Surah Al-Ankbut
Surah Al-Ankabut is the twenty-ninth chapter of the Quran, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during the most critical period of his ministry when the trials of his followers by the Meccan chiefs were at their extremes, approximately in 613 – 616 AD. Thus, it represents the purest light in the wake of struggle against utmost darkness, and a comforting guidance to his companions at the crunch times, as it contains the very essence of Islamic teachings. The style of the stories related in this chapter are also of metaphorical significance. This Surah has 69 verses divided into sections.
Like other Surahs revealed in Mecca, we find the emphasis on monotheism or the Oneness of God. The Surah shows that when it was revealed, there were people who were convincing their youth not to believe in Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and to obey their parents as this is what all religions command.
What is this Surah about?
This Surah tells the stories of Prophet Nuh/Noah, Ibrahim/Abraham, Lut, Shoaib and of Ad, Thamud, Korah/Qarun, Pharaoh and Haman to comfort and encourage the Prophet and the believers. Illustrating that all Prophets (SAW) and their followers suffered hardships for long periods of time but were helped by God.
The name of this chapter is ‘Al-Ankabut’, meaning ‘The Spider’ and is actually the allegorical reference to the Sun which is also represented as the female who is responsible for building the home. It is predominant that the word al-’ankabût refers to the singular feminine form of the word spider, and the plural is ‘anakeb. It highlights the individualistic life the spider leads, except during mating and the hatching of eggs. This stands in contrast with each of Surat Al-Nahl (The Bees) and Surat Al-Naml (The Ants), where both Surah’s refer to the plural form of the name of the creature; highlighting the communal life such insects lead. Accordingly, weaving the web is a mission undertaken by female spiders. Although the male spider might occasionally take part in the construction, the restoration or expansion of the web, the act itself is carried out mainly by the female spider
Some fascinating arachnid facts
From the spiritual point of view, a spider’s house is the most fragile of all houses. It is deprived of notions of love and mercy; the core foundation for any happy family. In some species, the female spider kills the male immediately after the fertilisation process and the female then devours the male’s body, since the former is larger and fiercer than the latter. In some cases, the female mercilessly eats its offspring. In other cases, the female dies after the complete fertilisation of the eggs that it usually carried in a silk sac. When the eggs hatch, the spiderlings come out to find themselves in an extremely crowded place. The siblings then start fighting over food and/or space, until the battle ends with the survival of only a few spiderlings. When the mother dies, the spiderlings feed on the mothers body. Afterwards, the spiderlings spread out in the surrounding environment. Those who survive go through the same tragic experience all over again, which makes the spider’s house the most brutal. Allah the Almighty has set the spider’s house as an example of fragility and frailty because of the lack of strong family ties and lack of notions of mercy among members of the family.
The verse below is a clear imagery of how the web is described:
The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider's house; if they but knew.” (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:41)
Spider silk is incredibly strong and even stronger than steel by weight but in the Qu’ran when Allah calls the spider’s web “the weakest of houses” its not about the silk’s tensile strength. It’s about its function as a home. A web is not protected by the rain, heat, cold, enemies, one touch and it collapses. This verse illustrates that anything besides Allah may appear intricate and strong but in reality it is fragile and deceptive. Similarly, when worshipping other idols which can be made by hand, they appear very complex and intricate, but in reality they cannot offer real protection and on judgement day hold no real power. If the believer is strong and pursues Allah, while the unbeliever is weak and like unto a fly...well, what do flies pursue? Waste, decaying food, garbage, etc., right? So perhaps a further level of the parable is suggesting that pursuing anything material—except for the sake of Allah—is akin to pursuing trash, and/or that which will decay even as you seek it; i.e.: worthless.
Analysis of the Verses and Chapters
The first ayat begins with:
Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test?
We certainly tested those before them. And ˹in this way˺ Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.
When Allah says, "Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test?", He is saying that He will test everyone. Just because you are Muslim, and you pray five times a day, pay Zakah etc does not mean that He will not excuse you. Absolutely EVERYONE must go through trials and tribulations before their death, whether they believe or not.
The Prophet (SAW) said the better you are as a Muslim, the more tested you are. Some would turn impatient with their tests, "Ugh, I pray, I do everything, and I've still all these problems, why isn't Allah helping me?" The wisdom is that Allah forgives us of some sins, for any calamity that would befall upon us, so He'd test more those whom He loves more, so they are more forgiven, thus they'd enter a higher rank in Paradise. Allah revealed this to the Prophet (SAW) when he let some people stay behind and not have to partake in the battles. Allah knows who are the hypocrites, but wanted to expose them to the people. Those who weren't going to partake in the wars would be hypocrites, and those who go, would be the believers.
And verily we sent Noah (as Our messenger) unto his folk, and he continued with them for a thousand years save fifty years; and the flood engulfed them, for they were wrong- doers. (14) And We rescued him and those with him in the ship, and made of it a portent for the peoples. (15) - Verse 41 chapter 29
According to the Muslim lore narrated by Ibn Kathir (a Syrian rab Islamic exegete, historian and scholar), Noah had admonished his people from the worship of Idols, but they refused to heed his warnings. Then Noah made a ship in the midst of land, where alongside the passengers he gathered all sorts of animals and plants. His predictions of flood came true and that destroyed everything on the land, except those on board at his ship.
Verses 16—27 in the chapter refer to the story of Abraham. Hereby only snippeting two of
these verses for the purpose of explanation:
And Abraham! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Serve Allah, and keep your duty unto Him; that is better for you if ye did but know. (16) But the answer of his folk was only that they said: “Kill him” or “Burn him.” Then Allah saved him from the Fire. Lo! herein verily are portents for folk who believe. (24)
Abraham also contended with his people against their practice of idol worship . Abraham refused to worship the idols, and overcame his people by using diplomatic arguments. Now Abraham's people still tested him against the ‘fire’, and withstood the trial of fire without any hurt.
Verses 28-35 in the chapter refer to the story of Sodom where people in the town of Sodom commonly associated with homosexual acts. The Quran says, and here I quote only selected verses from the story.
And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no creature did before you. (28) For come ye not in unto males, and cut ye not the road (for travellers), and commit ye not abomination in your meetings ? But the answer of his folk was only that they said: Bring Allah’s doom upon us if thou art a truthteller! (29) He said: My Lord! Give me victory over folk who work corruption. (30) Lo! We are about to bring down upon the folk of this township a fury from the sky because they are evil-livers. (34)
Appropriately dealing with ones sexuality was a common trait. People of Sodom failed in that, and therefore they were punished by the showers of stone pellets falling from the sky, and also the land of their town was turned upside down.
Verses 36-37 in the chapter refer to the story of Midian. The people of Midian were very greedy, and therefore used to cheat or embezzle others in business deals. The messenger Shu’eyb asked them to keep the balance straight while weighing merchandise, but they refused. The Quran says in the chapter 37:
And unto Midian We sent Shu’eyb, their brother. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, and look forward to the Last Day, and do not evil, making mischief, in the earth. (36) But they denied him, and the dreadful earthquake took them, and morning found them prostrate in their dwelling place. (37)
Midian people were wealthy, but still stingy and greedy. As a result, the element earth gave away from beneath them, and the town got destroyed due to the earthquake. Hereby referencing that no matter how grounded, material-focused Earth energy can be, it can easier be destroyed with with intense, transformative energy if it does not have a strong foundation.
Verse 38 in the chapter refers to the stories of A’ad and Thamud. They were two tribes of excellent craftsmen (Virgo trait). Those people were strong, tall, and used to hue their houses out of mountains and rocks. They eventually also used their strength and skills to carve idols to worship them. The Quran says,
And (the tribes of) A’ad and Thamud! (Their fate) is manifest unto you from their (ruined and deserted) dwellings. Satan made their deeds seem fair unto them and so debarred them from the Way, though they were keen observers. (38)
It is mentioned in Ibn Kathir that when people of A’ad refused the warnings of Prophet
Hud (SA)W), they initially suffered from a severe drought (absence of element waters), followed by a hurricane (element of air) that utterly destroyed them. People of Thamud when denied the prophet Salih (SAW), were destroyed by thunderbolts and followed by earthquakes (the element of earth).
Verse 39 in the chapter refers to the story of Pharaoh. Ibn Kathir deals with the stories of Pharaoh and his cronies at considerable lengths, but the following verse mentions two of his ministers alongside Pharaoh. The verse also says that Pharaoh was proud and egotist and he misused his powers which eventually resulted in the fall of Pharaoh.
And Korah, Pharaoh and Haman! Moses came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah’s
Sovereignty), but they were boastful in the land. And they were not winners (in the race). (29:39)
Korah was the finance minister of Pharaoh, and therefore got swallowed by the earth. The Pharaoh and his secretary Haman were drowned by the water element.
Verse 40 of the chapter relates the consequences of disturbing the elemental balance in nature. It says:
So We took each one in his sin; of them was he on whom We sent a hurricane, and of them was he who was overtaken by the (Awful) Cry, and of them was he whom We caused the earth to swallow, and of them was he whom We drowned. It was not for Allah to wrong them, but they wronged themselves. (40)
Here, the hurricane represents the disturbance in the element ‘air’; the ‘awful cry’ can also be translated as a strong blast or explosion, which is akin to the element ‘fire’; earthquakes represent trouble in the element ‘earth’, and floods or deluges represent turbulence in the element ‘water’. The verse ends by saying that people only cause trouble for themselves by not living with wisdom, and because the function of human intelligence is to keep themselves psychologically in balance alongside their physical environments.
The mention of the prophets in each of the stories, and the importance to follow their guidance is symbolic of the element ‘spirit’. When spirit rules the material elements than there exists the harmony, balance, and peace in the world, and humanity stays away from all forms of corruptions such as vanity (idol worship), greed, lust, and pride. But once spirituality is abandoned in human existence, it leaves a fertile ground for vices to breed. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to guard against iniquitous behaviours.
Conclusion
Surah Al-Ankabut teaches us resilience, patience and reliance on Allah. It’s overall message is a reminder that faith is not just rooted in words, but about action and steadfastness. May we all take inspiration from its lessons and apply them in our daily lives.