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Al-'Ankabut 41

Ayah 41 of 69 · Meccan

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتۡ بَيۡتٗاۖ وَإِنَّ أَوۡهَنَ ٱلۡبُيُوتِ لَبَيۡتُ ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤١

The example of those who take allies other than Allāh is like that of the spider who takes [i.e., constructs] a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. مَثَلُ(The) examplemathalu
  2. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those whoalladhīna
  3. ٱتَّخَذُواْtakeittakhadhū
  4. مِنbesidesmin
  5. دُونِbesidesdūni
  6. ٱللَّهِAllahl-lahi
  7. أَوۡلِيَآءَprotectorsawliyāa
  8. كَمَثَلِ(is) likekamathali
  9. ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِthe spiderl-ʿankabūti
  10. ٱتَّخَذَتۡwho takesittakhadhat
  11. بَيۡتٗاۖa housebaytan
  12. وَإِنَّAnd indeedwa-inna
  13. أَوۡهَنَthe weakestawhana
  14. ٱلۡبُيُوتِ(of) housesl-buyūti
  15. لَبَيۡتُ(is) surely (the) houselabaytu
  16. ٱلۡعَنكَبُوتِۚ(of) the spiderl-ʿankabūti
  17. لَوۡif (only)law
  18. كَانُواْtheykānū
  19. يَعۡلَمُونَknowyaʿlamūna

Tafsir

The example of the idolaters who took idols whom they worshipped other than Allah in the hope that they will benefit them or intercede for them is like that of a spider that builds a house to protect it from heat and cold and from an assault against it. The frailest of all houses is the spider’s as it does not ward off any cold nor prevent any heat. Similarly, their idols will not benefit nor harm nor intercede. If the idolaters knew that, they would not have taken idols that they worship besides Allah.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran