29.

Sura Ankabut, (or The Spider)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Do you think that by merely professing the faith you will be let off and
that you will not be subjected to test? As a matter of divine principle, the
earlier generations were also tested so as to practically distinguish between the
true and the false. Let not the persons, who commit evil actions, including
disbelief, be under the impression that they will elude the grasp of the
Almighty. That would definitely be the wrong way of thinking. Certainly
every act, small or big – of every human is recorded without fail and every
moment takes us to the final prescribed Day. And whosoever strives in the
service of God, he does so for the benefit of his own soul. Truly, God is
independent of all needs from all creation, whatsoever. Those of the believers
with righteous deeds, God will certainly blot out from them their bad deeds
and reward them according to the best of their deeds. God reminds the
believers that He has imposed upon them kindness and submission to their
parents. But, that order stands modified in case they are ordered (by either of
them) to worship any other than One True God. Lo! The striving for righteous
deeds will restore fallen man to the society of the Righteous. Now the
cunningness of the Hypocrites is exposed. The man who turns away from
Faith in adversity and only claims the friendship of the Faithful when there is
something to be gained by it, is worthy of a double condemnation; first
because he rejected Faith and Truth, and secondly because he falsely
pretended to be of those whom he feared or hated in his heart. But nothing in
all Creation is concealed from God. Besides the hypocrites, there is also an
another type of man who openly scoffs at Faith and says: ‘Take life as we take
it and we shall bear your sins if there happen to be a Day of Judgtement’. God
reiterates His Policy as: Every individual shall bear the burden of his own sins
and none else shall share it with him. In addition a person shall bear the extra
sins consequential to his having originated the sins; and misguided or coerced
people in different ways. Be informed that all sinners shall be interrogated
about their sins on the Day of Judgement, concerning about what they
concocted and mischievously offered to others.

A summary of the story of Noah, narrated as a consolation to the

Prophet of Islam and a warning to the Meccan disbelievers that the rejectors of
the admonition shall eventually taste the punishment of God. It states that
Noah, the first important Prophet after Adam, was commissioned to a
community of contumacious transgressors. This was his own community in
which he lived for 950 years (of which 350 years were after the Flood) and
carried on his heavenly assigned mission but with slight success. A great Flood
destroyed all the contemporaries and Noah along with the righteous sailed to
safety in an Ark. The story remains an everlasting Sign of deliverance to the
righteous and of destruction to the wicked. And recall the story of Ibrahim
when he had discussion with the idolators. He admonished them to worship
non but One God; seek sustenance from Him and thank Him – to Him will be
the Final Return of every individual. If they controverted, his duty was only to
transmit the Divine Message. God now enquires to know if the mankind has
ever reflected upon his own creation? The repetition of the process of creation
goes on constantly; and that is easy for him. Tell them (O Muhammad) to
travel through the earth and observe the Nature: for God has Power over all
things. He punishes whom He pleases and grants mercy to whom He pleases.
And no one can ever flee from Him neither you have any other protector
except Him. To Him is your final return.

For the disbelievers in the revelation and the Hereafter, Denouncing

the idol-worship, Ibraham invited the displeasure of the King. He was cast into
a huge fire. But by the grace of God he remained unhurt. So righteous people
suffer no harm from the plots of the wicked. Before migrating from the
country he addressed to his people that they will disown each other when each
has to answer on the principle of personal responsibility. Each will accuse the
others of misleading him and will curse each other. But there will be no help,
and they will sufer in Fire. He is indeed the Dominant, the Wise! With
Abraham, Lut (his cousin) also migrated with him. God blessed Ibrahim with a
son named, Ishaq and a grandson Jacob, allotted the Prophethood and the
Books to his progeny. God was pleased with him for his services and in
recognition of his success in the tests to which he was subjected bestowed him
with all those. Lut was commissioned as apostle. He said to his people that
they were committing an abomination (sodomy) which none among the
mankind perpetrated before them. The people answered him to bring down
God’s punishment on them if he was saying the truth. Lut prayed to God for
help against those wicked people.

The angels, who were going on the mission to destroy the people of
the township of Lut, called Abraham on the way. The conveyed good news
(about the birth of Ishaq) to him. They further told him that they were on the
way to destroy the malfeasant inhabitants of the town. They told him that he
and his followers were safe but the rest of the transgressors including his wife,
would be destroyed. And indeed, We left thereof a clear Sign for the intelligent
people. So was the case with Madyans when God sent their brother Shuaib,
who told them to worship One God, fear the Day of Judgement; and do not
spread mischief on earth. But they controverted him. Consequently, an
earthquake seized them and in the morning they were motionless in their
destroyed houses. So was the case with Aads and Samuds who were also
destroyed. Satan made their deeds appear attractive. Their destroyed
habitations do indicate the tragedy to the onlookers. Also were destroyed
Qarun, Fharaoh and Haman. Moses was sent to them with clear Signs; but
they were arrogant on earth and rejected the admonition. God seized each one
of them against some violent tornado with showers of stones, some caught by
the mighty Blast, some were swallowed by earth (like Qarun), some drowned
in the waters. It was not God who injured or oppressed them, but contrary to
this, they injured and oppressed their own souls. The parable of those who
take protectors other than God is that of the Spider who builds to itself a house
(web) which is frailest of all houses. These instances which God cites are only
understood by the people who are possessed with knowledge. He knows what
the unbelievers invoke besides Him; and He is the Dominant and Wise! He
created the heavens and the earth in exact proportions: truly in that is a Sign
for those who believe.

Recite Qur-an and establish regular prayer. Indeed, prayer restrains

believers from shameful and unjust deeds. With out doubt remembrance of
God is the greatest thing in life and He is well aware of the plans which
mankind makes. And do not dispute with the People of the Book but in a
learned manner. Those of them who deliberately trying to wrong or injure
others should be treated firmly. And further tell them that you believe in the
Revelation which came down to us and as well as which came down to you
and that our God and your God is One and in Islam you bow to Him alone.
Like the earlier scriptures, the Qur-an was revealed by God, and since it was
referred to in the other scriptures, some of these people did accept it as the
Divine Revelation. Similarly, some of the Meccan infidels were sure that the
Qur-an was heavenly as its propagator, whom they new well since long was
illiterate. Both of these groups rejected the faith, mainly due to malice and
personal considerations. Certainly, the Qur-anic verses are crystal clear and
there exists no ambiguity about their interpretation. In addition the persons,
basically illiterate but with the spiritual insight, had memorized the verses and
preserved them in their minds. This fact constituted a miraculous position of
Qur-an which did not exist for any other Book. Such are the clear Signs from
their Lord for people with knowledge (with both power of judgement in
discerning the value of truth and acquaintance with previous revelations). Yet
the Unbelievers ask for Signs! Tell them that the power of Signs rests with
God; and God alone. The Prophet had no power over it in any way. He is a
mere warner, to convey them admonitions of God. Was not the Qur-an, which
is recited day and night, sufficient for them. In it is mercy as well as
admonition for the people who believe.

The disbelievers are bound to be the loosers. They are hasty for God’s
Punishment. But the time had not come. Had the time not scheduled, they
would have tasted the punishment. Certainly, for the infidels punishment
awaits them in the Hell. Those of his servants who believe and serve Him and
do good deeds, for them goodly imperial homes await in the Heaven beneath
which the rivers flow. Excellent is the recompense for those of His servants
who persevere in patience, and put their trust in their Lord and Cherisher. It is
He Who provides sustenance to so many of His creatures, who are unable to
move about as He does in the case of human beings. Truly, He knows the
whereabouts of each of His creatures, watches them; and directly hears and
attends to their calls for His aid. The Omnipotence of God and His power to
provide sustenance to whomsoever He wills can not be denied by any of the
disbelievers. They will definitely agree that it is God who created the skies and
the earth, subjected to service the sun and the moon; and sends rain water to
parched lands to freshen them for crops, fruits, etc. thereon. They also concede
that He alone is entitled to all praise, and yet they deviate from His worship
and resort to false deities. They also reject their ultimate resurrection. That is
generally due to their lack of intelligent comprehension and logical
conclusions under the evil influence of materialism and ancestral conventions.
 And this life of the world is nothing but pastime and sport, and indeed,
the Hereafter is the actual and permanent home, if only one can understand.
The temperamental fluidity of the disbelievers is such that when they board a
ship, they invoke God with sincere and exclusive faith in Him. But when He
delivers them safely on land, they directly attribute partners to Him. Thereby
they deny what God had bestowed on them. Let them enjoy; they would soon
know their mistakes.