سُوْرَةُ الْعَنْكَبُوْتِ
Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 69
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿69﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s religion - Islâmic Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn (good doers)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
And those who
جَـٰهَدُوا۟
jāhadū
strive
فِينَا
fīnā
for Us
لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ
lanahdiyannahum
We will surely, guide them
سُبُلَنَا ۚ
subulanā
(to) Our ways
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَمَعَ
lamaʿa
surely (is) with
ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
l-muḥ'sinīna
the good-doers
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 69) ➊ { وَ الَّذِيْنَ جَاهَدُوْا فِيْنَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا:} After mentioning the fate of the disbelievers, glad tidings are given for His believing servants. The surah began with the mention of the trial and striving (jihad) of the believers; it is said: «{ وَ مَنْ جَاهَدَ فَاِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهٖ }» [ العنکبوت : ۶ ] Now the conclusion also ends with glad tidings regarding this striving. In {’’ وَ الَّذِيْنَ جَاهَدُوْا فِيْنَا ‘‘}, the striving refers to the same jihad that is meant at the beginning of the surah by {’’ وَ مَنْ جَاهَدَ فَاِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهٖ ‘‘}. Therefore, the benefit of this first verse is mentioned again. The meaning of {’’جَهَدَ يَجْهَدُ‘‘} is to strive, and in {’’جَاهَدَ ‘‘} (mufa‘alah), there is a sense of opposition as well as emphasis, meaning to exert full effort in opposition to something. A believer has to strive against many things to remain steadfast on Allah’s commands; he has to struggle against his own self, which constantly tries to enslave him to its desires, against Satan, who has sworn enmity against him, and against all those people in the world, starting from his own home, who try to prevent him from the path of truth, to the extent that he even has to fight in this struggle, in which he kills the enemy and is himself killed. In the Qur’an and hadith, the word jihad is mostly used in this sense. Its highest rank is when one sacrifices everything in the way of Allah. Abdullah bin Hubshi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates (it is a long hadith): [ قِيْلَ فَأَيُّ الْجِهَادِ أَفْضَلُ ؟ قَالَ مَنْ جَاهَدَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ بِمَالِهِ ، وَنَفْسِهِ، قِيْلَ فَأَيُّ الْقَتْلِ أَشْرَفُ ؟ قَالَ مَنْ أُهْرِيْقَ دَمُهُ، وَعُقِرَ جَوَادُهُ ] [ مسند أحمد : 411/3، ۴۱۲، ح : ۱۵۴۰۷، قال المحقق إسنادہ قوي۔ أبوداوٗد : ۱۴۴۹، قال الألباني صحیح ] “(The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked) which jihad is best?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “The one who strives against the polytheists with his life and wealth.” It was asked: “Then which killing is of the highest status?” He replied: “The one whose blood is shed and whose fine horse is slain.”
➋ That is, the fate of those who fabricate lies against Allah and deny the truth is Hell, but those who strive against such people for Our sake and sacrifice their wealth and lives in Our path, We will surely show them the ways by which they reach Us, and We will grant them the ability to walk upon them and keep them steadfast upon them, because the completion of guidance is achieved through these three things.
➌ { وَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ: ’’ اِنَّ ‘‘} is used to state the reason; here, a sentence is omitted which is understood by itself, that is, whoever strives in Our path is a doer of good, meaning one who does good to himself and to others, and such people who do good, Allah is with them.
➍ Allah is established above the Throne, yet He is also with His creation. Then, this companionship (ma‘iyyah) is of two types: one is general, that He is with every servant by His knowledge and power, or in whatever way He knows best (see Hadid: 4, Mujadilah: 7), and one is special, as when Musa (peace be upon him) said upon the arrival of Pharaoh and his armies: « { اِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّيْ سَيَهْدِيْنِ }» [الشعراء : ۶۲ ] “Indeed, my Lord is with me, He will surely guide me.” And as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companion in the cave when the enemies arrived: «{ لَا تَحْزَنْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا }» [ التوبۃ : ۴۰ ] “Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.” The companionship in {’’ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ‘‘} refers to this special companionship, meaning Allah is with them through His guidance, protection, support, and help.
