402 Page Notes

29 Surah Al-Ankabut (continued)

Page 402 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 402 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 402 of the Quran covers the end of Surah Al-Ankabut (The Spider), spanning verses 46 through 52. This section primarily addresses how Muslims should engage with the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), reinforces the divine origin of the Quran by highlighting the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ illiteracy, and addresses the polytheists' demands for physical miracles.

The classical Hadith literature and books of exegesis (Tafsir) connect several authentic traditions to these specific verses.

1. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 46: Dialogue with the People of the Book

"And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.'"

Relevant Hadith: How to Respond to Scriptural Narrations

Because this verse commands Muslims to declare their belief in the shared baseline of divine revelation given to previous prophets, the Prophet ﷺ provided practical instructions on how to navigate text or statements presented by Jewish and Christian contemporaries.

• The Narration: Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: "The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:
  'Do not believe the People of the Book and do not disbelieve them, but say: "We believe in Allah and whatever has been revealed to us, and whatever has been revealed to you..."'

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 96 (Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah), Hadith 7362; Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65 (Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an), Hadith 4485.

Relevant Hadith: The Prohibition of Verbal Abuse in Debate

The verse commands arguing "only in a way that is best" (illa billati hiya ahsan). The Sunnah strictly enforces this by prohibiting Muslims from initiating insults during religious disputes.

• The Narration: Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that a Muslim and a Jewish man traded insults in the market. The Jew said, "By Him Who chose Moses above all human beings!" The Muslim raised his hand and slapped him, saying, "Even over Muhammad?!" The Jewish man went to the Prophet ﷺ and complained. The Prophet ﷺ corrected the Muslim, reinforcing proper conduct by saying:
  'Do not give me superiority over Moses, for the people will become unconscious on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first to gain consciousness, and behold, Moses will be there holding a side of the Throne...'

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2411; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2373.

2. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 48: The Illiteracy of the Prophet ﷺ

"And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt."

Relevant Hadith: The Treaty of Al-Hudaybiya

This verse establishes that the Prophet ﷺ was unlettered (Ummi), ensuring that skeptics could not claim he copied or compiled the Quran from earlier scriptures. The Sunnah vividly captures this reality during the signing of the Treaty of Hudaybiya.

• The Narration: When the peace treaty was being drafted, the scribe Ali ibn Abi Talib wrote, "This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has agreed upon." The pagan representative, Suhayl ibn Amr, objected, saying, "If we knew you were the Messenger of Allah, we would not have fought you. Write your name and your father's name." The Prophet ﷺ told Ali to erase "Messenger of Allah." Ali refused out of sheer reverence.
  The Prophet ﷺ asked Ali to show him where the words were on the parchment. Because he could not read or write, Ali pointed out the words, and the Prophet ﷺ erased them with his own hand.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 53 (Peacemaking), Hadith 2699; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1783.

3. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 51: Sufficiency of the Quran

"Is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe."

Relevant Hadith: Context of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The polytheists and certain companions occasionally sought out or brought fragments of external scriptures (like the Torah) out of curiosity or to ask for signs. This verse was revealed to firmly establish that the Quran is entirely sufficient as a source of ultimate guidance.

• The Narration: Yahya ibn Ja'dah and Abu Hurairah reported that some companions of the Prophet ﷺ brought some written sheets containing extracts from the Torah to copy and read. The Prophet ﷺ showed severe disapproval, and this verse ("Is it not sufficient for them...") was sent down. The Prophet ﷺ stated:
  'It is enough of a misguidance for a people that they desire a book other than the book that was revealed to their Prophet.'

• Source: Recorded by Imam Al-Darimi in his Sunan (Hadith 483); cited heavily by classical commentators like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi in their exegesis of Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 51.

• Parallel Narration: A similar incident is tracked in the Sunnah involving Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), who brought a transcript of the Torah to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet's face changed with anger, and he remarked:
  'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if Moses were alive today, he would have no choice but to follow me.' (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 15136; graded Hasan / fair by multiple chains).

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Muslim, I. H. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim.

• Al-Darimi, A. R. (n.d.). Sunan al-Darimi.

• Ibn Kathir, I. O. (1999). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Commentary on Surah Al-Ankabut 29:46-52).

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