# Sura  29 - The Spider

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> SURA XXIX (29) - THE SPIDER        (Mecca - 69 Verses)     (LXXXI - 261)     
>  
>        In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
>  
>        Elif. Lam. Mim.  think men that when they say, "We believe," they shall
> be let alone and not be put to proof?
>  
>        We put to proof those who lived before them; for God will surely take
> knowledge of those who are sincere, and will surely take knowledge of the
> liars.
>  
>        Think they who work evil that they shall escape Us?  Ill do they judge.
>  
>        To him who hopeth to meet God, the set time of God will surely come.
> The Hearer, the Knower, He!
>  
>        Whoso maketh efforts for the faith, maketh them for his own good only.
> Verily God is rich enough to dispense with all creatures.
>  
>        And as to those who shall have believed and done the things that are
> right, their evil deeds will we surely blot out from them, and according to
> their best actions will we surely reward them.
>  
>        Moreover we have enjoined on man to shew kindness to parents:  but if
> they strive with thee that thou join that with Me of which thou hast no
> knowledge, obey them not.  To me do ye return, and then will I tell you of your
> doings:
>  
>        And those who shall have believed and done the things that are right, we
> will surely give them an entering in among the just.
>  
>        But some men say, "We believe in God," yet when they meet with
> sufferings in the cause of God, they regard trouble from man as chastisement
> from God.  Yet if a success come from thy Lord they are sure to say, "We were
> on your side!" Doth not God well know what is in the breasts of his creatures?
>  
> 29:10  Yes, and God well knoweth those who believe, and He well knoweth the
> Hypocrites.
>  
>        The unbelievers say to the faithful, "Follow ye our way, and we will
> surely bear your sins."  But not aught of their sins will they bear - verily
> they are liars!
>  
>        But their own burdens, and burdens beside their own burdens shall they
> surely bear:  and inquisition shall be made of them on the day of Resurrection
> as to their false devices.
>  
>        Of old sent we Noah to his people:  a thousand years save fifty did he
> tarry among them; and the flood overtook them in their wrongful doings:
>  
>        But we rescued him and those who were in the vessel; and we made it a
> sign to all men:
>  
>        And Abraham; when he said to his people, "Worship God and fear Him.
> This will be best for you, if ye have knowledge;"
>  
>        Ye only worship idols beside God, and are the authors of a lie.  Those
> whom ye worship beside God can give you no supplies:  seek, then, your supplies
> from God; and serve Him and give Him thanks.  To Him shall ye return.
>  
>        Suppose that ye treat me as a liar! nations before you have treated
> God's messenger as a liar; but open preaching is his only duty.
>  
>        See they not how God bringeth forth creation? and then causeth it to
> return again?  This truly is easy for God.
>  
>        Say, Go through the earth, and see how he hath brought forth created
> beings.  Hereafter, with a second birth will God cause them to be born again;
> for God is Almighty.
>  
> 29:20  Whom He pleaseth will He chastise, and on whom He pleaseth will He have
> mercy, and to Him shall ye be taken back.
>  
>        And ye shall not invalidate his power either in the Earth or in the
> Heaven: and, save God, ye shall have neither patron nor helper.
>  
>        As for those who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall
> ever meet him, these of my mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous
> chastisement await."
>  
>        And the only answer of his people was to say, "Slay him or burn him."
> But from the fire did God save him!  Verily, herein are signs to those who
> believe.
>  
>        And Abraham said, "Of a truth ye have taken idols along with God as your
> bond of union in this life present;
>  
>        But on the day of resurrection some of you shall deny the others, and
> some of you shall curse the others; and your abode shall be the fire, and ye
> shall have none to help."
>  
>        But Lot believed on him, and said, "I betake me to my Lord, for He truly
> is the Mighty, the Wise."
>  
>        And we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and placed the gift of prophecy
> and the Scripture among his posterity; And we gave him his reward in this
> world, and in the next he shall be among the just.
>  
>        We sent also Lot: when he said to his people, "Proceed ye to a
> filthiness in which no people in the world hath ever gone before you?
>  
>        Proceed ye even to men?  attack ye them on the highway?  and proceed ye
> to the crime in your assemblies?" but the only answer of his people was to say,
> "Bring God's chastisement upon us, if thou art a man of truth." He cried:  My
> Lord!  help me against this polluted people.
>  
> 29:30  And when our messengers came to Abraham with the tidings of a son, they
> said, "Of a truth we will destroy in in-dwellers in this city, for its
> in-dwellers are evil doers."
>  
>        He said, "Lot is therein."  They said, "We know full well who therein
> is.  Him and his family will we save, except his wife; she will be of those who
> linger.
>  
>        And when our messengers came to Lot, he was troubled for them, and his
> arm was too weak to protect them; and they said, "Fear not, and distress not
> thyself, for thee and thy family will we save, except thy wife; she will be of
> those who linger.
>  
>        We will surely bring down upon the dwellers in this city vengeance from
> Heaven for the excesses they have committed."
>  
>        And in what we have left of it is a clear sign to men of understanding.
>  
>        And to Madian we sent their brother Shoaib.  And he said, "Oh!  my
> people!  worship God, and expect the latter day, and enact not in the land
> deeds of harmful excess."
