Surah The Spider [Al-Ankaboot] in English

Alif, Lam, Meem.

Do the people suppose that they will be let off because they say, ‘We have faith,’ and they will not be tested?

Certainly We tested those who were before them. So Allah shall surely ascertain those who are truthful, and He shall surely ascertain the liars.

Do those who commit misdeeds suppose that they can outmaneuver Us? Evil is the judgement that they make.

Whoever expects to encounter Allah [should know that] Allah’s [appointed] time will indeed come, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

Whoever strives, strives only for his own sake. Indeed Allah has no need of the creatures.

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, We will absolve them of their misdeeds and We will surely reward them by the best of what they used to do.

We have enjoined man to be good to his parents. But if they urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. To Me will be your return, whereat I will inform you concerning what you used to do.

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, We will surely admit them among the righteous.

Among the people there are those who say, ‘We have faith in Allah,’ but if such a one is tormented in Allah’s cause, he takes persecution by the people for Allah’s punishment. Yet if there comes any help from your Lord, they will say, ‘We were indeed with you.’ Does not Allah know best what is in the breasts of the creatures?

Allah shall surely ascertain those who have faith, and He shall surely ascertain the hypocrites.

The faithless say to the faithful, ‘Follow our way and we will bear [responsibility for] your iniquities.’ They will not bear anything of their iniquities. They are indeed liars.

But they will carry their own burdens and other burdens along with their own burdens, and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection concerning that which they used to fabricate.

Certainly We sent Noah to his people, and he remained with them for a thousand-less-fifty years. Then the flood overtook them while they were wrongdoers.

Then We delivered him and those who were in the Ark, and made it a sign for all the nations.

And Abraham, when he said to his people, ‘Worship Allah and be wary of Him. That is better for you, should you know.

What you worship instead of Allah are mere idols, and you invent a lie. Indeed those whom you worship besides Allah have no control over your provision. So seek all [your] provision from Allah, and worship Him and thank Him, and to Him you shall be brought back.’

If you impugn [the Apostle’s teaching], then [other] nations have impugned [likewise] before you, and the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.

Have they not regarded how Allah originates the creation? Then He will bring it back. That is indeed easy for Allah.

Say, ‘Travel over the land and observe how He has originated the creation.’ Then Allah will bring about the genesis of the Hereafter. Indeed Allah has power over all things.

He will punish whomever He wishes and have mercy on whomever He wishes, and to Him you will be returned.

You cannot frustrate Him on the earth or in the sky, nor do you have besides Allah any guardian or helper.

Those who deny the signs of Allah and the encounter with Him—they have despaired of My mercy, and for such there is a painful punishment.

But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Kill him, or burn him.’ Then Allah delivered him from the fire. There are indeed signs in that for a people who have faith.

He said, ‘You have taken idols [for worship] besides Allah for the sake of [mutual] affection amongst yourselves in the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will disown one another and curse one another, and the Fire will be your abode, and you will not have any helpers.’

Thereupon Lot believed in him, and he said, ‘Indeed I am migrating toward my Lord. Indeed He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.’

And We gave him Isaac and Jacob, and We ordained among his descendants prophethood and the Book, and We gave him his reward in this world, and in the Hereafter he will indeed be among the Righteous.

And Lot, when he said to his people, ‘You indeed commit an indecency none in the world has ever committed before you!

What! Do you come to men, and cut off the way, and commit outrages in your gatherings?’ But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Bring down us Allah’s punishment, if you are truthful.’

He said, ‘My Lord! Help me against this corruptive lot.’

And when Our messengers came to Abraham with the good news, they said, ‘We are indeed going to destroy the people of this town. Its people are indeed wrongdoers.’

He said, ‘Lot is in it.’ They said, ‘We know better those who are in it. We will surely deliver him and his family, except his wife: she shall be one of those who remain behind.’

