English Translation of Al-Quran
[29].Surah Al-Ankabut [The Spider]
Ayat 41. The likeness of those who take Auliya (protectors and helpers) other than Allah is as the likeness of a spider, who builds (for itself) a house, but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider’s house; if they but knew.
Tafseer of Surah Al-Ankabut (The Spider) Ayat 41. The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider’s house;- if they but knew. The Spider’s house is one of the wonderful Signs of Allah’s creations. It is made up of fine silk threads spun out of silk glands in the spider’s body. There are many kinds of spiders and many kinds of spider houses. Two main types of houses may be mentioned. There is the tubular nest or web, a silk-lined house or burrow with one or two trap doors. This may be called his residential or family mansion. Then there is what is ordinarily called a spider’s web, consisting of a central point with radiating threads running in all directions and acting as tie beams to the quasi- circular concentric threads that form the body of the web. This is his hunting box. The whole structure exemplifies economy in time, material, and strength. If an insect is caught in the net, the vibration set up in the radiating threads is at once communicated to the spider, who can come and kill his prey. In case the prey is powerful, the spider is furnished with poison glands with which to kill his prey. The spider sits either in the center of the web or hides on the underside of a leaf or in some crevice, but he always has a single thread connecting him with his web, to keep him in telephonic communication. The female spider is much bigger than the male, and in Arabic the generic gender of ‘Ankabut is feminine. Most of the facts in the last note can be read into the Parable. For their thickness, the spider’s threads are very strong from the point of view of relativity, but in our actual world they are flimsy, especially the threads of the gossamer spider floating in the air. So is the house and strength of the man who relies on material resources however fine or beautiful relatively; before the eternal Reality they are as nothing. The spider’s most cunning architecture cannot stand against a wave of man’s hand. His poison glands are like the hidden poison in our beautiful worldly plants which may take various shapes but have seeds of death in them.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: We were repairing our thatchy hut when Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) passed by and asked us, “What are you doing?” We said, “The thatch had gone weak and we are repairing it.” He [SAWW](PBUH) said, “I see the sure thing (death) approaching sooner than this.”
[Tirmizi Hadith # 2335].
Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al- Ankabut Ayat 41. “a house, but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider’s house; if they but knew” The word “Khuss” means a hut or a house which is made of wood and reed/bamboo and plastered with mud. The Hadith reminds us to be mindful of death at all times and be certain that there is nothing nearer to us than it. It also tells us that we should not engage in those worldly things which are bound to make us forget about our appointed term in this world.
