029 - Sūrat al-‘Ankabūt

In the name of Allah (who is) Rahmān (and) Rahīm.

[For explanation, see Sūrat al-Fātiha: 1]

1

Alif lām mīm: Allahu ta’ālā knows best what He means by these [letters].

2

Do people suppose that they will be left to say, that is, [that they will be left alone] because of their saying, 'We believe,' and they will not be tried?, tested with that which will reveal the sincerity of their belief. This [verse] was revealed regarding a group of individuals who when they became believers endured suffering at the hands of the idolaters.

3

And certainly We tried those who were before them. So Allahu ta’ālā shall surely know those who are sincere, in their faith - a knowledge of direct vision - and He shall surely know those who are liars, regarding it.

Or do those who commit evil deeds, idolatry and acts of disobedience, suppose that they can elude Us?, so that We will not be able to requite them. Evil is that, judgement of theirs, which they judge!

Whoever expects to encounter Allahu ta’ālā, [should know that] Allah’s [appointed] term, for this [encounter], will indeed come; so let him prepare for it. And He is the Hearer, of the sayings of His servants, the Knower, of their actions.

And whoever struggles, in war or against [the temptations of] his own soul, struggles only for his own sake, because the benefits [to be reaped] from his struggle will be for his sake and not for Allah’s. For truly Allahu ta’ālā is Independent of [the creatures of] all the Worlds, mankind, jinn and angels, and [He is also without need] of their worship.

And those who believe and perform righteous deeds, We will surely absolve them of their misdeeds, by their performance of righteous deeds, and We will indeed requite them with the best of what they used to do, namely, their righteous deeds (it [ahsana] is in the accusative because the operator of the oblique [bi] has been omitted).

And We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents, that he should be dutiful towards them; but if they urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that of which you do not have any knowledge, [any knowledge] that accords with reality, and so is meaningless, then do not obey them, in [such incitements to] idolatry. To Me will be your return whereat I will inform you of what you used to do, and I will requite you for it.

And those who believe and perform righteous deeds, assuredly We shall admit them among the righteous, [among] the prophets and the saints, by gathering in the company of one another [at the Resurrection].

And among people there are those who say, 'We believe in Allahu ta’ālā', but if such [a person] suffers hurt in Allah’s cause, he takes people's persecution, that is, their harming of him, to be [the same] as Allah’s chastisement, in terms of his fear of it, and so he obeys them and behaves hypocritically. Yet if (la-in: the lām is for oaths) there comes help, to believers, from your Rabb, and they take spoils, they will assuredly say (la-yaqūlunna: the [final] nūn [of the indicative] has been omitted because of the other nūn coming after it, and likewise the wāw, indicating the plural person [has been replaced by a damma], because of two unvocalised consonants coming together), 'We were indeed with you', in faith, so give us a share of the booty. Allahu ta’ālā, exalted be He, says: Does Allahu ta’ālā not know best what is in the breasts of all creatures?, [what is] in their hearts of faith or hypocrisy? Indeed [He does].

And Allahu ta’ālā shall surely ascertain those who believe, in their hearts, and He shall surely ascertain the hypocrites, and He will requite each group accordingly (the lām in both verbs [la-ya'lamanna, 'He shall ascertain'] is for oaths).

And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, 'Follow our path, our religion, and we will bear [responsibility for] your sins', when you follow us, should there be any [such sins] (the imperative here functions as a predicate). Allahu ta’ālā, exalted be He, says: But they will not [be able to] bear anything of their sins. Truly they are liars, in [saying] this.

And they shall certainly bear their [own] burdens, their sins, and other burdens along with their [own] burdens, [as punishment] for saying to believers: Follow our path [previous verse] and for their leading astray those who follow them [blindly]; and on the Day of Resurrection they shall surely be questioned concerning what they used to invent, [what] they used to fabricate of lies against Allahu ta’ālā, a questioning of rebuke (the lām in both verbs [la-yahmilunna and la-yus'alunna] is for oaths; in both [verbs] the [plural] indicators of the subject, wāw and nūn [-ūna], have been omitted).

And verily We sent Noah to his people, when he was forty years of age or older, and he remained among them a thousand-less-fifty years, calling them to affirm Allah’s Oneness, but they denied him; so the Flood engulfed them, a deluge of water drifted against them, rising above them and drowning them, for they were wrongdoers, idolaters.

