397 Page Notes

29 Surah Al-Ankabut (continued)

Page 397 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 397 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 397 of the Qur'an covers verses 7 through 14 of Surah Al-'Ankabut. This section deals with core themes of faith under pressure: the promise of wiping away past sins, the delicate balance of obeying parents versus obeying Allah, the psychological tactics used by disbelievers to induce doubt, and the historical precedent of Prophet Nuh (Noah) enduring centuries of rejection.

Prophetic traditions (Hadith), foundational theology (Sunnah), and classical commentaries (Tafsir) provide direct context and historical background for these verses.

1. Balancing Filial Piety with Monotheism

Verse 8 addresses a profound social and familial crisis faced by the early companions:

"And We have enjoined upon man goodness to his parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do." (Qur'an 29:8)

The Specific Cause of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The absolute consensus of classical commentators like Ibn Kathir and Al-Baghawi is that this verse (along with a similar verse in Surah Luqman) was revealed specifically regarding the companion Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and his mother, Hamnah bint Sufyan.

• The Incident: Sa'd was a deeply devoted son. When he embraced Islam, his mother attempted to use emotional blackmail to force him to recant. She swore an oath that she would neither eat nor drink until she died or he abandoned Islam, saying, "Allah commands you to obey your parents, and I am your mother ordering you to leave this religion."

• Sa'd's Resolve: As she grew critically weak, Sa'd told her: "O my mother! By Allah, if you had a hundred souls and they left you one by one, I would not abandon my religion. Eat if you wish, or starve if you wish." She eventually broke her fast, and Allah revealed this verse to vindicate Sa'd’s stance.

Canonical Hadith Citations

This specific historical event and the universal legal maxim it produced are heavily documented:

• The Hadith of Sa'd: Mus'ab ibn Sa'd narrated from his father, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, that he said: "Four verses of the Book of Allah were revealed concerning me..." He then detailed the story of his mother's hunger strike and the subsequent revelation of verse 8. (Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 43; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3189).

• The Universal Principle: This verse established a fundamental rule in the Sunnah regarding human authority: obedience to creation is conditional, whereas obedience to the Creator is absolute. The Prophet ﷺ codified this by stating: "There is no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime." (Sharh al-Sunnah by Al-Baghawi; also recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 1095).

2. The Trap of False Assurances

Verses 12 and 13 detail the deceptive psychological pressure applied by the Makkan elite to the vulnerable early Muslims:

"And 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. Indeed, they are liars." (Qur'an 29:12)

Sunnah Dynamic: Accountability and the Burden of Misguidance

The elite of Quraysh tried to alleviate the religious fears of new Muslims by offering a false guarantee that any spiritual liability would fall on them. The Sunnah completely rejects this, outlining a strict system of individual accountability while simultaneously punishing those who actively mislead others.

• The Hadith on Misleading Others: Mirroring verse 13 ("And they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their burdens"), the Prophet ﷺ warned that setting a bad precedent carries a compound spiritual penalty: "Whoever calls to misguidance will have a burden of sin equal to the sins of those who followed him, without that detracting from their sins in the slightest." (Sahih Muslim, Book 47, Hadith 67).

3. The Long Patience of Nuh (Noah)

Verse 14 introduces the historical timeline of Prophet Nuh to comfort the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions, reminding them that the struggle against disbelief is a long, historical reality:

"And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years save fifty years, and the flood took them while they were wrongdoers." (Qur'an 29:14)

Sunnah Reflection: The Ultimate Intercession

The incredible length of Nuh's mission mentioned on this page ($950\text{ years}$ of calling people to Monotheism) is a point of immense respect highlighted by the Prophet ﷺ in descriptions of the Day of Judgment.

• The Hadith: In the famous, lengthy Hadith of Intercession, humanity will rush to the prophets seeking relief on the Day of Resurrection. When they go to Nuh, they will explicitly cite his historic status as outlined in verse 14: "They will go to Noah and say: 'O Noah! You are the first of the messengers to the people of the earth, and Allah named you a grateful servant. Do you not see what state we are in?'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 14; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 378).

References

• Al-Baghawi, H. (n.d.). Sharh al-Sunnah. Al-Maktab al-Islami.

• Ibn Kathir, A. I. (2000). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim. Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi.

• Ibn Hanbal, A. (2001). Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Mu'assasat al-Risalah.

• Muslim, I. H. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim. Dar Ihya al-Kutub al-Arabiyyah.

(Note: Hadith citations follow global canonical standard indexing systems).

(Note: "n.d." denotes classical texts where modern standardized publication years vary across publishers, cited instead by their universally recognized book and Hadith numbers).