Verses 14–21
29. Al-Ankaboot · The Spider
Makkan69 verses
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَٰلِمُونَ
29:14Certainly We sent Noah to his people, and he remained with them for a thousand-less-fifty years. Then the flood overtook them while they were wrongdoers.
فَأَنجَيْنَٰهُ وَأَصْحَٰبَ ٱلسَّفِينَةِ وَجَعَلْنَٰهَآ ءَايَةًۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
29:15Then We delivered him and those who were in the Ark, and made it a sign for all the nations.1
وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ ۖ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
29:16And Abraham, when he said to his people, ‘Worship Allah and be wary of Him. That is better for you, should you know.2
إِنَّمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْثَٰنًۭا وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقًۭا فَٱبْتَغُوا۟ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرِّزْقَ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۖ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
29:17What you worship instead of Allah are mere idols, and you invent a lie. Indeed those whom you worship besides Allah have no control over your provision. So seek all [your] provision from Allah, and worship Him and thank Him, and to Him you shall be brought back.’
وَإِن تُكَذِّبُوا۟ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٌۭ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ ۖ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
29:18If you impugn [the Apostle’s teaching], then [other] nations have impugned [likewise] before you, and the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ كَيْفَ يُبْدِئُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌۭ
29:19Have they not regarded how Allah originates the creation? Then He will bring it back. That is indeed easy for Allah.
قُلْ سِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ ٱلْخَلْقَ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشْأَةَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
29:20Say, ‘Travel over the land and observe how He has originated the creation.’ Then Allah will bring about the genesis of the Hereafter. Indeed Allah has power over all things.
يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ
29:21He will punish whomever He wishes and have mercy on whomever He wishes, and to Him you will be returned.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 17
1.It is the utmost limit of helplessness of a man that he made a deity as his god and hoped these gods will provide him food and every thing. When he sees with his own eyes that they have no power of any kind and are not capable to provide food. The provider of sustenance is only Allah, Who has created the entire universe. But be it known, when this thing was surprising to those who were in the vain hopes in the time of Ibrahim (a.s.) and the same thing is there for the Muslims of present era. Those who have read the incident and have studied the verse of the Holy Quran and then also kept hopes for sustenance from the enemies of Allah and think if they would be displeased with them, then who will provide them sustenance. From the officers till the super powers everyone is taking advantage of their weak faith and a Muslim is being sold at the cost given by himself.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Ibrahim (a.s.) propagated the message of Tawheed by first pointing out the helplessness of the idols. Then he reminded bow Allah was the sustainer of all. Next he referred to Qiyamat and stated that the problem of life after death was easy for Allah, Sometimes he mentioned it to be the effect of His power, In this world it is easy from the aspect of life and death and in the life of the Hereafter it is an effect of absolute power.
- 1
Please note that the Holy Quran has mentioned Ashabe-Safina (Ark) and not ‘Ashaaba’. This shows that salvation does not depend on the companionship of the prophet alone. One should be included among the people of the Ark which was constructed by the prophet according to divine commandments.
- 2
According to Qamoos the lineage of Ibrahim (a.s.) is mentioned as Ibrahim the son of Tarukh from the progeny of Saam the son of Nub (a.s.). He spent 75 years of his life in the area between Tigris and Euphrates in the age of about 1996 years before Christ.