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 6 (Verses 29:52–29:63): Warning and Consolation
Translation:
قُلۡ کَفٰی بِاللّٰہِ بَیۡنِیۡ وَ بَیۡنَکُمۡ شَہِیۡدًا ۚ یَعۡلَمُ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا بِالۡبَاطِلِ وَ کَفَرُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ ۙ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۲﴾
29:52 Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you — He knows what is in the heavens and the earth. And those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, these it is that are the losers.
وَ یَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَکَ بِالۡعَذَابِ ؕ وَ لَوۡ لَاۤ اَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّی لَّجَآءَہُمُ الۡعَذَابُ ؕ وَ لَیَاۡتِیَنَّہُمۡ بَغۡتَۃً وَّ ہُمۡ لَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ﴿۵۳﴾
29:53 And they ask you to hasten on the punishment. And if a time had not been fixed, the punishment would certainly have come to them. And certainly it will come to them all of a sudden, while they do not perceive.
یَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَکَ بِالۡعَذَابِ ؕ وَ اِنَّ جَہَنَّمَ لَمُحِیۡطَۃٌۢ بِالۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۵۴﴾
29:54 They ask you to hasten on the punishment, and surely hell encompasses the disbelievers —
یَوۡمَ یَغۡشٰہُمُ الۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ فَوۡقِہِمۡ وَ مِنۡ تَحۡتِ اَرۡجُلِہِمۡ وَ یَقُوۡلُ ذُوۡقُوۡا مَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ ﴿۵۵﴾
29:55 The day when the punishment will cover them from above them, and from beneath their feet!1 And He will say: Taste what you did.
یٰعِبَادِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنَّ اَرۡضِیۡ وَاسِعَۃٌ فَاِیَّایَ فَاعۡبُدُوۡنِ ﴿۵۶﴾
29:56 O My servants who believe, surely My earth is vast, so serve Me only.2
کُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ذَآئِقَۃُ الۡمَوۡتِ ۟ ثُمَّ اِلَیۡنَا تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ ﴿۵۷﴾
29:57 Every soul must taste of death; then to Us you will be returned.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّہُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَنَّۃِ غُرَفًا تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَا ؕ نِعۡمَ اَجۡرُ الۡعٰمِلِیۡنَ ﴿٭ۖ۵۸﴾
29:58 And those who believe and do good, We shall certainly give them an abode in high places in the Garden in which rivers flow, abiding in it. Excellent the reward of the workers,
الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوۡا وَ عَلٰی رَبِّہِمۡ یَتَوَکَّلُوۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾
29:59 who are patient, and on their Lord they rely!
وَ کَاَیِّنۡ مِّنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ لَّا تَحۡمِلُ رِزۡقَہَا ٭ۖ اَللّٰہُ یَرۡزُقُہَا وَ اِیَّاکُمۡ ۫ۖ وَ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۶۰﴾
29:60 And how many a living creature does not carry its sustenance! Allah sustains it and yourselves. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.3
وَ لَئِنۡ سَاَلۡتَہُمۡ مَّنۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ سَخَّرَ الشَّمۡسَ وَ الۡقَمَرَ لَیَقُوۡلُنَّ اللّٰہُ ۚ فَاَنّٰی یُؤۡفَکُوۡنَ ﴿۶۱﴾
29:61 And if you ask them, Who created the heavens and the earth and made the sun and the moon subservient, they would say: Allah. How are they then turned away (from truth)!
اَللّٰہُ یَبۡسُطُ الرِّزۡقَ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ وَ یَقۡدِرُ لَہٗ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۶۲﴾
29:62 Allah amplifies provision for whom He pleases of His servants, and restricts (it) for him (also). Surely Allah is Knower of all things.
وَ لَئِنۡ سَاَلۡتَہُمۡ مَّنۡ نَّزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَحۡیَا بِہِ الۡاَرۡضَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَوۡتِہَا لَیَقُوۡلُنَّ اللّٰہُ ؕ قُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ ؕ بَلۡ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ لَا یَعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿٪۶۳﴾
29:63 And if you ask them, Who is it that sends down water from the clouds, then gives life with it to the earth after its death, they will say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them do not understand.4
Commentary:
- The expression used is simply to indicate the all-encompassing nature of the punishment, which will not leave them a way to escape. Compare 6:65. ↩
- This is to comfort the Muslims against the severe persecutions by their enemies. If they are persecuted at Makkah, they will find a refuge elsewhere. ↩
- This is a consolation to the Muslims that the giving up of their concerns and business at Makkah will not lead to their ruin. (Editor’s Note: This verse also points out that, as in nature sustenance for all creatures is provided for by God, so it is a duty of man to ensure that all creatures continue to receive their sustenance for their survival.) ↩
- Most of them did not understand that the dead earth was now about to be raised to life. ↩