Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt

Overview

Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt is a Makkan sūrah with 69 āyāt. The word ʿankabūt means ‘spider’ in Arabic. The title of the sūrah is a reference to an evocative parable therein: “The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she takes unto herself a house. Surely the frailest of all houses is the spider’s house, if only they knew.” (29:41)

The sūrah begins with profound admonishment-cum-solace to the believers—do they take their faith for granted? Do they think their attainment of eternal bliss comes for free? Those who strive do so only for their own benefit. Everyone who has trodden a path of truth has been tried on it; and Allah shall surely distinguish the sincere from the pretenders. Allah reminds us to never equate the harm faced on the path to truth with His punishment. One is relatively minor even if difficult at the time, and the other is unfathomably damning—if in the worldly life, His seizure is severe, and if in the Hereafter, it is everlasting doom. Within this opening is a brief exhortation towards goodliness to one’s parents, which is often mentioned in the Qur’an hand-in-hand with tawḥīd. (29:1-13)

The discourse then transitions to prophetic examples of resilience, patience, and fidelity. Despite tremendous challenges, these men rose above and beyond the call of duty to become universal parables of divine devotion and triumph. Nūḥ called his people for ‘a thousand years minus fifty’, yet only a few followed him and were saved. Ibrāhīm had his people wholly reject him. Only his nephew Lūṭ believed him and became himself a prophet. The latter battled unique moral degeneracy from his nation, where they engaged in ‘obscenity no one in the world before them did’. Madyan, ʿĀd, and Thamūd are also briefly cited. Firʿawn and his cronies Qārūn and Hāmān are given a dishonourable mention. All of them, one after the other, were taken to task for their sins. (29:14-40)

There follows an exposition on monotheism, the cosmic signs of Allah, and His being the sustainer of everything in creation. There are also retorts to the truth-rejector’s stickling. Just as He sent His punishment to the peoples before them, Allah will send it upon these arrogant deniers; it is only delayed to an appointed time. (29:41-69)

Context

Scholars have differed over the exact circumstances upon which Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt was revealed. It is most likely among the last sūrahs to be revealed before the Hijrah, during one of the most difficult phases faced by the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. This is why its opening is full of reassurance, its middle full of examples hardship and triumph, and its end full of reminders of Allah’s lordship. Thus, the mentions of jihad in the sūrah are references to patience against injustice and hope for Allah’s reward. Militaristic jihad was legislated in Madinah.

Themes

• Hardships and temptations are inevitable for the believers.
• The messengers as examples of overcoming their challenges with faith.
• Counsel, admonishment, and solace for the believers.
• Allah as the Lord of the Worlds—there is nothing but that it is under His care.

Unique Features

• Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt is the third sūrah in the Qur’an to begin with alif-lām-mīm, and the first of four consecutive sūrahs which have this discrete-letter opening. There are six of them in total in the Qur’an.
• It uniquely refers to the Hereafter as al-ḥayawān: the abode of fully realised life. Allah says: “The worldly life is but a pastime and a game. Verily, the home of the Hereafter—that is Life (al-ḥayawān), if only they knew.” (29:64)
• Only in Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt (29:39) and Sūrah Ghāfir (40:24) are all of Firʿawn, Hāmān, and Qārūn mentioned together in a single āyah. They represent the axis of injustice: the despotic ruler, his obsequious minister, and his wealthy financier.

Lessons

• Jihad is a means for justice on earth. But there’s another form of jihad we often neglect which some scholars consider more critical than the latter: jihad of the nafs. Subduing the lower impulses of the ego and manifesting the purity within is the essence of religiosity: “Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to our paths. Most certainly is Allah with the excellent.” (29:69)
• Showcasing the superiority of Islam is mandated in everything we do, especially via action. Debates and positive argumentation are also valid avenues to convince the sincere. However, there are etiquettes that should be observed: “Do not argue with Ahl al-Kitāb except with what is best, save the unjust among them, and say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to you, and our god and your god is one, and we submit to Him.’” (29:46)
• The ritual prayer, if done properly, is a powerful deterrent from moral depravity. It inculcates within us all forms of glorification: recitation of the Qur’an, bowing, prostrating, ḥamd, tasbīḥ, istighfār, shahādah, ṣalawāt on the Prophet ﷺ, and salām. All these types of dhikr—be they movements, utterances, or spiritual states—force us to connect with the heavenly: “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the prayer, for indeed the prayer forbids obscenity and immorality; verily remembrance of Allah is greatest. Allah knows what you do.” (29:45)
• It is easy to perceive the powers that be as indestructible. Economic, political, and militaristic strength that seems insurmountable. We think them muʿjizīna fī al-arḍ, to use the qur’anic terminology; i.e. an unstoppable force on earth. But this is an illusion: a fickle façade which masks frightened frailty. Naught but a spider’s spun web—dazzling, yet incredibly fragile. (29:41)

Virtues and Valuable Information

• It is reported that some Muslims came to the Prophet ﷺ with texts they had written. Some of the content was borrowed from what they had heard from the Jews. The Prophet ﷺ said: “It is sufficient misguidance for a people that they relegate what their own prophet came with in favour for what another came with for another nation.” Then the following āyah came down: “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is read unto them? Indeed, in that is a mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.” (29:51)