29:2 Al-Ankaboot (The Spider)

يخبر تعالى عن [تمام] حكمته وأن حكمته لا تقتضي أن كل من قال \" إنه مؤمن \" وادعى لنفسه الإيمان، أن يبقوا في حالة يسلمون فيها من الفتن والمحن، ولا يعرض لهم ما يشوش عليهم إيمانهم وفروعه، فإنهم لو كان الأمر كذلك، لم يتميز الصادق من الكاذب، والمحق من المبطل، ولكن سنته وعادته في الأولين وفي هذه الأمة، أن يبتليهم بالسراء والضراء، والعسر واليسر، والمنشط والمكره، والغنى والفقر، وإدالة الأعداء عليهم في بعض الأحيان، ومجاهدة الأعداء بالقول والعمل ونحو ذلك من الفتن، التي ترجع كلها إلى فتنة الشبهات المعارضة للعقيدة، والشهوات المعارضة للإرادة، فمن كان عند ورود الشبهات يثبت إيمانه ولا يتزلزل، ويدفعها بما معه من الحق وعند ورود الشهوات الموجبة والداعية إلى المعاصي والذنوب، أو الصارفة عن ما أمر اللّه به ورسوله، يعمل بمقتضى الإيمان، ويجاهد شهوته، دل ذلك على صدق إيمانه وصحته.ومن كان عند ورود الشبهات تؤثر في قلبه شكا وريبا، وعند اعتراض الشهوات تصرفه إلى المعاصي أو تصدفه عن الواجبات، دلَّ ذلك على عدم صحة إيمانه وصدقه.والناس في هذا المقام درجات لا يحصيها إلا اللّه، فمستقل ومستكثر، فنسأل اللّه تعالى أن يثبتنا بالقول الثابت في الحياة الدنيا وفي الآخرة، وأن يثبت قلوبنا على دينه، فالابتلاء والامتحان للنفوس بمنزلة الكير، يخرج خبثها وطيبها.

استفهام إنكار ومعناه أن الله سبحانه وتعالى لا بد أن يبتلي عباده المؤمنين بحسب ما عندهم من الإيمان كما جاء في الحديث الصحيح "أشد الناس بلاء الأنبياء ثم الصالحون ثم الأمثل فالأمثل يبتلى الرجل على حسب دينه فإن كان في دينه صلابة زيد له في البلاء" وهذه الآية كقوله: "أم حسبتم أن تتركوا ولما يعلم الله الذين جاهدوا منكم ويعلم الصابرين" ومثلها في سورة براءة وقال في البقرة "أم حسبتم أن تدخلوا الجنة ولما يأتكم مثل الذين خلوا من قبلكم مستهم البأساء والضراء وزلزلوا حتى يقول الرسول والذين آمنوا معه متى نصر الله ألا إن نصر الله قريب".

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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 يُتْرَكُواْ أَن يَقُولُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفْتَنُونَ

(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 بَلَاءً الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ، ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ، يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَابَةٌ زِيدَ لَهُ فِي الْبَلَاء»

(The people most severly 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 stonger his religious commitment, the stronger his test.) This Ayah is like the Ayah,

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ 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 Surat At-Tawbah. And Allah says:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ نَصْرَ 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:

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَـذِبِينَ

(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 لِنَعْلَمَ

(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:

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ

(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:

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا

(Or think those who do evil deeds that they can outstrip Us) meaning, "escape" from Us.

سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ

(Evil is that which they judge!) what they think is evil.

Do people suppose that they will be left to say that is that they will be left alone because of their saying ‘We believe’ and they will not be tried? tested with that which will reveal the sincerity of their belief. This verse was revealed regarding a group of individuals who when they became believers endured suffering at the hands of the idolaters.

Commentary

وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ (And will not be put to test - 29:2). It is derived from Fitnah, which means trial or test. The believers, especially the prophets and pious, have to go through many a trials in this world. However, they always come out victors in the end. These trials and tribulations sometimes come as a result of enmity of the infidels and sinners by way of afflictions, as have been experienced by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and many other prophets, and at times in the form of diseases, as was experienced by Sayyidna Ayyub (علیہ السلام) . And for others many of these trial types are combined together.

Although the background under which this verse was revealed, according to many narrations, was the harassment faced by the companions of the Holy Qur’ an from the infidels at the time of hijrah, but otherwise its message is common to all times. The sense is that the pious, saints and scholars will face the trials and tribulations in all times. (Qurtubi).

Do the people reckon they will be left to say, “We have faith,” and not be tried? Do the people reckon they will be left simply to claim to have faith without trial being demanded from them? That will never happen, for the worth of every man lies in his trial. So when the mea- sure of someone's meaning is more, the measure of his trial will be more. The Prophet said, “Surely the people most severely tried are the prophets, then the next best, then the next best.” He also said, “When God desires good for a people, He tries them.” The lordly likeness from the Presence of Lordhood is this: Trial from Our threshold is a robe of honor for the friends. Whoever seeks a level above others in the station of friendship will smell more of the rose of tribulation in the pleasure-garden of the friends. If you want to know this, then look at the state of that master of Adam's children, the one emulated by the folk of the Shariah, and the foremost and chieftain of the folk of the Haqiqah. When that paragon walked into this street, he was not left without heartache and grief for an hour. If he sat for a while cross-legged, the address would come, “Sit like a servant!” If once he put a ring on his finger, the whip of rebuke would come down: “What, did you reckon that We created you aimlessly?” [23:115]. If once he placed his foot on the ground boldly, the command would come, “Walk not in the earth exultantly” [17:37]. If one day he said, “I love ʿāÌisha,” he would see what he saw. When his trial reached the extreme from the words of the hypocrites, he complained inwardly to God. He was addressed: “O paragon, when someone's heart and spirit witness Me, does he complain of trial?” All the venom in the treasuries of the Unseen was poured into one cup and put in his hand, and then a curtain was lifted from his secret core. It was said, “O MuḤammad, drink this venom while contemplating My beauty! And be patient with thy Lord's decree, for surely thou art in Our eyes” [52:48]. Were the Beloved's hand to pour poison for me, poison from His hand would be sweet. * Your curse, O Friend, is my praise and laudation, Your iniquity my justice, Your cruelty loyalty.