And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed on their account and in a predicament for their sake. But they said, ‘Do not be afraid, nor grieve! We shall deliver you and your family, except your wife: she will be one of those who remain behind.

We are indeed going to bring down upon the people of this town a punishment from the sky because of the transgressions they used to commit.’

Certainly We have left of it a manifest sign for people who exercise their reason.

And to Midian We sent Shu‘ayb, their brother. He said, ‘O my people! Worship Allah, and expect [to encounter] the Last Day, and do not act wickedly on the earth causing corruption.’

But they impugned him, whereupon the earthquake seized them, and they lay lifeless prostrate in their homes.

And ‘Ad and Thamud, [whose fate] is evident to you from their habitations. Satan made their deeds seem decorous to them, thus he barred them from the way [of Allah], though they used to be perceptive.

And Korah, Pharaoh, and Haman. Certainly, Moses brought them manifest proofs, but they acted arrogantly in the land; though they could not outmaneuver [Allah].

So We seized each [of them] for his sin: among them were those upon whom We unleashed a rain of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the Cry, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. It was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.

The parable of those who take guardians instead of Allah is that of the spider that takes a home, and indeed the frailest of homes is the home of a spider, had they known!

Allah indeed knows whatever thing they invoke besides Him, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

We draw these parables for mankind; but no one grasps them except those who have knowledge.

Allah created the heavens and the earth with consummate wisdom. There is indeed a sign in that for the faithful.

Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and maintain the prayer. Indeed the prayer restrains from indecent and wrongful conduct, and the remembrance of Allah is surely greater. And Allah knows whatever [deeds] you do.

Do not argue with the People of the Book except in a manner which is best, except such of them as are wrongdoers, and say, ‘We believe in what has been sent down to us and in what has been sent down to you; our God and your God is one [and the same], and to Him do we submit.’

Thus We have sent down the Book to you; those to whom We have given the Book believe in it, and of these there are some who believe in it, and none contests Our signs except the faithless.

You did not use to recite any scripture before it, nor did you write it with your right hand, for then the impugners would have been skeptical.

Indeed, it is [present as] manifest signs in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge, and none contests Our signs except wrongdoers.

They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘These signs are only from Allah, and I am only a manifest warner.’

Does it not suffice them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? There is indeed in that a mercy and admonition for a people who have faith.

Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you: He knows whatever there is in the heavens and the earth. Those who put faith in falsehood and defy Allah—it is they who are the losers.’

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Yet were it not for a specified time, the punishment would have surely overtaken them. Surely, it will overtake them suddenly while they are unaware.

They ask you to hasten the punishment, and indeed hell will besiege the faithless

on the day when the punishment envelopes them, from above them and from under their feet, and He will say, ‘Taste what you used to do!’

O My servants who have faith! My earth is indeed vast. So worship [only] Me.

Every soul shall taste death. Then you shall be brought back to Us.

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, We will surely settle them in the lofty abodes of paradise, with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever]. How excellent is the reward of the workers!

—Those who are patient and who put their trust in their Lord.

How many an animal there is that does not carry its own provision. Allah provides them and you, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.

If you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth, and who has disposed the sun and the moon?’ They will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Then where do they stray?

Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes of His servants, and tightens it for him. Indeed Allah has knowledge of all things.

And if you ask them, ‘Who sends down water from the sky, with which He revives the earth after its death?’ They will surely say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah!’ But most of them do not exercise their reason.

The life of this world is nothing but diversion and play, but the abode of the Hereafter is indeed Life (itself), had they known!

When they board the ship, they invoke Allah putting exclusive faith in Him, but when He delivers them to land, behold, they ascribe partners [to Him],

being ungrateful for what We have given them! Let them enjoy. Soon they will know!

Have they not seen that We have appointed a safe sanctuary, while the people are despoiled all around them? Would they then believe in falsehood and be ungrateful toward the blessing of Allah?

Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is not the [final] abode of the faithless in hell?