Then We delivered him, namely, Noah, and the occupants of the ship, those who were with him in it, and We made this a sign, a lesson, for all peoples, for [all] peoples that would come after them, should they disobey the messengers (rusul) sent to them. Noah lived for a further sixty years or more after the Flood, until mankind multiplied [again].

And, mention, Abraham, when he said to his people, 'Worship Allahu ta’ālā and fear Him, fear His punishment; that is better for you, than the worship of idols which you practice, if you only knew, what is good from what is otherwise.

What you worship besides Allahu ta’ālā, that is, other than Him, are only graven images and you fabricate a calumny, you speak lies [such as]: '[These] graven images are Allah’s partners'. Truly those whom you worship besides Allahu ta’ālā have no power to provide for you. So seek your provision from Allahu ta’ālā, request it from Him, and worship Him, and be thankful to Him; to Him you shall be returned.

But if you deny, that is, if you deny me, O people of Mecca, then [many] communities have denied before you, that is, before my time; and the Messenger (rasūl)'s duty is only to communicate [the Message] clearly'. Both stories are meant to comfort the Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam". And regarding his people, Allahu ta’ālā, exalted be He, says:

Have they not seen (yaraw, or taraw, 'have you not seen?'), observed, how Allahu ta’ālā originates creation (yubdi'u, from [4th form] abda'a; a variant reading has yabda'u from [1st form] bada'a, both with the same meaning: 'He creates them originally') then, He, restores it, namely, creation, just as He originated them? Surely that, which is mentioned of the first and the second [acts of] creation, is easy for Allahu ta’ālā, so how can they deny the second one?

Say: 'Travel in the land and observe how He originated creation, of those before you, and [how He] made them die. Then Allahu ta’ālā shall bring about the other genesis (al-nashā'a, or al-nash'a). Truly Allahu ta’ālā has power over all things, among them the origination [of creation] and the restoration [thereof].

He chastises whomever He wishes, to chastise, and has mercy on whomever He wishes, to have mercy, and to Him you shall be returned.

And you will never be able to thwart [Him], your Rabb [and prevent Him] from catching up with you, on earth, or in the heaven, were you to be in it, in other words, you cannot elude Him; and you do not have besides Allahu ta’ālā, that is, other than Him, any Guardian (wakīl), to defend you against Him, or any helper, to help you [escape] from His chastisement.

And those who disbelieve in Allah’s āyāt/verses and the encounter with Him, namely, the Qur'ān and the Resurrection [respectively], they have despaired of My mercy, that is, [of attaining] My Paradise, and for those there shall be a painful chastisement.

Allahu ta’ālā, exalted be He, says with regard to the tale of Abraham, peace be upon him: But the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Slay him, or burn him!' Then Allahu ta’ālā delivered him from the fire, into which they threw him, by making it cool and harmless for him. Surely in that, namely, [in that] deliverance of him from it, there are signs - namely, the fact that it did not have any affect on him despite its greatness, and the fact that it was extinguished and that within a brief period meadows sprung up in its place - for a people who believe, [a people who] affirm the truth of Allah’s Oneness and His power, for they are the ones to benefit from these [signs].

And he, Abraham, said: 'You have adopted mere idols besides Allahu ta’ālā, which you worship (mā [of innamā] relates to the verbal noun) for the sake of [mutual] affection between you (mawaddatu baynikum: this is the predicate of inna [of innamā]; the accusative reading [mawaddata baynikum] would denote a direct object denoting reason,³ so that the mā would denote 'entirety')⁴ - in other words, you are friends of one another in your worship of them, in the life of this world. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will disown one another, the leaders will dissociate from those who followed [them]; and you will curse one another, those who followed will curse their leaders; and your abode, your destination all together, will be the Fire, and you will have no helpers', to protect you against it.

And Lot believed in him, he affirmed the sincerity of Abraham, and he was his [paternal] nephew, from his brother Hārān, and he, Abraham, said, 'Indeed I am migrating, away from my people, toward my Rabb, to where my Rabb commands. So he shunned his people and emigrated from the rural lands of Iraq to Syria. Indeed He is the Mighty, in His Sovereignty, the Wise', in what He does.

