of] what you were doing [when you were living your worldly life].

And as for those who committed themselves [affirming Our power and authority] and accomplished what is good and decent, We shall certainly admit them into the company of the righteous [in the life to come].

And there is a segment of people who say, “We are committed to Allah,” but then if an individual [from among them] is hurt for the cause of Allah, that person equates persecution by humans to the punishment of Allah; and if it happens that successful help comes from Allah, the [same] person will say with [apparent] confidence, “But we were always on your side [the side of committed muslims].” But is not Allah fully aware of what is [concealed] in the bosoms of all beings.

And, without a doubt, Allah will certainly know [and verify] those committed [to Him], and will certainly know [and verify] the schizophrenics-in-faith.

And the deniers of Allah [as ultimate power and absolute authority] say to those who affirm Allah [as power and authority], “Follow our way [in life] and we are willing to carry your burdens of sin” — but they could not [in actual fact] carry any of those burdens: behold, they are indeed liars.

Most certainly, they [the liars] will carry the weight of their own deeds and other loads with theirs; and on the Day of Resurrection they will definitely be asked [by the Almighty] about the lies they were concocting [back in their worldly lifetime].

And [remember that in times past] We sent Nūḥ [as a messenger of Ours] to his people, and he remained in their midst for one thousand [diffifult] years less fifty common [non-confrontational] years. [Eventually] they were overtaken by the deluge while they were in their state of injustice,

But, consequently We saved him, together with those who were with him on the ark, which We put on view as a demonstration [of Our power and authority] for all peoples.

And Ibrāhīm [too, had to endure hardship] as he addressed his people [saying], “Conform unto Allah and be mindful of His power and authority: that would be to your advantage if you but knew it.

“What you are worshiping [and looking up to] besides Allah are idols and you contrive fabrications [regarding these idols]. What you are worshiping [and holding in the highest regard] besides Allah do not have the capacity to offer you sustenance. [Therefore, it is better for you to] seek sustenance from Allah and conform to Him and express your thanks to Him: [for] to Him you [all] shall return!”

And if they [Ibrāhīm’s people] are accusatory, whatever the case may be, there have been nations in times past that have alleged lies [in regard to their messengers]: as nothing is expected of a messenger [sent by Allah] except that he delivers clear communication [from Allah to people].

Have they [the kāfirs and mushriks] not looked into how Allah initiates creation and then re-initiates it? Certainly that [accomplishment] is easy for Allah [to do].

Say, “Travel throughout the world and see [for yourselves] how He initiates [the feat of] creation; and thus, too, it is Allah who cultivates the last development [of the life to come] — for, truly, Allah has the power to do anything.

“He causes suffering to whomever [ought to have it] and He graces with His mercy whomever [merits it]; and to Him you shall revert.

“And you will never be able to challenge Him [anywhere] in heaven or on earth; and excluding Allah you do not have anyone as [your] chief or champion.”

Yet [despite all this] those who are [still] in denial of Allah’s authoritative power illustrations and [in denial] of encountering Him — they are the ones who have given up on gaining My mercy and those are the ones to incur tormenting punishment.

And his [Ibrāhīm’s] people’s response essentially came down to a [public] announcement saying, “Kill him [Ibrāhīm] or set him on fire.” But Allah rescued him from the fire — [and] in that event, verily, there are examples of Allah’s power and authority for people who pledge themselves to Allah [in words and in works].

And he [Ibrāhīm] said, “Whatever it is you [deniers of Allah’s power and authority] have chosen as a rejection of Allah are but idols [you employ as] a means of amicable socialization among yourselves in this earthly life. But then [much later] on the Day of Resurrection, some of you are going to cast off others [of your own] and some of you will curse others [of your own] — for [you who turn on your own shall find that] your lodging quarters are the Fire and [that] you shall have no one to be your defenders.”

Thereupon in approval of him [Ibrāhīm], Lūṭ committed himself [and affirmed Allah’s control and command]. And he [Ibrāhīm] said, “I am quitting [this iniquitous] society and am on my way to my Sustainer: clearly He is the Grand, the Most Judicious.”

