English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 29: Al-Ankabut — The Spider (Revealed at Makkah: 7 sections, 69 verses)
Section 3 (Verses 29:23–29:30): Abraham and Lot
Translation:
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ وَ لِقَآئِہٖۤ اُولٰٓئِکَ یَئِسُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَتِیۡ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۳﴾
29:23 And those who disbelieve in the messages of Allah and the meeting with Him, they despair of My mercy, and for them is a painful punishment.
فَمَا کَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِہٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ قَالُوا اقۡتُلُوۡہُ اَوۡ حَرِّقُوۡہُ فَاَنۡجٰىہُ اللّٰہُ مِنَ النَّارِ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ یُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۲۴﴾
29:24 But the answer of his people was only that they said: Kill him or burn him! But Allah delivered him from the fire. Surely there are signs in this for a people who believe.1
وَ قَالَ اِنَّمَا اتَّخَذۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ اَوۡثَانًا ۙ مَّوَدَّۃَ بَیۡنِکُمۡ فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۚ ثُمَّ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ یَکۡفُرُ بَعۡضُکُمۡ بِبَعۡضٍ وَّ یَلۡعَنُ بَعۡضُکُمۡ بَعۡضًا ۫ وَّ مَاۡوٰىکُمُ النَّارُ وَ مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ نّٰصِرِیۡنَ ﴿٭ۙ۲۵﴾
29:25 And he said: You have only taken idols besides Allah by way of friendship between you in this world’s life, then on the day of Resurrection you will deny one another and curse one another; and your abode is the Fire, and you will have no helpers.
فَاٰمَنَ لَہٗ لُوۡطٌ ۘ وَ قَالَ اِنِّیۡ مُہَاجِرٌ اِلٰی رَبِّیۡ ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ ﴿۲۶﴾
29:26 So Lot believed in him. And he said: I am fleeing to my Lord. Surely He is the Mighty, the Wise.2
وَ وَہَبۡنَا لَہٗۤ اِسۡحٰقَ وَ یَعۡقُوۡبَ وَ جَعَلۡنَا فِیۡ ذُرِّیَّتِہِ النُّبُوَّۃَ وَ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُ اَجۡرَہٗ فِی الدُّنۡیَا ۚ وَ اِنَّہٗ فِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ لَمِنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۲۷﴾
29:27 And We granted him Isaac and Jacob, and ordained prophethood and the Book among his offspring. And We gave him his reward in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous.
وَ لُوۡطًا اِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِہٖۤ اِنَّکُمۡ لَتَاۡتُوۡنَ الۡفَاحِشَۃَ ۫ مَا سَبَقَکُمۡ بِہَا مِنۡ اَحَدٍ مِّنَ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿۲۸﴾
29:28 And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: Surely you commit foul deeds which none of the nations has done before you.
اَئِنَّکُمۡ لَتَاۡتُوۡنَ الرِّجَالَ وَ تَقۡطَعُوۡنَ السَّبِیۡلَ ۬ۙ وَ تَاۡتُوۡنَ فِیۡ نَادِیۡکُمُ الۡمُنۡکَرَ ؕ فَمَا کَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِہٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ قَالُوا ائۡتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللّٰہِ اِنۡ کُنۡتَ مِنَ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۲۹﴾
29:29 Do you come to males and commit robbery on the highway, and commit evil deeds in your assemblies?3 But the answer of his people was only that they said: Bring on us Allah’s punishment, if you are truthful.
قَالَ رَبِّ انۡصُرۡنِیۡ عَلَی الۡقَوۡمِ الۡمُفۡسِدِیۡنَ ﴿٪۳۰﴾
29:30 He said: My Lord, help me against the mischievous people.
Commentary:
- As in 21:69, so here, it is not stated that Abraham was actually cast into the fire. On the other hand, the plan was either to kill or to burn him, and therefore the fire may only stand for the opposition which these plans involved. ↩
- The words I am fleeing to my Lord indicate his flight to another country to where he was commanded to flee by his Lord. This is more clearly stated in 19:48: “And I withdraw from you,” being followed by the statement in 19:49: “So when he withdrew from them”. This makes it further clear that his deliverance from the fire was brought about by his flight to another country. ↩
- Three sins are ascribed to Lot’s people — homosexuality, highway robbery, and openly committing evil deeds in their assemblies. Therefore it is a mistake to explain all incidents in connection with Lot’s story only with reference to homosexuality as the sole evil of which they were guilty. ↩