Surah 29. Al-Ankabut

[Yea-] and most certainly will God mark out those who have [truly] attained to faith, and most certainly will He mark out the hypocrites.⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

This is probably the earliest occurrence of the term munafiq in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation. Idiomatically, the term is derived from the noun nafaq, which denotes an "underground passage" having an outlet different from the entry, and signifying, specifically, the complicated burrow of a field-mouse, a lizard, etc., from which the animal can easily escape or in which it can outwit a pursuer. Tropically, the term munafiq describes a person who is "two-faced", inasmuch as he always tries to find an easy way out of any real commitment, be it spiritual or social, by adapting his course of action to what promises to be of practical advantage to him in the situation in which he happens to find himself. Since a person thus characterized usually pretends to be morally better than he really is, the epithet munafiq may roughly be rendered as "hypocrite". It should, however, be noted that whereas this Western term invariably implies conscious dissembling with the intent to deceive others, the Arabic term mun afiq may also be applied - and occasionally is applied in the Qur'an - to a person who, being weak or uncertain in his beliefs or moral convictions, merely deceives himself. Hence, while using in my rendering of the Qur'anic text the conventional expression "hypocrite", I have endeavoured to point out the above differentiation, whenever possible and necessary, in my explanatory notes.

Most surely Allah knows those who believe and knows those who are the hypocrites.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Verily Allah knoweth those who believe, and verily He knoweth the hypocrites.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [He is aware, too, that] they who are bent on denying the truth speak [thus, as it were,] to those who have attained to faith: "Follow our way [of life], and we shall indeed take your sins upon ourselves !"⁸ But never could they take upon themselves⁹ aught of the sins of those [whom they would thus mislead]: behold, they are liars indeed!

  - Mohammad Asad

The above "saying" of the deniers of the truth is, of course, but a metonym for their attitude towards the believers; hence my interpolation, between brackets, of the words "as it were". The implication is that people who deny the validity of any spiritual commitment arising out of one’s faith in "something that is beyond the reach of human perception" (al-ghayb) - in this case, the existence of God - are, as a rule, unwilling to tolerate such a faith and such a commitment in others as well: and so they endeavour to bring the believers to their way of thinking by a sarcastic, contemptuous reference to the alleged irrelevance of the concept of "sin" as such.

Lit., "bear" - implying a reduction of the burden which the others would have to bear (Razi) See also next note.

The unbelievers say to the believers: "Follow us, and we will bear the burden of your sins". But they will not bear any burden of their sins; they are surely lying.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Follow our way (of religion) and we verily will bear your sins (for you). They cannot bear aught of their sins. Lo! they verily are liars.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Yet most certainly will they have to bear their own burdens, and other burdens besides their own;¹⁰ and most certainly will they be called to account on Resurrection Day for all their false assertions!

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. the Prophet's saying: "Whoever calls [others] unto the right way shall have a reward equal to the [combined] rewards of all who may follow him until Resurrection Day, without anything being lessened of their rewards; and whoever calls unto the way of error will have to bear a sin equal to the [combined] sins of all who may follow him until Resurrection Day, without anything being lessened of their sins" (Bukhari).

Of course, they shall bear their own burdens as well as the burdens of others in addition to their own; and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be questioned about their invented lies.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But they verily will hear their own loads and other loads beside their own, and they verily will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection concerning that which they invented.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND, INDEED, [in times long past] We sent forth Noah unto his people,¹¹ and he dwelt among them a thousand years bar fifty;¹² and then the floods over-whelmed them while they were still lost in evildoing:

  - Mohammad Asad

This passage connects with verse {2} above, "We did test those who lived before them". The story of Noah and of his failure to convert his people occurs in the Qur'an several times, and most extensively in {11:25-48}. In the present instance it is meant to illustrate the truth that no one - not even a prophet - can bestow faith on another person (cf. 28:56 - "thou canst not guide aright everyone whom thou lovest"). The same purport underlies the subsequent references, in verses {16-4O}, to other prophets.

Sc., "and despite this great length of time was unable to convince them of the truth of his mission". The identical figure - 950 years - is given in the Bible (Genesis ix, 29) as Noah's life-span. By repeating this element of the Biblical legend, the Qur'an merely stresses the fact that the duration of a prophet's mission has nothing to do with its success or failure, since "all true guidance is God's guidance" ( 3:73 ) - and, as we are so often told in the Qur'an, "God guides [only] him that wills [to be guided]". Thus, the reference to Noah is meant to reassure the believer who may be distressed at seeing the majority of his fellow-men refuse to accept, all at once, a truth which appears self-evident to him.

We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he lived among them a thousand years less fifty. Then because of their wrongdoings the flood overtook them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And verify We sent Noah (as Our messenger) unto his folk, and he continued with them for a thousand years save fifty years; and the flood engulfed them, for they were wrongdoers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

but We saved him, together with all who were in the ark, which We then set up as a symbol [of Our grace] for all people Ito remember!.

  - Mohammad Asad

But We delivered him and all who were in the ark and We made that ark a sign for the peoples of the world.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We rescued him and those with him in the ship, and made of it a portent for the peoples.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND ABRAHAM, [too, was inspired by Us] when he said unto his people: "Worship God, and be conscious of Him: this is the best for you, if you but knew it!