And We gave him, after Ishmael, Isaac, and Jacob, after Isaac; and We ordained among his descendants prophethood, thus all prophets after Abraham are descended from him, and the Scripture, meaning, the [Holy] Books, the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms and the Criterion (al-furqān). And We gave him his reward in this world, which is fair praise [of him] by members of all the [Abrahamic] religions. And in the Hereafter he shall truly be among the righteous, for whom there shall be the highest degrees [of reward].

And, mention, Lot, when he said to his people 'Truly you (read a-innakum, pronouncing both hamzas, or not pronouncing the second and inserting an alif between the two in either case and in both instances) commit lewdness, namely, [coming in unto] the rears of men, such as none in [all] the worlds, of jinn or men, has committed before you.

What! Do you come unto men, and cut off the way, the [travel] roads of passers-by, committing lewd acts with whoever passes your way, such that people ceased to pass by [where] you [live], and you discuss in your gatherings, in your conversations, indecency?', [you discuss] committing lewd acts with one another. But the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Bring us the chastisement of Allahu ta’ālā, if you are truthful', in your deeming such [acts] vile and that chastisement will befall those who do such things.

He said, 'My Rabb, help me, by making that of which I spoke come true regarding the sending down of chastisement against the people who work corruption', those who are disobedient, by coming unto men. So Allahu ta’ālā answered his call.

And when Our messengers (rusul) came to Abraham with the good tidings, of Isaac and Jacob after him, they said, 'We shall assuredly destroy the people of this town, namely, the town of Lot, for truly its people are evildoers', disbelievers.

He, Abraham, said, 'Lo! Lot is in it.' They, namely, the messengers (rusul), said, 'We know very well who is in it. Assuredly We shall deliver him (read la-nunjiyannahu or la-nunajjiyannahu) and his family, except his wife: she is of those who will stay behind', [of those] who will remain behind in the chastisement.

And when Our messengers (rusul) came to Lot, he was distressed on their account, he was grieved because of them, and he was constrained [unable] to help them, because they had handsome faces, dressed as guests, and thus he feared for them from his people. So they informed him that they were the messengers (rusul) of his Rabb. But they said, 'Do not be afraid, nor grieve. We shall surely deliver you (read munajjūka or munjūka) and your family, except your wife: she is of those who will remain behind (ahlaka, 'your family', is in the accusative as a supplement to the [suffixed direct object pronoun] kāf [of munajjūka, 'We shall surely deliver you']).

We are indeed going to bring down (read munzilūna or munazzilūna) upon the people of this town a scourge, a chastisement, from the heaven because of, on account of the acts of, their immorality'.

And verily We have left of that a clear sign, a manifest one - namely, the remains of its [the town's] ruins - for a people who understand, [a people who] reflect.

And, We sent, to Midian, their brother Shu'ayb. He said, 'O my people! Worship Allahu ta’ālā and anticipate al-yawm al-ākher (the Last Day), fear it, namely, the Day of Resurrection; and do not be degenerate in the earth, working corruption' (mufsidīna is a circumstantial qualifier, emphasising its operator [wa-lā ta'thaw, 'do not be degenerate']; it [the verb] derives from 'athiya, meaning afsada, 'he corrupted').

But they denied him, and so the earthquake, the violent tremor, seized them, and they ended up lying lifeless prostrate in their habitations, keeled over their knees, dead.

And, We destroyed, 'ād, and Thamūd (may be fully declined, or not [as diptotes], denoting both the district or the tribe [respectively])- it is indeed evident to you, their destruction, from their [former] dwellings, in al-Hijr and in Yemen. For Satan adorned for them their deeds, of disbelief and disobedience, and thus barred them from the Way, the way of truth, though they had been discerning, perceptive people.

And, We destroyed, Korah, and Pharaoh, and Hāmān! And verily Moses brought them, beforehand, clear signs, manifest proofs, but they acted arrogantly in the land; and they could not thwart Us, they could not elude Our chastisement.

So each, of those mentioned, We seized for his sin; and among them were some upon whom We unleashed a squall of stones, as in the case of the people of Lot, and among them were some who were seized by the Cry, such as Thamūd, and among them were some whom We made the earth swallow, such as Korah, and among them were some whom We drowned, like the people of Noah, Pharaoh and his people. And Allahu ta’ālā never wronged them, by chastising them for [having committed] no sin, but they wronged themselves, by committing sins.