And We granted him [Ibrāhīm] Isḥāq and Ya‘qūb, and We planned for prophethood to be in his progeny as well as scripture, and We accorded him his reward in this world; and, indeed, in the end world [the afterlife] he shall be definitely one of the righteous [and the equitable].

And [then, there is] Lūṭ who said to his people, “You interact with [what is actually sexual] repulsion [among yourselves], what no one preceding you has done in [the history of] the worlds [of relationships].

“Must you actually come on to men [make sexual advances] and obstruct the course [of Allah’s natural order], and [must you] perform such acts of social vice in your convention hall?” And the answer of his people essentially came down to the announcement, “Bring on Allah’s punishment if you are one who is telling the truth.”

Said [Lūṭ], “My Sustainer! Help me against corrupting people.”

And so, when Our [angelic] emissaries came to Ibrāhīm with good news, they said, “We shall destroy the inhabitants of this civil society, for, no doubt, its inhabitants have been violators of justice.”

[But when Ibrāhīm] exclaimed, “But Lūṭ is in there!” — they responded, “We know very well who is in there; we will, most assuredly, rescue him and his folks — all except his wife, for she has been delinquent.”

And then when Our [angelic] emissaries came to Lūṭ, he thought of them as a sign of misfortune and felt unfit to accommodate them [as they appeared “attractive”]. But [then] they said, “Do not fear and do not grieve. We are [here] to rescue you and your folks — all except your wife, for she has been delinquent.

“We shall drop from the sky on the inhabitants of this civil society a painful punishment commensurate with their [moral and physical] degeneration!”

And henceforward, We left some of it [that society] as a graphic presentation of Our power and authority for people who reason.

And to Madyan [We sent] one of their own, Shu‘ayb, who thereupon said, “O my people! Comply with Allah and look forward to the Final Day and do not be a palpable force for corruption on earth.”

Subsequently, upon their accusing him of fabricating things, they were overtaken by a tremor: and so they wound up unresponsive [and deathly motionless] in their locale [habitat].

And [the societies of] ‘Ād and Thamūd [they, too, were wrecked] — as you should have discerned from [the relics of their] domiciles. And [they perished because] Satan made their [bad] deeds appear appealing, thereby barring them from the [God-ordained] course [of action] despite their [being endowed with the God-given] ability to distinguish [what is good from what is bad].

And Qārūn, and Pharaoh, and Hāmān [were also dealt with by divine power and authority]. And, truth be said, Mūsā came to them with clear evidence [of Allah’s supremacy and say- so] but they behaved with arrogance throughout the land and were unable to cut and run [from Our painful punishment].

All of them We held responsible for their wickedness: against some of them We unleashed deadly [rock-strewn] winds; and some of them were [existentially] overtaken by a deafening blast [of nature]; and some of them were swallowed by the earth; and some of them were drowned. And never was it Allah who did them wrong; rather it was they who were doing wrong to themselves.

The likeness of those who adopt commanding superiors to the exclusion of Allah is that of a spider that has constructed a house: for, indeed, the feeblest of all houses is the house of a spider — if only they knew [what they were doing].

Of course Allah knows whatever it is they call upon that are inferior to Him, for He alone is the Grand, the Ever-Wise.

And those are [samples of] the moral tales We put forward for people [to be guided aright], but no one [has the capacity to] analyze them except for those who are well-informed.

Allah created the heavens and the earth in accordance with truth and justice: in that there is certainly a display of Allah’s authority and sovereignty for committed muslims.1

Announce what has been revealed to you of scripture in an organized manner and institutionalize [and systematize] the ṣalāh: for, indeed, ṣalāh curtails moral perversion and social vice. And withal, it is the consciousness of Allah that is paramount — for Allah is very knowledgeable of what you construct [of benefit or detriment].

And do not argue with people of [previous] scripture, rather [communicate with them] in a cultivated manner — unless it be those from among them [people of scripture] who have seriously wronged themselves. And then say [publicly], “We are committed to that which has been bestowed upon us [from Allah] and that which has been bestowed upon you [from Allah]; and our God and your God is one and we defer to Him.”