➎ Some commentators have narrated at this place a report attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that once he returned from a battle and said: [ رَجَعْنَا مِنَ الْجِهَادِ الْأَصْغَرِ إِلَی الْجِهَادِ الْأَكْبَرِ ] “We have returned from the lesser jihad (i.e., fighting the disbelievers) to the greater jihad (i.e., striving against the self).” However, this is the saying of a person; to attribute it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is a great lie and tremendous audacity. The greater jihad is the one mentioned above in the hadith of the Messenger: [ مَنْ أُهْرِيْقَ دَمُهُ وَ عُقِرَ جَوَادُهُ ] “The one whose blood is shed and whose fine horse is slain.” In reality, the greatest striving against the self is that of the one who gives his life in the way of Allah. Some people considered fighting in the way of Allah as lesser and striving against the self as greater, and thus sat in seclusion in their chambers for spiritual retreats. The result of such comfortable striving is that Muslims are subdued in the world and disbelievers are dominant. If only these people had performed the jihad that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his noble companions did, instead of following the ways of monks, by which they became masters of the entire Arabian Peninsula in just ten years, and then within half a century became rulers from the east to the west.
➋ That is, the fate of those who fabricate lies against Allah and deny the truth is Hell, but those who strive against such people for Our sake and sacrifice their wealth and lives in Our path, We will surely show them the ways by which they reach Us, and We will grant them the ability to walk upon them and keep them steadfast upon them, because the completion of guidance is achieved through these three things.
➌ { وَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ: ’’ اِنَّ ‘‘} is used to state the reason; here, a sentence is omitted which is understood by itself, that is, whoever strives in Our path is a doer of good, meaning one who does good to himself and to others, and such people who do good, Allah is with them.
➍ Allah is established above the Throne, yet He is also with His creation. Then, this companionship (ma‘iyyah) is of two types: one is general, that He is with every servant by His knowledge and power, or in whatever way He knows best (see Hadid: 4, Mujadilah: 7), and one is special, as when Musa (peace be upon him) said upon the arrival of Pharaoh and his armies: « { اِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّيْ سَيَهْدِيْنِ }» [الشعراء : ۶۲ ] “Indeed, my Lord is with me, He will surely guide me.” And as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companion in the cave when the enemies arrived: «{ لَا تَحْزَنْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا }» [ التوبۃ : ۴۰ ] “Do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us.” The companionship in {’’ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ‘‘} refers to this special companionship, meaning Allah is with them through His guidance, protection, support, and help.
➎ Some commentators have narrated at this place a report attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that once he returned from a battle and said: [ رَجَعْنَا مِنَ الْجِهَادِ الْأَصْغَرِ إِلَی الْجِهَادِ الْأَكْبَرِ ] “We have returned from the lesser jihad (i.e., fighting the disbelievers) to the greater jihad (i.e., striving against the self).” However, this is the saying of a person; to attribute it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is a great lie and tremendous audacity. The greater jihad is the one mentioned above in the hadith of the Messenger: [ مَنْ أُهْرِيْقَ دَمُهُ وَ عُقِرَ جَوَادُهُ ] “The one whose blood is shed and whose fine horse is slain.” In reality, the greatest striving against the self is that of the one who gives his life in the way of Allah. Some people considered fighting in the way of Allah as lesser and striving against the self as greater, and thus sat in seclusion in their chambers for spiritual retreats. The result of such comfortable striving is that Muslims are subdued in the world and disbelievers are dominant. If only these people had performed the jihad that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his noble companions did, instead of following the ways of monks, by which they became masters of the entire Arabian Peninsula in just ten years, and then within half a century became rulers from the east to the west.
