Al-'Ankabut 29
The SpiderHow to read the Hangul
الرَّحْمَٰنِ르r라흐마니 بِسْمِ비스밀
- Bold = the stressed syllable of the word; a little stronger.
- Overline = long vowel (madd): hold it about two beats. Length matters most in recitation.
- Tiny = no vowel in the Arabic here — just the consonant, short.
- Small Latin letter = a sound Korean lacks, on the next syllable: f upper teeth on lower lip · θ/ð tongue tip between the teeth · r rolled tongue tip (a bare ㄹ is l).
How to read the Hangul
beginning the Christ salvation
- Bold, larger (ˈ) = say it strong and a little longer — the stressed syllable.
- Faint = weak and short (a reduced vowel). Don't give every syllable equal weight.
- Tiny 으 · 트 · 스 = barely voiced. English has no vowel there — stop on the consonant.
- Whole word faint (the, of, and, to…) = light and quick in a sentence; stress the content words.
- Small f v θ ð r = sounds Korean doesn't have — f: upper teeth on the lower lip; v: the same, voiced; θ/ð: tongue tip between the teeth; r: tongue curled back, touching nothing.
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Surah
About this surah
The surah opens by asking whether people expect to say “We believe” and not be tested, and explains that trials make known the truthful, the liars and the hypocrites. It commands kindness to parents, but forbids obeying them if they push one to associate partners with God. It then recounts Noah, Abraham's challenge to idol worship and his rescue from the fire, Lot, and Shuayb, and names the destruction of Ad, Thamud, Korah, Pharaoh and Haman. Those who rely on protectors other than God are compared to a spider, whose house is the frailest of houses. The Prophet is told to recite the Book and keep up the prayer, and believers are told to debate the People of the Book only in the finest way. It closes by calling worldly life amusement and play, and promising that those who strive for God's sake will be guided to His ways.
- Faith tested by trial
- Stories of earlier prophets
- The spider's house
- Prayer and recitation
- Striving for God
The name It is named after verse 41, which compares those who take protectors other than God to a spider building a house.
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Alif Lam Mim.
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Do people think they will be left alone because they say, “We believe,” and will not be tested?
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We certainly tested those who came before them. God will surely make known those who are truthful, and He will surely make known the liars.
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Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun Us? How poorly they judge!
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Whoever hopes for the meeting with God — the term set by God is surely coming. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
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Whoever strives, strives only for his own good. God is free of need of all the worlds.
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As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will surely wipe away their misdeeds and reward them according to the best of what they used to do.
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We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents. But if they strive to make you associate with Me something of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you of what you used to do.
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Those who believe and do righteous deeds — We will surely admit them among the righteous.
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Among people there are some who say, “We believe in God,” but when they are made to suffer for [the sake of] God, they treat persecution by people as if it were God’s punishment. Yet if help comes from your Lord, they will surely say, “We were always with you.” Does God not know best what is in the hearts of all the worlds?
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God will surely make known those who believe, and He will surely make known the hypocrites.
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Those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Follow our way, and we will carry your sins.” But they will not carry anything of their sins. They are indeed liars.
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13
They will surely carry their own burdens, and other burdens along with their own, and on the Day of Resurrection they will surely be questioned about what they used to invent.
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We sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years less fifty. Then the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers.
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Yet We delivered him together with the companions of the ship, and turned it into a sign for all the worlds.
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And [We sent] Abraham, when he said to his people, “Worship God and be mindful of Him. That is better for you, if only you knew.
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Instead of God you worship nothing but idols, and you fabricate a lie. Those you worship instead of God have no power to provide for you. So seek provision from God, worship Him, and give thanks to Him. To Him you will be returned.
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If you deny [the truth], communities before you also denied. The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver [the message] clearly.”
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19
Have they not seen how God originates creation and then repeats it? That is easy for God.
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Say, “Travel through the land and see how He originated creation. Then God will bring about the second creation. God has power over all things.”
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He punishes whomever He wills and has mercy on whomever He wills, and to Him you will be turned back.
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You cannot escape [Him] on the earth or in the heaven, and you have no protector or helper besides God.
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Those who disbelieve in God’s signs and in the meeting with Him — they have despaired of My mercy, and for them there is a painful punishment.
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But the only answer of his people was that they said, “Kill him, or burn him!” But God saved him from the fire. In that are surely signs for people who believe.
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He said, “You have taken idols instead of God only as a bond of affection between you in the life of this world. But on the Day of Resurrection you will disown one another and curse one another. Your refuge will be the Fire, and you will have no helpers.”
