403 Page Notes

29 Surah Al-Ankabut (continued)

Page 403 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 403 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 403 of the Quran continues Surah Al-Ankabut (The Spider), covering verses 53 through 63. This section transitions from the polytheists demanding immediate punishment to themes of migration (Hijrah), the certainty of death, Allah’s absolute provision for His creation, and the psychological inconsistency of the idolaters who acknowledge Allah as the Creator yet worship others alongside Him.

The classical Hadith literature, alongside works of Asbab al-Nuzul (reasons for revelation) by scholars like Al-Wahidi and Ibn Kathir, connect several traditions to this specific page.

1. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 53: Challenging the Prophet to Hasten Punishment

"And they urge you to hasten the punishment. And if not for a decree determined, the punishment would have come upon them..."

Relevant Hadith: The Polytheists' Mockery

The Quraysh frequently mocked the Prophet ﷺ by demanding that if his warnings of divine torment were true, they should happen immediately.

• The Narration: Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that Nadr ibn al-Harith and other leaders of the Quraysh stood near the Kaaba and said, "O Allah, if this [Quran] is indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment!" (This sentiment is mirrored across several Surahs, including Al-Anfal 32 and Al-Ankabut 53). The Prophet ﷺ desisted from asking for their immediate destruction, hoping their offspring would worship Allah alone.

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65 (Prophetic Commentary), Hadith 4648; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3250.

2. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 56: The Command for Migration (Hijrah)

"O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship Only Me."

Relevant Hadith: The Context of the Weak Believers in Mecca

This verse was directly revealed concerning the early Muslims in Mecca who were undergoing severe torture and persecution, yet hesitated to leave their homeland, properties, and families.

• The Narration: Classical commentators record that when persecution intensified, the Prophet ﷺ received this verse indicating that Allah's earth is vast enough to find a place of safety where rituals could be practiced freely. Following this guidance, the Prophet ﷺ explicitly commanded:
  "Go to the land of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), for it has a king under whom no one is wronged, until Allah grants you relief from what you are suffering."

• Source: Sirat Ibn Hisham (The Prophetic Biography); cited by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir for Verse 56 as the primary historical manifestation of this verse prior to the main Hijrah to Medina.

Relevant Sunnah: The Virtues of Leaving a Corrupt Environment

The concept of "Allah's earth is spacious" became a core jurisprudential principle in the Sunnah regarding fleeing trials (Fitan) to preserve one's faith.

• The Narration: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take on the tops of mountains and the places of rainfall so as to flee with his religion from afflictions."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 2 (Belief), Hadith 19.

3. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 57: Every Soul Shall Taste Death

"Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned."

Relevant Hadith: Consolation During Times of Loss and Migration

When the early Muslims feared that migrating to a foreign land meant dying far from home without their tribal safety nets, Allah revealed this verse to remind them that death is an absolute appointment regardless of geography.

• The Narration: The Prophet ﷺ constantly reinforced this verse's reality to ground his companions' anxieties about worldly security. Aisha (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "Frequent the remembrance of the destroyer of pleasures: meaning death."

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2307; Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 1824 (Graded Sahih).

4. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verse 60: Allah Sustains All Creatures

"And how many a creature carries not its [own] provision. Allah provides for it and for you. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing."

Relevant Hadith: Trust in Divine Provision (Tawakkul)

Some Muslims feared migrating to Medina because they did not have properties, farms, or businesses there, wondering how they would survive. This verse assured them that just as animals do not store up or carry their provisions for years, Allah sustains them day by day.

• The Narration: Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
  "If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds: They go out empty-bellied in the morning and return full-bellied in the evening."

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book 36 (Asceticism), Hadith 2344; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4164 (Graded Sahih).

5. Surah Al-Ankabut, Verses 61–63: The Inconsistency of the Polytheists

"And if you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?' they would surely say, 'Allah.' Then how are they deluded?"

Relevant Hadith: The Baseline of Tawhid al-Rububiyyah (Lordship)

These verses highlight that even the pagan Quraysh acknowledged Allah as the ultimate Creator and Provider of rain, yet they directed their worship to idols. This psychological contradiction is detailed in the Sunnah during encounters with incoming converts.

• The Narration: Imran ibn Husayn (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ asked his father, Husayn (who was still a polytheist at the time): "O Husayn, how many gods do you worship today?" Husayn replied, "Seven. Six on the earth and one in the heavens." The Prophet ﷺ then asked:
  "Which of them do you rely on for your hopes and fears?" Husayn replied, "The one in the heavens." The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Husayn, if you would only accept Islam, I would teach you two phrases that would benefit you..." (Husayn later accepted Islam).

• Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book 48 (Supplications), Hadith 3483; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 19890.

References

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

• Al-Tirmidhi, M. I. (n.d.). Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

• Ibn Majah, M. Y. (n.d.). Sunan Ibn Majah.

• Ibn Kathir, I. O. (1999). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Commentary on Surah Al-Ankabut 29:53-63).