As such, We have bestowed upon you [O Muhammad] this Scripture; consequently those We have accorded [divine] Scripture [will eventually] uphold it; just as among those [people of previous scripture], there was many an individual who committed [to Allah’s dominance and ability]. And no one could deliberately deny Our evidences except God-deniers:

For, you [Muhammad] were never known to be a chronicler of scripture before [this Qur’an was revealed to you] and never did you transcribe it with your righteous hand; or else [had you been versed in scripture] those who try to disprove [the authenticity of this Qur’an] would have had grounds for doubt [in you and this Qur’an].

Rather, it [this Qur’an] is [composed of] crystal-clear āyāt meant for the bosoms of those endowed with knowledge, and only those who wrong themselves can purposely reject Our [miraculous] āyāt.

And they [the mushriks] said, “If only there was a miracle that would come down to him [Muhammad] from his Sustainer.” Say [O Muhammad], “But truly [such] miracles are in [and from] the realm of Allah; and I am but an unambiguous warner.”

Was it not enough [to satisfy them] that We bestowed upon you a Scripture with meanings arranged for them [to understand]? Indeed, in that [order of enhancement] there is a sure mercy and awareness for people who devote themselves [to Allah].

Say [O Muhammad], “Suffice it that Allah is a witness between me and you; He knows whatever exists in the heavens and on earth. And those who pledge themselves to falsifications [and distortions] and also reject Allah [His predominance and preponderance] — they are the ones who are the losers.”

And [despite these messages] they [the mushriks] want you [Muhammad] to expedite their affliction: and had it not been for a date set [by Us], the affliction would have already come to them. [Nonetheless] it will indeed come to them as a surprise [without prior notice] when they are mindless of it.

They [the mushriks] want you [Muhammad] to expedite their affliction — and, indeed, Hell surrounds the God-deniers,

On a Day when suffering shall overwhelm them from above them and from under their feet, whereupon he [the angel of retribution] shall say, “Sample [the end result of] what you were doing [when you were alive on earth].”

O My dependents who are committed [to Me]! Indeed, My land is spacious; therefore, Me, and only Me, are you to be compatible with.

Every living being shall experience death. Then all of you shall be returned to Us;

Whereupon to those who had pledged themselves [to Allah] and did what is good and honorable, We shall allot to them chambers in Paradise with rivers flowing from beneath, therein to dwell forever: how magnificent a reward for those who work [for it] —

Those who were patient [in their worldly effort] and placed their trust in their Sustainer.

And how many a beast is there that is not capable of bearing its own sustenance, but then Allah provides for it and for you — since He is the All-Hearing and the All-Knowing.

And if you were to ask them [the kāfirs], “Who created the heavens and the earth and developed [and utilized] the Sun and the Moon [for you]?” — they will answer, “[It is] Allah!” Then how do they get carried away by their [own] lies [pertaining to Him]?

Allah expands provisions to whomever He wills of His dependents and limits it to whomever: for, indeed, Allah is of most knowledge about everything.

And if you were to ask them [the kāfirs], “Who is it that brought down water from the skies and then with that [water] caused the earth to come alive after its unresponsiveness?” — they will answer, “[It is] Allah!” [To that], say, “All praise [and thanks] is due to Allah!” But most of them cannot think through [these issues]:

For [if the kāfirs thought things through, they would know that] immediate worldly life is nothing but amusement and pastime [playing around], whereas the final domain is the [truly] vibrant [and vivacious] life — if only they knew.

So if they were to embark upon a ship [encountering danger and possible death] they would call upon Allah, sincerely devoting the arrangement of life affairs to Him; but no sooner were He to deliver them to a safe land [port], they would then become multi-theists [ascribing authority and power to others besides Allah].

[All this happens] for them to [have the choice to] deny Allah [as authority and influence] and for them to enjoy [sensual life]. Eventually they will come to know [the undivided truth].

Can they [the Arabian mushriks] not see that We have reserved [for those who accede to Allah’s authority] a secure sanctuary [the sacrosanct safe haven in Makkah] while around them there are people who are vulnerable [and in danger of death or displacement]? Do they pledge themselves to falsehood and reject the bounty of Allah?

Who can be more in the wrong than he who attributes lies to Allah or who contradicts truth and justice when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell a compartment for kāfirs?

And those who struggle intensely and are keen on Us, We shall guide them to Our ways: for, verily, Allah is with those who seek excellence [in what they do].