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Then Lot believed in him, and [Abraham] said, “I am emigrating to my Lord. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
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We granted him Isaac and Jacob, and We placed prophethood and the Book among his descendants. We gave him his reward in this world, and in the Hereafter he will surely be among the righteous.
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And [We sent] Lot, when he said to his people, “You commit an obscenity that no one in all the worlds has committed before you.
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Do you really approach men, and cut off the road, and commit wickedness in your gatherings?” But the only answer of his people was that they said, “Bring us God’s punishment, if you are truthful.”
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He said, “My Lord, help me against the people who spread corruption.”
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When Our messengers came to Abraham with good news, they said, “We are going to destroy the people of this town. Its people have been wrongdoers.”
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He said, “But Lot is in it.” They said, “We know best who is in it. We will surely save him and his family, except his wife; she will be among those who stay behind.”
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When Our messengers came to Lot, he was troubled on their account and felt powerless to protect them. They said, “Do not fear and do not grieve. We will save you and your family, except your wife; she will be among those who stay behind.
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We are going to bring down upon the people of this town a punishment from the sky because they have been defiant.”
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And We have left of it a clear sign for people who use reason.
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And to Midian [We sent] their brother Shuayb. He said, “My people, worship God, look forward to the Last Day, and do not go about the land spreading corruption.”
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But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and morning found them lying lifeless in their homes.
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And [We destroyed] Ad and Thamud — it has become clear to you from their dwellings. Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and turned them away from the path, though they had been able to see clearly.
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And Korah, Pharaoh, and Haman. Moses came to them with clear proofs, but they were arrogant in the land, and they could not outrun [Us].
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40
So We seized each of them for his sin. Upon some of them We sent a storm of stones; some were seized by the blast; some We caused the earth to swallow; and some We drowned. God would not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.
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41
Those who take protectors other than God are like the spider that builds itself a house — and the frailest of all houses is the spider’s house, if they only knew.
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God knows whatever they call upon besides Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
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These are the examples We set forth for people, but none grasp them except those who know.
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God created the heavens and the earth in truth. In that is surely a sign for the believers.
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Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and keep up the prayer. Prayer restrains from indecency and wrongdoing. And the remembrance of God is greater still. God knows what you do.
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Debate with the People of the Book only in the finest way, except for those among them who act unjustly. Tell them, “We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you; our God and your God is one and the same, and it is to Him that we submit.”
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Thus We have sent down the Book to you. Those to whom We gave the Book believe in it, and some of these [people] also believe in it. None reject Our signs except the disbelievers.
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You did not recite any book before it, nor did you write one with your right hand; otherwise those who follow falsehood would have had cause for doubt.
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Rather, it is clear verses [preserved] in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge. None reject Our signs except the wrongdoers.
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They say, “Why have signs not been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “Signs are only with God, and I am only a clear warner.”
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Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book, which is recited to them? In that is surely a mercy and a reminder for people who believe.
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Say, “God suffices as witness between you and me; He knows all that the heavens and the earth contain.” Those who put their faith in what is false and reject God are the ones who have lost.
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They ask you to hasten the punishment. Were it not for a term already fixed, the punishment would have come to them. It will surely come upon them suddenly, while they do not perceive.
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They ask you to hasten the punishment, but Hell will surely encompass the disbelievers
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on the day the punishment covers them from above them and from beneath their feet, and He will say, “Taste [the result of] what you used to do.”
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My servants who believe, My earth is vast, so worship Me alone.
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Every soul will taste death; then to Us you will be returned.
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58
Those who believe and do righteous deeds — We will surely settle them in lofty chambers of the Garden, beneath which rivers flow, to remain there forever. How excellent is the reward of those who work [good],
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who are steadfast and put their trust in their Lord.
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How many a creature does not carry its own provision! God provides for it and for you. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
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If you ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth and made the sun and the moon subservient?” they will surely say, “God.” How then are they turned away [from the truth]?
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God expands provision for whomever He wills of His servants and restricts it for him. God has knowledge of all things.
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If you ask them, “Who sends down water from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after its death?” they will surely say, “God.” Say, “Praise be to God.” But most of them do not use their reason.
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The life of this world is nothing but amusement and play. The Home of the Hereafter — that is truly life, if only they knew.
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When they board a ship, they call upon God, devoting their faith to Him alone. But when He brings them safely to land, at once they associate partners [with Him],
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so that they may be ungrateful for what We have given them and go on enjoying themselves. They will soon know.
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Have they not seen that We have made a safe sanctuary, while people are being snatched away all around them? Do they then believe in falsehood and deny God’s blessing?
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Who does greater wrong than one who invents a lie against God or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell a dwelling for the disbelievers?
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As for those who strive for Our sake, We will surely guide them to Our ways. God is indeed with those who do good.