THE SPIDER (29) (al-ankabut)
Number of Verses: 69
Alif. Lam. Mim. (29:1)
Do people think they will not be tested because they say, "We have faith?" (29:2).
We had certainly tried those who lived before them to make sure who were truthful in their faith and who were liars (29:3).
Do the evil-doers think they can escape Us? How terrible is their judgment? (29:4).
Let those who have the desire to be in the presence of God on the Day of Judgment know that their day will certainly be coming. God is All-Hearing and All-Knowing. (29:5)
Whoever strives hard should know that it is for his own good. God is independent of the whole world (29:6).
We shall expiate the sins of the righteously striving believers and shall reward them better than their deeds. (29:7)
We have advised the human being, "Be kind to your parents. Do not obey them if they force you to consider equal to Me things which you do not know are such." You will all return (to Me) and I shall show all that you have done (29:8).
We shall admit the righteously striving believers into the company of the pious ones. (29:9)
Some people say, "We have faith in God." But when they face some hardship for His cause, they begin to consider the persecution that they have experienced from people as a torment from God. When your Lord grants you a victory, they say, "We were with you." Does God not know best what is in the hearts of every creature? (29:10).
God certainly knows all about the believers and the hypocrites. (29:11) The unbelievers say to the believers. "Follow our way. We shall take the responsibility for your sins." They cannot take responsibility for any of the sins. They are only liars (29:12).
Besides the other burdens that they will have to carry, they will certainly be loaded with the burden of their own sins. They will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about what they had falsely invented. (29:13)
We sent Noah to his people and he lived with them for nine hundred and fifty years, then the flood engulfed them for their injustice (29:14).
We saved Noah and the people in the Ark and made (their case) a miracle for the world. (29:15)
Abraham told his people, "Worship God and have fear of Him. It is better for you if only you knew it (29:16).
You worship idols besides God and you create falsehood. Whatever you worship besides Him cannot provide you with anything for your sustenance. Seek your sustenance from the bounties of God. Worship Him. Give Him thanks. To Him you will all return." (29:17)
If you, (pagans), call our (revelations) lies, certainly many generations living before you have also done the same thing. The duty of a Messenger is only to preach clearly (29:18).
Have they not seen how God begins the creation and then turns it back? This is not difficult at all for God. (29:19) (Muhammad), say to them, "Travel through the land and see how He has begun the creation and how He will invent the next life. God has power over all things (29:20).
He punishes or grants mercy to whomever He wants and to Him you will all return. (29:21)
You cannot challenge God in the heavens or in the earth. No one besides God is your guardian or helper (29:22).
Those who have rejected God's revelations have no hope in receiving His mercy. They will face a painful torment. (29:23) (Abraham's) people had no answer except suggesting, "Kill him or burn him." But God saved him from the fire. In this there is evidence (of truth) for the believing people (29:24).
Abraham said, "You believe in idols besides God only out of worldly love, but on the Day of Judgment you will reject and condemn each other. Your dwelling will be fire and no one will help you." (29:25)
Only Lot believed in (Abraham) and said, "I seek refuge in my Lord, for He is Majestic and All-wise" (29:26).
We granted Isaac and Jacob to Abraham and We bestowed upon his offspring, prophethood and the Book. We gave him his reward in this world and in the next life, he will be among the pious ones. (29:27)
Lot told his people, "You are certainly committing the kind of indecency which no one in the world has committed before" (29:28).
Do you engage in carnal relations with men, rob the travellers, and commit evil in your gatherings? His people had no answer but to say, "Bring upon us the torment of God if you are truthful" (29:29).
He prayed, "Lord help me against the evil-doing people." (29:30) When Our angelic Messengers brought glad news to Abraham, they told him, "We are about to destroy the people of this town for their injustice" (29:31).
Abraham said, "Lot is there in that town!" They said, "We know everyone there. We shall certainly save him and his family except his wife who will remain behind." (29:32)
When Our angelic Messengers came to Lot, he was grieved and depressed to see them. They told him, "Do not be afraid or grieved. We will rescue you and your family except your wife who will remain behind (29:33).
We will bring torment from the sky on this town because of the evil-deeds of its inhabitants" (29:34).