  - Mohammad Asad

Likewise Ibrahim (Abraham), when he said to his people: "Worship Allah and fear Him, this is better for you if you understand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Abraham! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: serve Allah, and keep your duty unto Him; that is better for you if ye did but know.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

You worship only [lifeless] idols instead of God, and [thus] you give visible shape to a lie!¹³ Behold, those [things and beings] that you worship instead of God have it not in their power to provide sustenance for you: seek, then, all [your] sustenance from God, and worship Him [alone] and be grateful to Him: [for] unto Him you shall be brought back!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "you create a lie".

You worship idols besides Allah and fabricate falsehood. In fact, those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to give you your sustenance, therefore seek your sustenance from Allah, and worship Him. Give thanks to Him, for to Him you shall be returned.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ye serve instead of Allah only idols, and ye only invent a lie. Lo! those whom ye serve instead of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto Him ye will be brought back.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And if you give [me] the lie - well, [other] communities have given the lie [to God's prophets] before your time: but no more is an apostle bound to do than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to him]."

  - Mohammad Asad

If you deny the Message, then nations have denied before you . The only duty a Rasool has is to deliver Allah's Message clearly."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But if ye deny, then nations have denied before you. The messenger is only to convey (the Message) plainly.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

ARE, THEN, they [who deny the truth] not aware of how God creates [life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew?¹⁴ This, verily, is easy for God!

  - Mohammad Asad

This passage - consisting of verses {19-23} - is parenthetically placed in the midst of the story of Abraham, connecting with the latter's reference to resurrection at the end of verse {17} ("unto Him you shall be brought back"). The ever-recurring emergence, decay and re-emergence of life, so vividly exemplified in all organic nature, is often cited in the Qur'an not merely in support of the doctrine of resurrection, but also as evidence of a consciously-devised plan underlying creation as such - and, thus, of the existence of the Creator.

Do they not see how Allah originates creation then repeats its process? Surely it is easy for Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

See they not how Allah produceth creation, then reproduceth it? Lo! for Allah that is easy.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Go all over the earth and behold how [wondrously] He has created [man] in the first in-stance:¹⁵ and thus, too, will God bring into being your second life - for, verily, God has the power to will anything!

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf., for example, {23:12-14}, which alludes to man's coming into existence out of most primitive elements, and gradually evolving into a highly complex being endowed not only with a physical body but also with a mind, with feelings, and instincts.

Say to them: "Travel through the earth and see how Allah originates the creation, then creates the later creation. Surely Allah has power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say (O Muhammad): Travel in the land and see how He originated creation, then Allah bringeth forth the later growth. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"He causes to suffer whomever He wills, and bestows His mercy on whomever He wills; and unto Him you shall be made to return:

  - Mohammad Asad

He punishes whom He wills and shows mercy to whom He pleases, and to Him you shall be turned back.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He punisheth whom He will and showeth mercy unto whom He will, and unto Him ye will be turned.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and never- not on earth and not in the skies - can you [hope to] elude Him; and you have none to protect you from God, and none to bring you succour."

  - Mohammad Asad

Neither can you frustrate Him in the earth or in the Heaven; nor have you any protector or helper besides Allah."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ye cannot escape (from Him) in the earth or in the sky, and beside Allah there is for you no friend nor helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [thus it is:] they who are bent on denying the truth of God's messages and of their [ultimate] meeting with Him - it is they who abandon all hope of My grace and mercy: and it is they whom grievous suffering awaits [in the life to come].¹⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

Implying that such people deprive themselves of God's grace and mercy (which is the twofold significance of the term rahmah in this context) by rejecting all belief in His existence: in other words, belief in God - or one's readiness to believe in Him - is, in and by itself, already an outcome of His grace and mercy, just as suffering in the hereafter is an outcome of one's being "bent on denying the truth".

As for those who disbelieve Allah's revelations and deny that they will ever meet Him, they are the ones who shall despair of My mercy and they the ones who shall have a painful punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah and in (their) Meeting with Him, such have no hope of My mercy. For such there is a painful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

NOW [as for Abraham,] his people's only answer was,¹⁷ "Slay him, or burn him!" - but God saved him from the fire.¹⁸ Behold, in this [story] there are messages indeed for people who will believe!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "the answer of his people was nothing but that they said" - thus connecting with the passage ending with verse {18}.

See note [64] on 21:69 .

The people of Ibrahim (Abraham) had no answer except to say: "Kill him!" Or "Burn him!" But Allah saved him from the fire when they tried to burn him. Surely in this incidence there are signs for those who believe.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But the answer of his folk was only that they said: "Kill him" or "Burn him." Then Allah saved him from the fire. Lo! herein verily are portents for folk who believe.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [Abraham] said: "You have chosen to worship idols instead of God for no other reason than to have a bond of love,¹⁹ in the life of this world, between yourselves [and your forebears]:²⁰ but then, on Resurrection Day, you shall disown one another and curse one another - for the goal of you all will be the fire, and you will have none to succour you."

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "solely out of love".

Thus Razi, explaining this idol-worship as a result of a mere blind imitation (taqlid) of attitudes inherited from past generations.

After coming out from the fire safely, Ibrahim addressed them: "Today you have made idols, instead of Allah, a means of affection among yourselves. Remember, on the Day of Resurrection you shall disown and curse one another. Fire shall be your abode and you shall have no helper."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said: Ye have chosen idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection ye will deny each other and curse each other, and your abode will be the Fire, and ye will have no helpers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall