404 Page Notes

29 Surah Al-Ankabut (continued)

Page 404 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

30 Surah Ar-Rum

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 404 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Surah Al-Ankabut

Page 404 of the Quran contains the final six verses of Surah Al-Ankabut (The Spider), verses 64 through 69. This section addresses the fleeting nature of worldly life, the hypocrisy of polytheists who only pray when in danger, the consequences of inventing lies against Allah, and the absolute promise of divine guidance for those who struggle in His cause.

Classical exegetes (mufassirun), such as Ibn Kathir, connect these verses to several foundational Hadiths and prophetic narratives that clarify their historical context (asbab al-nuzul) and spiritual applications.

Verse 64: The Fleeting Nature of the World

"And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew."

To contextualize the insignificance of worldly attachments relative to the afterlife, scholars frequently cite a foundational Hadith narrated by Sahl bin Sa'd:

• The Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "If the world to Allah were equal to a gnat's wing, He would not have given a disbeliever a drink of water from it." (Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book 36, Hadith 2320).

• Connection to Sunnah: The Prophet routinely emphasized this ethos through his lifestyle, choosing to sleep on a simple reed mat that left marks on his side, reminding his companions that he was merely like a rider seeking brief shade under a tree before moving on.

Verse 65: Sincerity Extracted by Hardship

"And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him."

This verse points to a specific psychological phenomenon of human nature, and classical scholars point to a well-known historical event during the Conquest of Mecca as its primary real-world example:

• The Narrative: Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl fled Mecca by sea to escape the Muslims. While on board, a fierce storm broke out. The ship's captain told the passengers, "Be sincere, for your idols cannot help you at all here." Ikrimah realized the contradiction in his beliefs: "By Allah, if nothing can save me at sea except sincerity to Allah, then nothing else can save me on land either. O Allah, I vow that if I escape this, I will go to Muhammad and place my hand in his." He survived, returned to Mecca, and embraced Islam.

• The Hadith Source: This incident is captured in the Sunnan of Imam An-Nasa'i (Sunan an-Nasa'i 4067, Book of the Prohibition of Blood).

Verse 67: Appreciating the Blessings of Security

"Have they not seen that We made [Makkah] a safe sanctuary, while people are being torn away all around them?"

Allah reminds the Quraysh of the unique blessing of safety they enjoyed within the sanctuary (Haram) of Mecca. The Sunnah underscores how peace and security are essential prerequisites for worship and everyday life.

• The Hadith: The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly highlighted this blessing in a Hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Mihsan: "Whosoever among you wakes up physically healthy, feeling safe and secure in his community, and possessing his provision for the day, it is as if the entire world has been captured for him." (Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book 36, Hadith 2346).

Verse 69: Striving (J__d) and Divine Guidance

"And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good."

The word used here for striving is jahadu (from which J___d is derived). Classical scholars note that because Surah Al-Ankabut is a Meccan Surah (revealed prior to the migration to Medina and the authorization of physical warfare), "striving" in this context refers fundamentally to the internal struggle against the self, or J___d al-Nafs.

• The Hadith on Self-Striving: This linguistic and theological framing is supported by a Hadith narrated by Fadalah bin Ubaid during the Farewell Pilgrimage, where the Prophet (ﷺ) defined the true spiritual warrior: "The Mujahid (one who strives) is the one who strives against his own soul in obedience to Allah." (Musnad Ahmad; Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1621).

• The Foundation for Legal Logic (Ijtihad): Sunni legal traditions also use verse 69 as a primary Quranic justification for the concept of Ijtihad (the intellectual striving of a scholar to deduce legal rulings) (M.A.Albelahi et al., 2018). This links directly to the famous Sunnah narrative of Mu'adh bin Jabal when he was dispatched to Yemen. The Prophet approved of Mu'adh's commitment to "exert his own opinion and effort" (ajtahidu ra'yi) when specific textual answers were missing from the Quran and Sunnah, trusting that sincere intellectual effort yields divine alignment (M.A.Albelahi et al., 2018).

References

M.A.Albelahi, A., Ali, A., Mohmed, F., & Ali, M. (2018). The Theory of Interpretation in Solving Contemporary Legal Issues: With A Focus on the Instrument of Ijtihad. MATEC Web of Conferences, 150, 05056.

An-Nasa'i, A. S. (n.d.). Sunan an-Nasa'i. Kitab Tahrim ad-Dam (The Book of the Prohibition of Blood). Hadith No. 4067.

At-Tirmidhi, M. I. (n.d.). Jami' at-Tirmidhi. Kitab al-Zuhd (The Book of Asceticism). Hadith No. 2320 & 2346; Kitab Fada'il al-Jihad (The Book of the Virtues of Jihad). Hadith No. 1621.

