Al-Ankabut

Al-‘Ankaboot (Arabic: العنكبوت‎, al-‘ankabūt; meaning: The Spider) [1] is the 29th chapter (surah) of the Quran with 69 verses (āyāt).

Sura 29 of the Quran
العنكبوت
Al-‘Ankabūt
The Spider
ClassificationMeccan
PositionJuzʼ 20
Hizb no.40, 41
No. of Rukus7
No. of verses69
Opening muqaṭṭaʻātʾAlif Lām Mīm الم
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Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it is considered an earlier "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina. This is due to the introduction concerning the persecution of the Muslims. The early Muslims were persecuted in Mecca, where Muhammed was not a head of state and not persecuted in Medina, where he was a head of state and had some protection.

The surah states that Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Shuaib, Hud, Saleh, Musa and Muhammad all were prophets of God. All of them endured hardships. For example, Noah was ridiculed often and Abraham was thrown into the fire. But God destroyed their people who transgressed. As it says in verse 40,

So each We punished for his sin; of them was he on whom We sent down a violent storm, and of them was he whom the rumbling overtook, and of them was he whom We made to be swallowed up by the earth, and of them was he whom We drowned; and it did not beseem Allah that He should be unjust to them, but they were unjust to their own souls.[2]

Summary
  • 1-2 Religious faith is proved by trials
  • 3 Evil deeds will surely be punished
  • 4-6 The righteous shall be rewarded for their good deeds
  • 7 Parents not to be obeyed when they oppose God’s law
  • 8 Salvation by faith and good works
  • 9-10 Hypocrites exposed and rebuked
  • 11-12 Unbelievers shall be punished for deceiving others by false promises
  • 13-14 The enemies of Noah drowned for their unbelief
  • 15-16 Abraham preached against idolatry
  • 17 Abraham accused of being an impostor
  • 18-19 He shows the idolaters how God’s power is manifested in nature
  • 20-22 He declares that none shall escape the judgment of God
  • 23 His people attempt to burn him, but God saves him
  • 24 He discourses against the idolatry of his people
  • 25 Lot believes in Abraham, who determines to fly his country
  • 26 God gives Abraham descendants who possess the gift of prophecy and the Scriptures
  • 27-34 The story of Lot and his ministry in Sodom
  • 35-36 Shuaib’s ministry to the unbelieving Madianites
  • 37 Ád and Thamúd destroyed in unbelief
  • 38 Qárún, Pharaoh, and Hámán destroyed in unbelief
  • 39 Various means by which God destroyed infidels
  • 40 Idolatry likened to a spider’s web
  • 41 God knoweth the idols worshipped by men
  • 42, 43 God’s works and signs only understood by true believers
  • 44 Muhammad is commanded to recite the Qurán and to give himself to prayer
  • 45 Muslims not to fight against Jews and Christians except in self-defence
  • 45, 46 The Qurán and the former Scriptures one revelation
  • 47 The miracle of Muhammad’s reading and writing a proof of the inspiration of the Qurán
  • 48 Unbelievers only reject the Quran
  • 49 Muhammad challenged to work a miracle
  • 50 The Quran itself a sufficient miracle
  • 51, 52 God will judge between Muhammad and the infidels
  • 53-55 The infidels call for judgment, and it will find them unprepared
  • 56 Believers exhorted to fly from persecution
  • 57-59 The reward of the righteous dead
  • 60-63 God’s works in creation and providence witness his being
  • 64 The present life a vain show
  • 65, 66 Unbelievers are ungrateful
  • 67, 68 The ingratitude of the Arab idolaters
  • 69 God will reward the faithful [3]

Parable of the spider's house

The parable of those who take protectors other than God is that of a spider spinning a shelter. And the flimsiest of all shelters is certainly that of a spider, if only they knew.

— - Qur'an 29:41[4]

Mustafa Khattab, author of the Clear Quran notes that "Externally, the web is too flimsy to protect the spider against rain and strong wind. Internally, the spider’s family structure is fragile, since some species are cannibalistic, with the female preying on the male and the young eating their own mother." [5]

References
  1. Ibn Kathir (d.1373). "Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al Ankabut". Quran 4 U. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. Quran Surah Al-Ankaboot ( Verse 40 )
  3. Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Quran Surat Al Ankabut (29):41
  5. Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran


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