The likeness of those who choose besides Allahu ta’ālā [other] patrons, namely, idols, from whom they hope to profit, is as the likeness of the spider that makes a home, for itself in which to shelter. And truly the frailest, the weakest, of homes is the home of the spider, for it neither protects it from heat nor cold - likewise, idols cannot benefit those who worship them - if they only know, this, they would not worship them.

Truly Allahu ta’ālā knows whatever thing (mā functions like alladhī) they call on, [what] they worship (read yad'ūna, 'they call on', or tad'ūna, 'you call on') besides Him, other than Him. And He is the Mighty, in His Sovereignty, the Wise, in what He does.

And such similitudes, in the Qur'ān, We strike them, We coin them, for [the sake of] mankind; but none understands them, [none] grasp them, except those who know, those who reflect.

Allahu ta’ālā created the heavens and the earth with truth, that is, rightly. Surely in that there is a sign, indicating His power, exalted be He, for believers - they are specifically mentioned because they are the ones to benefit thereby in their faith, in contrast to disbelievers.

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, the Qur'ān, and maintain prayer; truly prayer prevents against lewd acts and indecency, [defined as such] according to the Law. In other words, that is its purpose provided that the person adheres to [observance of] it. And the remembrance of Allahu ta’ālā is surely greater, than other acts of obedience, and Allahu ta’ālā knows what you do, and He will requite you for them.

And do not dispute with the People of the Scripture unless it be with that - in that manner of disputation, bettering the most virtuous way, such as calling [them] to Allahu ta’ālā by [reference to] His signs and pointing out His arguments; except [in the case of] those of them who have done wrong, by waging war and refusing to accept [to pay] the jizya-tax: dispute with these using the sword, until such time as they submit or pay the jizya-tax; and say, to those who have accepted [the imposition upon them of] the jizya-tax, should they inform you of something stated in their Scriptures: 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you - and neither believe nor disbelieve them in that [which they tell you] - our God and your God is One [and the same], and to Him we submit', [to Him] we are obedient.

Thus have We revealed to you the Book, the Qur'ān, in the same way that We have revealed to them the Torah and other [scripture]. And so those to whom We have given the Scripture, the Torah, such as 'Abd Allāh b. Salām and others, believe in it, in the Qur'ān, and of these, people of Mecca, there are some who believe in it; and none denies Our verses, after they have been manifested, except disbelievers, namely, the Jews, and

And you did not use to recite before this, namely, [before] the Qur'ān, any [other] Book, nor did you write it with your right hand, for, had you been reciting [something] and writing, then those who follow falsehood, the Jews, would have had doubts, about you and would have said, 'What the Torah states is that he will be unlettered (ummī), unable to read or write'.

Nay, but it, that is, the Qur'ān which you have brought, is clear verses in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge, namely, the believers, who preserve it [in their hearts], and none denies Our verses except wrongdoers, namely, the Jews - they denied them after they were manifested to them.

And they, namely, the disbelievers of Mecca, say, 'Why has not some sign been sent down to him, [to] Muhammad "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam", from his Rabb?' (āyatun, 'sign': a variant reading has āyātun, 'signs') such as the she-camel of Sālih, or the staff of Moses, or the Table of Jesus. Say, to them: 'Signs are only with Allahu ta’ālā, and He sends them down as He will, and I am only a plain warner', making manifest my warning of [the punishment of] the Fire for disobedient people.

Is it not sufficient for them, regarding what they have demanded, that We have revealed to you the Book, the Qur'ān, which is recited to them? - as it constitutes a ongoing sign that will never terminate, in contrast to the signs mentioned. Surely in that, Book, is mercy and a reminder, an admonition, for a people who believe.

Say: 'Allahu ta’ālā suffices as a witness between me and you', of my sincerity. He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, including my circumstances and yours. And those who believe in falsehood, namely, all that is worshipped besides Allahu ta’ālā, and [who] disbelieve in Allahu ta’ālā, from among you - those, they are the losers, in their bargain, for they have purchased disbelief in return for faith.

And they ask you to hasten the chastisement. Yet were it not for an appointed term, for this [chastisement], the chastisement would have come upon them, before long, but it shall assuredly come upon them suddenly while they are unaware, of the time of its coming.

