سُوْرَةُ الْعَنْكَبُوْتِ
Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 41
مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ ٱلْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿41﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The likeness of those who take (false deities as) Auliyâ’ (protectors, helpers) other than Allâh is the likeness of a spider who builds (for itself) a house; but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider’s house - if they but knew.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَثَلُ
mathalu
(The) example
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟
ittakhadhū
take
مِن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
أَوْلِيَآءَ
awliyāa
protectors
كَمَثَلِ
kamathali
(is) like
ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ
l-ʿankabūti
the spider
ٱتَّخَذَتْ
ittakhadhat
who takes
بَيْتًۭا ۖ
baytan
a house
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
أَوْهَنَ
awhana
the weakest
ٱلْبُيُوتِ
l-buyūti
(of) houses
لَبَيْتُ
labaytu
(is) surely (the) house
ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖ
l-ʿankabūti
(of) the spider
لَوْ
law
if (only)
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 41) {مَثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ اَوْلِيَآءَ …:} The real crime and self-oppression of all the nations and individuals destroyed by Allah’s punishment was associating partners with Allah, that they had taken other helpers and problem-solvers besides Allah. Now the polytheists of Makkah had also adopted the same way, so Allah made it clear by giving an example that those who consider anyone other than Allah as a helper are like a spider that builds a house. The benefit of a house is that it protects from cold, heat, rain, storm, and attackers, but the spider’s house neither protects it from cold nor heat, nor from rain or storm, nor from any attacker. Rather, it is so weak and fragile that it is destroyed by the slightest gesture of a hand. Considering anyone other than Allah as a deity, fulfiller of needs, or remover of difficulties is just as useless, because they cannot help anyone. All supports besides Allah are worthless; if they could help, they would have saved the previous nations from destruction, but the world has seen that they could not save them.
