QURAN CHAPTER - 29
Al-Ankabut - The Spider
Revealed - Meccan
Ruku - 7
Ayat - 69
Theme - The parable of ‘the spider house’, a symbol of false beliefs that are destined to be blown away by the winds of truth.
This Surah shows that the period of its revelation was the period of extreme persecution of the Muslims at Makkah. During such time Allah sent down this Surah to strengthen and encourage the sincere Muslims as well as to put to shame those who were showing weakness of the faith.
- In this connection, the questions that some young men answered. For instance, their parents were urging them to abandon Muhammad (SWS), and return to their ancestral religion, for they argued:
"The Quran in which you have put your faith, regards the rights of the parents as the uppermost; therefore, listen to what we say; otherwise you will be working against the dictates of your own Faith."
- Similarly, the people of some clans said to the new converts to Islam, "Leave the question of punishments, etc., to us. Listen to us and abandon this man. If God seizes you in the Hereafter, we will come forward and say,
'Lord, these people are innocent: we had forced them to give up the Faith; therefore, seize us'."
- The stories mentioned in this Surah also impress the same point mostly, as if to say, "Look at the Prophets of the past: they were made to suffer great hardships and were treated cruelly for long periods. Then, at last they were helped by Allah.
The Muslims have been instructed to the effect: "If you feel that the persecution has become unbearable for you, you should give up your homes, instead of giving up your Faith: Allah's earth is vast: seek a new place where you can worship Allah with the full peace of mind."
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