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Al-Ankabut (The Spider)

Verse 41of 69

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًۭا ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ ٱلْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ﴿٤١

Translation (Sahih International)

The example of those who take allies other than Allah is like that of the spider who takes a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.

Word-by-word meaning

مَثَلُmathalu(The) example
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(of) those who
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhūtake
مِنminbesides
دُونِdūnibesides
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
أَوْلِيَآءَawliyāaprotectors
كَمَثَلِkamathali(is) like
ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِl-ʿankabūtithe spider
ٱتَّخَذَتْittakhadhatwho takes
بَيْتًۭا ۖbaytana house
وَإِنَّwa-innaAnd indeed
أَوْهَنَawhanathe weakest
ٱلْبُيُوتِl-buyūti(of) houses
لَبَيْتُlabaytu(is) surely (the) house
ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖl-ʿankabūti(of) the spider
لَوْlawif (only)
كَانُوا۟kānūthey
يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Likening the gods of the Idolators to the House of a SpiderThis is how Allah described the idolators in their reverence of gods besides Him, hoping that they would help them and provide for them, and turning to them in times of difficulties. In this regard, they were like the house of a spider, which is so weak and frail, because by clinging to these gods they were like a person who holds on to a spider's web, who does not gain any benefit from that.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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