Al-'Ankabut: 1

Ayah

Word by Word

الٓمٓ

Alif Laam Meem

Translation

A. L. M.

Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Al-Ankaboot

The Believers are tested so that it may be known Who is Sincere and Who is Lying

Allah says:

الم

Alif Lam Mim.

In the beginning of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah, we discussed the letters which appear at the beginning of some Surahs.

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا امَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ

Do people think that they will be left alone because they say:We believe, and will not be tested.

This is a rebuke in the form of a question, meaning that Allah will inevitably test His believing servants according to their level of faith, as it recorded in the authentic Hadith:

أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَءً الاَۡنۡبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ ثُمَّ الاَۡمۡثَلُ فَالاَۡمۡثَلُ يُبۡتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَإِنۡ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَبَةٌ زِيدَ لَهُ فِي الۡبَلَء

The people most severely tested are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best. A man will be tested in accordance with the degree of his religious commitment; the stronger his religious commitment, the stronger his test.

This Ayah is like the Ayah,

أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواۡ الۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعۡلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواۡ مِنكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمَ الصَّـبِرِينَ

Do you think that you will enter Paradise without Allah knowing those of you who fought (in His cause) and knowing those who are the patient. (3:142)

There is a similar Ayah in Surah At-Tawbah.

And Allah says:

أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواۡ الۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاۡ مِن قَبۡلِكُم مَّسَّتۡهُمُ الۡبَأۡسَأءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواۡ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصۡرُ اللَّهِ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصۡرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you! They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, When (will come) the help of Allah?

Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near! (2:214)

Allah says here:

وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعۡلَمَنَّ الۡكَاذِبِينَ

And We indeed tested those who were before them so that Allah will know those who are true, and will know those who are liars.

meaning, He will make know which are sincere in their claim to be believers from those who are lying.

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, knows what has happened in the past and what is yet to come, and He knows how that which will not happen would have happened if it were to happen.

All the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are agreed on this.

This is the view of Ibn Abbas and others concerning phrases such as the Ayah,

إِلاَّ لِنَعۡلَمَ

(only that We know). (2:143),

Meaning, only to see -- because seeing has to do with what is there, but knowledge is broader than seeing, since it includes what is not present as well as what is.

The Evildoers cannot escape from Allah

Allah said:

أَمۡ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ السَّيِّيَاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَا سَاء مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ

Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us! Evil is that which they judge!

means, those who are not believers should not think that they will escape such trials and tests, for ahead of them lies a greater and more severe punishment.

Allah says:

أَمۡ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ السَّيِّيَاتِ أَن يَسۡبِقُونَا

Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us!

meaning, escape from Us.

سَاء مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ

Evil is that which they judge!

what they think is evil

Allah will fulfill the Hopes of the Righteous

Allah's saying;

مَن كَانَ يَرۡجُو لِقَاء اللَّهِ

Whoever hopes in meeting with Allah,

means, in the Hereafter, and does righteous deeds, and hopes for a great reward with Allah, then Allah will fulfill his hopes and reward him for his deeds in full. This will undoubtedly come to pass, for He is the One Who hears all supplications, He knows and understands the needs of all created beings.

Allah says:

مَن كَانَ يَرۡجُو لِقَاء اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَاتٍ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الۡعَلِيمُ

Whoever hopes in meeting with Allah, then Allah's term is surely coming, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower

وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِ

And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself.

This is like the Ayah,

مَّنۡ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفۡسِهِ

Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself. (41:46)

Whoever does a righteous deed, the benefit of that deed will come back to him, for Allah has no need of the deeds of His servants, and even if all of them were to be as pious as the most pious man among them, that would not add to His dominion in the slightest.

Allah says:

وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الۡعَالَمِينَ

And whosoever strives, he strives only for himself. Verily, Allah stands not in need of any of the creatures.

Then Allah tells us that even though He has no need of His creatures, He is kind and generous to them. He will still give to those who believe and do righteous deeds the best of rewards, which is that He will expiate for them their bad deeds, and will reward them according to the best deeds that they did. He will accept the fewest good deeds and in return for one good deed will give anything between ten rewards and seven hundred, but for every bad deed, He will give only one evil merit, or even that He may overlook and forgive.

This is like the Ayah,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظۡلِمُ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـعِفۡهَا وَيُوۡتِ مِن لَّدُنۡهُ أَجۡراً عَظِيماً

Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of a speck of dust, but if there is any good, He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward. (4:40)

And He says here:

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّيَاتِهِمۡ وَلَنَجۡزِيَنَّهُمۡ أَحۡسَنَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعۡمَلُونَ

Those who believe, and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall expiate from them their evil deeds and We shall indeed reward them according to the best of that which they used to do.

Related Q&A

Why muqotto'at verses exist in Quran?

Many scholars say that no one knows the meaning of Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed-Letters) except Allah. Then why they exist in the Qur'an which was sent down to the humankind?

ANSWER:

Firstly, to say that no one understands the meaning of these letters except Allah is not the consensus of all scholars. Indeed, some scholars beginning from some Shahabah (Companions) explained their meanings. Yasiin, for example, means "O human" according to Ibn 'Abbas. He also told that "Alif Lam Ra'" stands for "Ana Allah Araa" which means "I -Allah- see."

On the other hand, we should acknowledge that there are several Shahabah and scholars believe that only Allah who knows the meaning of these Huruf Muqatta'at. Abu Bakr said: "There is secret in every book. Then the secret of Allah in the Quran is these letters in the beginning of surahs." Ali ibn Abi Thalib and others also stated the same thing.

Ash-Sha'bi, a Tabi'i, was once asked about these letters. He then answered, "Every book have their secret. The secret of the Qur'an is the letters in the beginning of surahs. So, leave it and ask me other question beside it."

Yet even from this perspective, these Huruf Muqatta'at are not useless. They even show us many benefits, of them are:

- to examine our faith

- to show us that our knowledge is limited

- to show us that the Quran is in Arabic since it is arranged from these Arabic letters

- to attract listeners' attention due to their uniqueness

- to make a pledge

- to be names for some surahs

There are also interesting facts from this Huruf Muqotta'at. Of them is the total amount of these letters is 14 which is a half of 28 Arabic letters. They can be drawn up to be a sentence like this:

نص حكيم قاطع له سر

The wise, absolute text which has secret.

In short, some scholars exegete these letters while the others did not but still say that these letters have benefits and wisdoms.

Allah knows best.

See:

Ma'alim Al-Tanzil (II/249) & (VII/7)

Al-Kashshaf (I/20-28)

Al-'Ankabut: 1

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