We left manifest evidence (of the truth) there for the people of understanding. (29:35)
We sent to the people of Midian their brother Shu`ayb. He told them, "Worship God. Have hope in the life to come. Do not spread evil in the land" (29:36). They rejected him so We jolted them with a violent earthquake and they were left motionless in their houses. (29:37)
How the people of Ad and Thamud were destroyed is evident to you from their homes. Satan made their deeds seem attractive to them and prevented them from the right path, even though they had visions. (29:38)
Korah, the Pharaoh, and Haman were also destroyed. Moses had brought them illustrious miracles, but they were puffed-up with pride in the land and they could not defeat Us. (29:39)
We punished all of these people because of their sin. Some of them were struck by a violent sand-storm, some by a blast of sound, others were swallowed up by the earth, and some were drowned (in the sea).
God did not do injustice to them, but they had wronged themselves. (29:40)
The belief of considering other things as one's guardians besides God is as feeble as a spider's web. The spider's web is the frailest of all dwellings, if only they knew it (29:41).
God knows whatever they worship besides Him; He is the Majestic and All-wise (29:42).
These are parables which We tell to human being, but only the learned ones understand them. (29:43)
God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the believers. (29:44) (Muhammad), recite to them what has been revealed to you in the Book and be steadfast in prayer; prayer keeps one away from indecency and evil. It is the greatest act of worshipping God. God knows what you do. (29:45)
Do not argue with the People of the Book except only by the best manner, except the unjust among them. Tell them, "We believe in what is revealed to us and to you. Our Lord and your Lord is one. We have submitted ourselves to His will" (29:46).
We have revealed the Book to you. Some of the People of the Book and some of the pagans also believe in it. No one rejects Our revelations except the infidels. (29:47)
You were not able to read or write before the Quran was revealed to you; otherwise, the followers of falsehood would have tried to confuse the matter (29:48).
In fact, the Quran consists of illustrious verses that exist in the hearts of those who have knowledge. No one rejects Our revelations except the unjust ones (29:49).
They say, "Why a miracle is not sent to him from his Lord." Say, "Miracles are in the hands of God. I am simply a warner." (29:50)
Is it not enough for them that We have revealed the Book to you to be recited to them. It is a mercy and a reminder for the believers (29:51).
Say, "God is sufficient as a witness between me and you. He knows all that is in the heavens and the earth." Those who have faith in falsehood and disbelieve in God are certainly lost. (29:52)
They demand you to bring upon them torment immediately. Had not the time been fixed, the torment would certainly have approached them. It would have come to them suddenly and they would not have even realized how it came (29:53).
They demand you to bring upon them the torment immediately. Hell will certainly engulf the unbelievers (29:54).
They will be told on the Day of Judgment, when the torment will surround them from all sides, "Suffer the consequences of your deeds." (29:55)
My believing servants, My land is vast. Worship Me alone (29:56).
Every soul will experience the agony of death and to Me you will all return (29:57). We shall give mansions in Paradise wherein streams flow to the righteously striving believers and therein they will live forever. How blessed is the reward of the hard working people (29:58) who have exercised patience and who have had trust in their Lord. (29:59)
There are many living creatures which do not carry their sustenance, but God provides them and you with sustenance. He is All-hearing and All-knowing (29:60).
If you ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth and has subdued the sun and moon?" They will say, "God has done it." So why are they wandering about!? (29:61)
God increases the sustenance of whichever of His servants He wants and He determines their share. God has the knowledge of all things (29:62).
If you ask them, "Who has sent down water from the sky to revive the dead earth?" They will say, "God has done it." Say, "It is only God who deserves all praise, but many of them do not understand." (29:63)
The worldly life is not more than a childish game. It is the life hereafter which will be the real life, if only they knew it (29:64).
When they sail in a boat, they sincerely pray to God with pure faith. But when We bring them safely to land, they start considering things equal to God (29:65). Let them be ungrateful to what We have granted them. Let them enjoy themselves, but they will soon know (the consequences of their deeds). (29:66)
Have the (pagans) not seen that We have made the holy precinct a safe place while all the people around are suffering terror. Do they believe in falsehood and disbelieve in God's bounties? (29:67).
Who is more unjust than one who invents falsehood against God or rejects the Truth after it has come to him? Is not hell the dwelling for the disbelievers. (29:68)
We shall certainly guide those who strive for Our cause to Our path. God is certainly with the righteous ones. (29:69)