Ibn Kathir, I. O. (2003). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an). Darussalam Publishers.

Surah Ar-Rum

In the standard Egyptian edition of the Quran, page 404 contains the beginning of Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans), specifically verses 1 through 5.

(Note: The final verses of Surah Al-Ankabut, which we looked at previously, conclude on the preceding page, page 403, or the very top margin depending on the print, transitioning directly into Surah Ar-Rum on page 404).

The opening verses of Surah Ar-Rum represent one of the most famous geopolitical prophecies in the Quran, delivered at a time when the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire had been utterly crushed by the Sasanian Persian Empire. The pagan Meccans celebrated the victory of the polytheistic Persians, while the early Muslims sympathized with the monotheistic Christians. The Quran boldly predicted a Roman reversal within a few years.

Verses 1–5: The Prophecy of Roman Victory

"Alif, Lam, Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will be victorious within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And on that day the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah..."

Classical Hadith and Asbab al-Nuzul (reasons for revelation) literature detail the immense psychological warfare in Mecca surrounding this event, leading to a famous wager made by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.

1. The Geopolitical Sympathies and Abu Bakr’s Wager

A detailed Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas outlines the entire historical backdrop and the Prophet's direct involvement in interpreting the timeline of the prophecy:

• The Hadith: Ibn Abbas narrated regarding the verses: "The Mushrikin (polytheists) wanted the Persians to defeat the Romans because they were both idolaters, while the Muslims wanted the Romans to defeat the Persians because they were People of the Book. This was mentioned to Abu Bakr, who went out and mentioned it to the Meccans. They said: 'Set a term between us and you; if we win, we get such and such, and if you win, you get such and such.' Abu Bakr set a term of five years, but the Romans did not win. He mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ), who said: 'Why did you not make it less than... [a longer period]?'—because the word used in the Quran is Bidh'i (بِضْعِ), which means anywhere from three to nine years. Abu Bakr then went back to the Meccans and extended the bet to nine years. Before the nine years were up, the Romans were victorious over the Persians."

• The Source: Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book 47 (Chapters on Tafsir), Hadith No. 3193. Rated Hasan Sahih (Good/Authentic).

2. The Double Rejoicing: The Battle of Badr

The Quran notes that "on that day the believers will rejoice." Hadith literature explicitly links the fulfillment of this prophecy to a monumental milestone in Islamic history—the Battle of Badr—meaning the Muslims rejoiced over their own victory and the fulfillment of Allah's geopolitical promise simultaneously.

• The Hadith: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated: "On the Day of Badr, the Romans had a victory over the Persians. So the believers were pleased with that, then the following was revealed: 'Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated...' up to His saying: 'the believers will rejoice with the help of Allah.' The believers were happy with the victory of the Romans over the Persians."

• The Source: Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book 47, Hadith No. 3192. Rated Hasan (Fair) by Imam at-Tirmidhi.

Theological and Legal Applications in the Sunnah

1. The Legal Ruling on Wagers (Qimar)

This incident serves as a vital case study in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). Scholars use Abu Bakr's wager with the Quraysh to understand the historical development of Islamic law.

• The Context: At the time Abu Bakr made the bet, gambling and wagers (qimar) had not yet been formally prohibited in Islam. The prohibition of gambling was revealed later in Medina (Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 90).

• The Outcome: When the Romans won and Abu Bakr collected the camels he had won from the bet, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed him to give them away as charity (sadaqah) rather than keeping them, as the legal framework was shifting away from such transactions. This is heavily documented in classical commentaries like Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

2. Recognizing the "Lesser of Two Evils"

Sunni theologians utilize the Muslims' historical preference for a Roman victory to derive a major legal maxim: choosing the lesser of two harms or recognizing relative goodness in non-Muslim entities.

• The Concept: Even though the Byzantine Christians held theological views that Islam rejected (such as the Trinity), they were recognized as fundamentally closer to the Islamic worldview than the fire-worshiping, completely non-revelatory Sasanian Empire.

• Scholarly Application: Classical jurist Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah famously used the context of these verses to explain: "The truly intelligent are not those who merely know good from evil. Rather, the truly intelligent are those who know the better of two goods or the lesser of two evils" (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 20/54).

References

At-Tirmidhi, M. I. (n.d.). Jami' at-Tirmidhi. Kitab Tafsir al-Qur'an (Book of Quranic Exegesis). Hadith No. 3192 & 3193.

Ibn Kathir, I. O. (2003). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem (Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an). Volume 6: Surah Ar-Rum. Darussalam Publishers.

Ibn Taymiyyah, A. (n.d.). Majmu' al-Fatawa (Compendium of Legal Rulings). Volume 20, p. 54. 

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