And they ask you to hasten the chastisement, in this world. And lo! Hell shall encompass the disbelievers,

on the Day when the chastisement shall envelop them from above them and from under their feet, and We shall say, thereat (read [the verb] as naqūlu, in other words, 'We shall command that it be said; or [if read] yaqūlu, 'he shall say', namely, the one in charge of [meting out] chastisement), 'Taste now what you used to do!', that is, [taste] the requital for it, as you will not be able to elude Us.

O My servants who believe! My earth is indeed vast. So worship [only] Me, in whichever land worship is possible, by emigrating to it from a land in which worship is not possible - this [verse] was revealed regarding the oppressed Muslims [living] in Mecca, who were constrained to manifest [their] Islam in it.

Every soul shall taste death. Then to Us you shall be returned (turja'ūna; or yurja'ūna, 'they shall be returned') after resurrection.

And those who believe and perform righteous deeds, We shall surely lodge them, We shall give them residence (a variant reading has nuthwiyannahum, [derived] from thawā', 'residence'; the transitive link to the indirect object ghurafan is made without [the preposition] fī, 'in') in lofty abodes of Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, to abide, decreed for them to live forever, in them - excellent is, this reward as, the reward of the toilers;

they are, those who are steadfast, in [enduring] the harm inflicted [upon them] by the idolaters, and in [enduring] the Emigration, in order to make manifest the religion [of Islam], and who put their trust in their Rabb, so that He provides for them whence they do not expect.

And how many (ka-ayyin means kam) an animal there is that does not bear its own provision, on account of its inability [to do so]. Yet Allahu ta’ālā provides for it, and for you, O Emigrants (al-muhājirūn), even when you carry with you neither supplies nor substance. And He is the Hearer, of your sayings, the Knower, of your consciences.

And if (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) you were to ask them, namely, the disbelievers, 'Who created the heavens and the earth and disposed the sun and the moon?' They would assuredly say, 'Allahu ta’ālā.' So how then are they turned away?, from affirming His Oneness after affirming that [Allahu ta’ālā created them].

Allahu ta’ālā extends provision, He makes it abundant, for whomever He wishes of His servants, by way of a test, and He straitens, He restricts it, for him, after having extended it, that is, for whomever He wishes to try. Truly Allahu ta’ālā has knowledge of all things, among them the occasion in which [it is appropriate for Him] to extend or to straiten.

And if (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) you were to ask them, 'Who sends down water from the heaven, and therewith revives the earth after its death?' They would assuredly say, 'Allahu ta’ālā': so how can they ascribe partners to Him?! Say, to them: 'Praise be to Allahu ta’ālā!', that the proof has been established against you. Nay, but most of them do not realise, their contradictiousness in this respect.

And the life of this world is nothing but diversion and play, whereas closeness [to Allahu ta’ālā] pertains to concern for the Hereafter, since the fruits thereof will be revealed in it. But surely the Abode of the Hereafter is indeed the [true] Life, if they only knew, this, [then] they would not prefer this world to it.

And when they board the ship, they call on Allahu ta’ālā, making their supplications purely to Him, in other words, they do not call on any other besides Him, suffering distress which only He is able to remove; but when He delivers them to land, behold! they ascribe partners, to Him,

that they may be ungrateful for what We have bestowed on them, of graces, and that they may seek enjoyment, in consenting to worship idols together (a variant reading [for the purposive wa-li-yatamatta'ū] has wa'l-yatamatta'ū, 'and let them seek their enjoyment', as an imperative denoting a threat) for they will soon know!, the consequences of this.

Or is it that they have not seen, [have not] realised, that We have appointed, their town of Mecca to be, a secure Sanctuary, while people are snatched away all around them?, by being killed or taken captive, except for them? Is it that they believe in falsehood, [in] the idol, and are [wont to be] ungrateful for Allah’s grace?, when they ascribe partners to Him?

And who - in other words, there is none [who] - does greater wrong than he who invents a lie against Allahu ta’ālā, by ascribing partners to Him, or denies truth, be it the Prophet or the Book, when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell a lodging, an abode, for the disbelievers?, in other words, there is such [an abode] therein and such [a person] belongs with them.

But as for those who struggle for Our sake, for Our truth, We shall assuredly guide them in Our ways, that is, the means to come to Us, and truly Allahu ta’ālā is with the virtuous, the believers, assisting and helping.

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