>  
>        But they treated him as an imposter:  so an earthquake assailed them;
> and at morn they were found prostrate and dead in their dwellings.
>  
>        And we destroyed Ad and Themoud.  Already is this made plain to you in
> the ruins of their dwellings.  For Satan had made their own works fair seeming
> to them, and drew them from the right path, keen-sighted though they were.
>  
>        And Corah and Pharaoh and Haman.  With proofs of his mission did Moses
> come to them, and they behaved proudly on the earth; but us they could not
> outstrip;
>  
>        For, every one of them did we seize in his sin.  Against some of them
> did we sent a stone-charged wind:  Some of them did the terrible cry of Gabriel
> surprise:  for some of them we cleaved the earth; and some of them we drowned.
> And it was not God who would deal wrongly by them, but they wronged themselves.
>  
> 29:40  The likeness for those who take to themselves guardians instead of God
> is the likeness of the spider who buildeth her a house:  But verily, frailest
> of all houses surely is the house of the spider.  Did they but know this!
>  
>        God truly knoweth all that they call on beside Him; and He is the
> Mighty, the Wise.
>  
>        These similitudes do we set forth to men:  and one understand them
> except the wise.
>  
>        God hath created the Heavens and the Earth for a serious end.  Verily in
> this is a sign to those who believe.
>  
>        Recite the portions of the Book which have been revealed to thee and
> discharge the duty of prayer:  for prayer restraineth from the filthy and the
> blame-worthy.  And the gravest duty is the remembrance of God; and God knoweth
> what ye do.
>  
>        Dispute not, unless in kindly sort, with the people of the Book; save
> with such of them as have dealt wrongfully with you:  And say ye, "We believe
> in what hath been sent down to us and hath been sent down to you.  Our God and
> your God is one, and to him are we self-surrendered" (Muslims).
>  
>        Thus have we sent down the Book of the Koran to thee:  and they to whom
> we have given the Book of the law believe in it:  and of these Arabians there
> are those who believe in it:  and none, save the Infidels, reject our signs.
>  
>        Thou didst not recite any book (of revelation) before it:  with that
> right hand of thine thou didst not transcribe one:  else might they who treat
> it as a vain thing have justly doubted:
>  
>        But it is a clear sign in the hearts of those whom "the knowledge" hath
> reached.  None except the wicked reject our signs.
>  
>        And they say, "Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord...."
> Say:  Signs are in the power of God alone.  I am only a plain spoken warner.
>  
> 29:50  Is it not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the Book to be
> recited to them?  In this verily is a mercy and a warning to those who believe.
>  
>        Say:  God is witness enough between me and you.
>  
>        He knoweth all that is in the Heavens and the Earth, and they who
> believe in vain things and disbelieve in God - these shall be the lost ones.
>  
>        They will challenge thee to hasten the punishment: but had there not
> been a season fixed for it, that punishment had already come upon them.  But it
> shall overtake them suddenly when they look not for it.
>  
>        They will challenge thee to hasten the punishment: but verily Hell shall
> be round about the infidels.
>  
>        One day the punishment shall wrap them round, both from above them and
> from beneath their feet; and God will say, "Taste ye your own doings."
>  
>        O my servants who have believed!  Vast truly is my Earth: me, therefore!
> yea worship me.
>  
>        Every soul shall taste of death.  Then to us shall ye return.
>  
>        But those who shall have believed and wrought righteousness will we
> lodge in gardens with palaces, beneath which the rivers flow.  For ever shall
> they abide therein.  How goodly the reward of those who labour,
>  
>        Who patiently endure, and put their trust in their Lord!
>  
> 29:60  How many animals are there which provide not their own food!  God
> feedeth them and you.  He heareth, Knoweth all things.
>  
>        If thou ask them who hath created the Heavens and the Earth, and hath
> imposed laws on the sun and on the moon, they will certainly say, "God."  How
> then can they devise lies?
>  
>        God lavisheth supplies on such of his servants as He pleaseth or giveth
> to them by measure.  God knoweth all things.
>  
>        If thou ask them who sendeth rain from heaven, and by it quickeneth the
> earth, after it hath been dead, they will certainly answer, "God."  Say:
> Praise be to God!  Yet most of them do not understand.
>  
>        This present life is no other than a pastime and a disport: but truly
> the future mansion is life indeed!  Would that they knew this!
>  
>        Lo!  when they embark on shipboard, they call upon God, vowing him
> sincere worship, but when He bringeth them safe to land, behold they join
> partners with Him.
>  
>        In our revelation they believe not, yet take their fill of good things.
> But in the end they shall know their folly.
>  
>        Do they not see that we have established a safe precinct while all
> around them men are being spoiled?  Will they then believe in vain idols, and
> not own the goodness of God?
>  
>        But who acteth more wrongly than he who deviseth a lie against God, or
> calls the truth when it hath come to him, a lie?  Is there not an abode for the
> infidels in Hell?
>  
>        And whoso maketh efforts for us, in our ways will we guide them:  for
> God is assuredly with those who do righeous deeds.
>
> — *Sura  29 - The Spider*