Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (427)

Surah al-‘Ankabūt

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

[Surah al-‘Ankabūt (29): verse 41]

“The example of those who take protectors besides Allah is like that of the spider who makes a home. Indeed, the frailest of homes is the spider’s home, if only they knew.” (41)

He, glorified be He, explains that they are weak, and that those whom they have taken as protectors are weaker still. In their weakness and in what they sought by taking these protectors, they are like a spider that makes a home—the frailest and weakest of homes.

Underlying this parable is the fact that these polytheists are at their weakest when they take protectors besides Allah. Those whom they have taken as protectors have only added weakness to their weakness, as Allah Most High says:

19: 81, 82 “They have taken gods besides Allah to be a source of strength for them. No! They will disown their worship and turn against them.”

Allah Most High also says:

36: 74, 75 “They have taken gods besides Allah, hoping that they might be helped. They cannot help them, yet they themselves are a host in attendance upon them.”

After mentioning the destruction of the polytheistic nations, He says:

11: 101 “We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. The gods they invoked besides Allah were of no avail to them when your Lord’s command came; they only increased them in ruin.”

سورة العنكبوت ﷽ [سورة العنكبوت (٢٩) : آية ٤١] مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِياءَ كَمَثَلِ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتاً وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ لَوْ كانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ (٤١) فذكر سبحانه أنهم ضعفاء، وأن الذين اتخذوهم أولياء أضعف منهم. فهم في ضعفهم وما قصدوه من اتخاذ الأولياء كمثل العنكبوت اتخذت بيتا. وهو أوهن البيوت وأضعفها. وتحت هذا المثل أن هؤلاء المشركين أضعف ما كانوا حيث اتخذوا من دون الله أولياء. فلم يستفيدوا بمن اتخذوهم أولياء إلا ضعفا على ضعفهم كما قال تعالى: ١٩: ٨١، ٨٢ وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لِيَكُونُوا لَهُمْ عِزًّا. كَلَّا سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا وقال تعالى: ٣٦: ٧٤، ٧٥ وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ لا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُنْدٌ مُحْضَرُونَ وقال بعد أن ذكر إهلاك الأمم المشركين ١١: ١٠١ وَما ظَلَمْناهُمْ وَلكِنْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَما أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ آلِهَتُهُمُ الَّتِي يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ لَمَّا جاءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ وَما زادُوهُمْ غَيْرَ تَتْبِيبٍ .