Surah 29. Al-Ankabut

Alif. Lam. Mim.¹

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II.

Alif Lam M'im.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Alif-Lãm-Mĩm.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Alif. Lam. Mim.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Alif Lam Mim. ³⁴²²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We are asked to contrast, in our present life the real inner life against the outer life, and learn from the past about the struggles of the soul which upholds Allah's Truth, against the environment of evil, which resists it, and to turn our thoughts to the Ma'ad, or man's future destiny in the Hereafter.

DO MEN THINK that on their [mere] saying, "We have attained to faith", they will be left to themselves, and will not be put to a test?

  - Mohammad Asad

Do the people think that they will be left alone on saying "We believe," and that they will not be tested?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Do people think once they say, 'We believe,' that they will be left without being put to the test?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying "We believe" and that they will not be tested? ³⁴²³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and tested in the real turmoil of life. The test will be applied in all kinds of circumstances, in individual life and in relation to the environment around us, to see whether we can strive constantly and put Allah above Self. Much pain, sorrow, and self-sacrifice may be necessary, not because they are good in themselves, but because they will purify us, like fire applied to a goldsmith's crucible to burn out the dross.

Yea, indeed, We did test those who lived before them; and so, [too, shall be tested the people now living: and] most certainly will God mark out those who prove themselves true, and most certainly will He mark out those who are lying.²

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., to others and/or to themselves (see note [7]).

We did test those who have gone before them. Allah has to see (for the purpose of reward and punishment) who are the truthful and who are the liars.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We certainly tested those before them. And 'in this way' Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

We did test those before them and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. ³⁴²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The word "know" is used here more in the sense of testing than of acquiring knowledge. Allah is All-Knowing: He needs no test to increase His own knowledge, but the test is to burn out the dross within ourselves, as explained in the last note.

Or do they think - they who do evil deeds [while claiming to have attained to faith1 - that they can escape Us? Bad, indeed, is their judgment!

  - Mohammad Asad

Or do the evildoers think that they will escape from Our reach? How bad is their judgment!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or do the evildoers 'simply' think that they will escape Us? How wrong is their judgment!

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or do those who do ill deeds imagine that they can outstrip Us: Evil (for them ) is that which they decide.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Do those who practice evil think that they will get the better of us? Evil is their judgment! ³⁴²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If the enemies of Truth imagine that they will "be first" by destroying Truth before it takes root, they are sadly at fault, for their own persecution may help to plant Allah's Truth more firmly in men's hearts.

Whoever looks forward [with hope and aw ] to meeting God [on Resurrection Day, let him be ready for it]: for, behold, the end set by God [for every-one's life] is bound to come - and He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!

  - Mohammad Asad

He that hopes to meet Allah must know that Allah's appointed time is sure to come and He hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whoever hopes for the meeting with Allah, 'let them know that' Allah's appointed time is sure to come. He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Whoso looketh forward to the meeting with Allah (let him know that) Allah's reckoning is surely nigh, and He is the Hearer, the Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For those whose hopes are in the meeting with Allah (in the Hereafter let them strive); for the Term (appointed) by Allah is surely coming: and He hears and knows (all things). ^{3426 3427}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The men of Faith look forward to Allah. Their quest is Allah, and the object of their hopes is the meeting with Allah. They should strive with might and main to serve Him in this life, for this life is short, and the Term appointed for their probation will soon be over.

The Term (ajal) may signify: (1) the time appointed for death, which ends the probation of this life; (2) the time appointed for this life, so that we can prepare for the Hereafter; the limit will soon expire. In either case the ultimate meaning is the same. We must strive now and not postpone anything for the future. And we must realize and remember that every prayer we make to Allah is heard by Him, and that every unspoken wish or motive of our heart, good or bad, is known to Him, and goes to swell our spiritual account.

Hence, whoever strives hard [in God's cause] does so only for his own good: for, verily, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds!

  - Mohammad Asad

He that strives, does that for his own soul; for Allah is certainly transcendent and beyond any need of the worlds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And whoever strives 'in Allah's cause', only does so for their own good. Surely Allah is not in need of 'any of' His creation.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And whosoever striveth, striveth only for himself, for lo! Allah is altogether Independent of (His) creatures.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And if any strive (with might and main) they do so for their own souls: for Allah is free of all needs from all creation. ³⁴²⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All our striving ensures to our own spiritual benefit. When we speak of serving Allah, it is not that we confer any benefit on Him. For He has no needs, and is independent of all His Creation. In conforming to His Will, we are seeking our own good, as in yielding to evil we are doing harm to ourselves.

And as for those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly efface their [previous] bad deeds, and shall most certainly reward them in accordance with the best that they ever did.

