Sürah Al-‘Ankabūt "العنكبوت" (The Spider), with 69 ayat / verses and seven rukus, part of Juz 19-20, is the 29th chapter of Al-Qurʾān. The Sürah's name comes from a parable mentioned in verse 41 comparing the flimsy and weak reliance of those who take allies other than Allah to a spider's shelter, underscoring the fragile nature of their false beliefs.
It is a Meccan surah, meaning it was revealed before the Hijra to Medina. It emphasizes the importance of faith and testing, particularly during times of tribulation, patience in trials, falsehood of shirk, reality of life. It also features mention of many a prophet, highlighting their struggles against disbelief and corruption.
We have already shared an Overview and the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
Why It’s Named After the Spider
The Sürah takes its name form the ayat / verse 41: “The example of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider who takes a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.”
The spider’s web looks intricate and beautiful, but it’s extremely fragile — a metaphor for:
- The weakness of relying on false gods or human constructs.
- The emptiness of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
- How anything besides Allah cannot truly protect or sustain.
Overview & Themes
- Tests of Faith
- Opening verses (1–3) make it clear that believers will be tested to prove their sincerity.
- Tests come through hardships, persecution, and temptations.
- Stories of Past Prophets
- Examples of Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Lūṭ, Shu‘ayb, Hūd, and Mūsā — all faced rejection but remained steadfast.
- Lessons from their perseverance.
- Warning to Rejecters
- Past nations destroyed for disbelief.
- Encouragement to take lessons from history.
- The Spider’s Web Parable: Those relying on anything besides Allah are like spiders trusting in their web — apparent shelter but actual weakness.
- Call to Migration: Verse 56 encourages believers under persecution to migrate for the sake of faith if needed.
- Promise to Strivers: Ends with: “Those who strive in Our cause — We will surely guide them to Our ways…” (29:69).
Key Lessons
1. Faith Will Be Tested
- “Do people think they will be left alone saying, ‘We believe’ without being tested?” (29:2)
- We must expect trials as part of faith.
2. Steadfastness Brings Divine Support Every prophet faced rejection but was ultimately helped by Allah.
3. Shirk is Fragile Like a spider’s web — no matter how it looks, it cannot withstand reality.
4. Take Lessons from History Civilizations collapse when they ignore divine guidance.
5. Make Hijrah if Needed Protecting faith may mean leaving one’s home for a place where one can worship freely.
6. Effort Brings Guidance Striving for Allah’s cause guarantees His help and direction.
5. Relevance Today
- Reminds us not to depend on worldly powers, wealth, or people as ultimate sources of security.
- Encourages resilience under social or political pressure.
- Warns against false ideologies and hollow systems.
- Inspires migration from harmful environments — physically, spiritually, and morally.
With this brief overview, let us share herein some of the selected ayat / verses from this surah already shared:
- Verse 2: Do believers think they would be let go merely by saying: “We believe,” and that they will not be tested?
- Verse 4: Do the Evil Doers suppose that they will escape the Divine Grasp?
- Verse 8: Can a faithful child Disobey his parents?
- Verse 45: What single action of believers forbids indecency and evil
- Verse 46: Argue not with the People of the Book except in the fairest manner
- Verse 64: The worldly life is mere amusement. The true life is in the Hereafter; if only they knew
In time we will add more selected ayat / verses from Sürah Al-‘Ankabūt.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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