  - Mohammad Asad

As for those who believe and do good deeds, We shall cleanse them of their sins and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who believe and do good, We will certainly absolve them of their sins, and reward them according to the best of what they used to do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And as for those who believe and do good works, We shall remit from them their evil deeds and shall repay them the best that they did.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who believe and work righteous deeds from them shall We blot out all evil (that may be) in them and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds. ³⁴²⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In striving to purify our Faith and our Life, we are enabled to avoid the consequences of our misdeeds for Allah will forgive any evil in our past, and help to the attainment of a Future based on the best of what we have done rather than on the poor average of our own merits. The atonement or expiation is by Allah's Mercy, not by our merits or the merits or sacrifice of anyone else.

Now [among the best of righteous deeds which] We have enjoined upon man [is] goodness towards his parents;³ yet [even so,] should they endeavour to make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me, to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine],⁴ obey them not: [for] it is unto Me that you all must return, whereupon I shall make you [truly] under-stand [the right and wrong of] all that you were doing [in life].

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {31:14-15} and, particularly, the corresponding note [15].

Lit., "something of which thou hast no knowledge": i.e., in this particular case, "something which conflicts with thy knowledge that none and nothing can have any share in God's qualities or powers". According to Razi, this phrase may also allude to concepts not evolved through personal knowledge but, rather, acquired through a blind, uncritical acceptance of other people's views (taqlid).

We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents; but if they (your parents) force you to commit shirk with Me, of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return and I will inform you of what you have done.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We have commanded people to honour their parents. But if they urge you to associate with Me what you have no knowledge of,¹ then do not obey them. To Me you will 'all' return, and then I will inform you of what you used to do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Other gods.

We have enjoined on man kindness to parents; but if they strive to make thee join with Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Unto Me is your return and I shall tell you what ye used to do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to Me and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did. ^{3430 3431}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That is, no certainty. In matters of faith and worship, even parents have no right to force their children. They cannot and must not hold up before them any worship but that of the One True God.

Children and parents must all remember that they have all to go before Allah's tribunal, and answer, each for his own deeds. In cases where one set of people have lawful authority over another set of people (as in the case of parents and children), and the two differ in important matters like that of Faith, the latter are justified in rejecting authority: the apparent conflict will be solved when the whole truth is revealed to all eyes in the final Judgment.

But as for those who have attained to faith and have done righteous deeds, We shall most certainly cause them to join the righteous [in the hereafter as well].

  - Mohammad Asad

Those who have accepted the true faith and do good deeds shall be admitted among the righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who believe and do good will surely be admitted by Us into 'the company of' the righteous.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And as for those who believe and do good works, We veril shall make them enter in among the righteous.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And those who believe and work righteous deeds them shall We admit to the company of the Righteous. ³⁴³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The picking up again of the words which began verse 7 above shows that the same subject is now pursued from another aspect. The striving in righteous deeds will restore fallen man to the society of the Righteous.

NOW THERE IS among men many a one who says [of himself and of others like him], "We do believe in God" - but whenever he is made to suffer in God's cause, he thinks that persecution at the hands of man is as [much to be feared, or even more than,] God's chastisement;⁵ whereas, if succour from thy Sustainer comes [to those who truly believe],⁶ he is sure to say, "Behold, we have always been with you!" Is not God fully aware of what is in the hearts of al] creatures?

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the suffering which is bound to befall in the hereafter all who abandon their faith for fear of being persecuted in this world. (It is to be borne in mind that a mere outward renunciation of faith under torture or threat of death is not considered a sin in Islam, although martyrdom for the sake of one's faith is the highest degree of merit to which man can attain.)

I.e., when it is no longer risky to be counted as one of them.

There are some among people, who say: "We believe in Allah;" yet when they suffer in the cause of Allah they confuse the persecution of people with the punishment of Allah. But when there comes help in the shape of a victory from your Rabb, they are sure to say: "We have always been with you." Is not Allah fully aware of what is in the hearts of the people of the world?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There are some who say, 'We believe in Allah,' but when they suffer in the cause of Allah, they mistake 'this' persecution at the hands of people for the punishment of Allah. But when victory comes from your Lord, they surely say 'to the believers', 'We have always been with you.' Does Allah not know best what is in the hearts of all beings?

  - Mustafa Khattab

Of mankind is he who saith: We believe in Allah, but, if he be made to suffer for the sake of Allah, he mistaketh the persecution of mankind for Allah's punishment; and then, if victory cometh from thy Lord, will say: Lo! we were with you (all the while). Is not Allah best aware of what is in the bosoms of (His) creatures?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then there are among men such as say "We believe in Allah"; but when they suffer affliction in (the cause of) Allah they treat men's oppression as if it were the Wrath of Allah! and if help comes (to thee) from thy Lord they are sure to say "We have (always) been with you!" Does not Allah know best all that is in the hearts of all Creation? ³⁴³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. ix. 56, and other passages where the cunning 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 Allah.