The Spider — Verse 23

The Evidence for Life after Death Allah tells us that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, showed them the proof of life after death, which they denied, in their souls. For Allah created them after they had been nothing at all, then they came into existence and became people who could hear and see. The One Who originated this is able to repeat it, it is very easy for Him. Then he taught them to contemplate the visible signs on the horizons and the things that Allah has created: the heavens with their stars and planets, moving and stationary, the earth with its plains and mountains, its valleys, deserts and wildernesses, trees and rivers, fruits and oceans. All of that indicates that these are themselves created things, and that there must be a Creator Who does as He chooses, Who merely says to a thing "Be!" and it is. Allah says: أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ يُبْدِىءُ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ إِنَّ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ (See they not how Allah originates the creation, then repeats it. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) This is like the Ayah: وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ (And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) (30:27). Then Allah says: قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِىءُ النَّشْأَةَ الاٌّخِرَةَ (Say: "Travel in the land and see how He originated the creation, and then Allah will bring forth the creation of the Hereafter.") meaning, the Day of Resurrection. إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (Verily, Allah is able to do all things.) يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ (He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills;) He is the Ruler Who is in control, Who does as He wishes and judges as He wants, and there is none who can put back His judgement. None can question Him about what He does; rather it is they who will be questioned, for His is the power to create and to command, and whatever He decides is fair and just, for He is the sovereign who cannot be unjust in the slightest. According to a Hadith recorded by the Sunan compilers: «إِنَّ اللهَ لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِم لَهُم» (If Allah willed to punish the dwellers of His heavens and His earth, He would do so, while He would not be unjust to them.) Allah says: يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ (He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills; and to Him you will be returned.) You will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection. وَمَآ أَنتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ (And you cannot escape on the earth or in the heaven. ) No one in heaven or on earth can flee from Him, for He is the Subduer Who is above His servants, and everything fears Him and is in need of Him, while He is the One Who is Independent of all else. وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍوَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِ (And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and the meeting with Him,) Those who disbelieved in the signs of Allah and denied the Resurrection, أُوْلَـئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحْمَتِى (such have no hope of My mercy) they will have no share in it, وَأُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (and for such there is a painful torment.) meaning, extremely painful, in this world and the next.

And those who disbelieve in God’s signs and the encounter with Him namely the Qur’ān and the Resurrection respectively they have despaired of My mercy that is of attaining My Paradise and for those there shall be a painful chastisement.

And those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the encounter with Him-they have lost hope in My mercy. In this world the punishment of the unbelievers is completed when they lose hope in God's mercy. To the faithful He says, “No matter how many foolish things you have done and how much you have sinned, despair not of God's mercy [39:53].” Know that the influence of God's mercy for the servants is greater than the influence of His wrath. In the Qur'an, there are more mentions of the attributes of mercy than the attributes of wrath. In the report has come, “My mercy takes precedence over My wrath.” Mercy and wrath are both attributes of the Real, and it is not permissible for you to say that one is before and the other after, or that one is more and the other less. If you say that one is more, then the other must be decreased; if you say one is before, than the other must be newly arrived. Hence, what is meant by this is mercy's influence. In other words: “The influence of My mercy overtakes the influence of My wrath.” It is because of the influence of His wrath that the unbelievers have despaired of His mercy, such that He says, “they have lost hope in My mercy.” It is because of the influence of His mercy that the faithful hope for His forgiveness and place their hearts on His mercy, such that He says, “They hope for God's mercy” [2:218]. The unbeliever who has despaired of God's mercy with his idol before him is like a spider who builds a house, frail and without outcome. It has no foundation to keep it in place, walls for refuge, or roof to cover it. It is of no use in cold or in heat. It is so frail and weak that with the slightest wind it moves up and down and is ruined. This is the likeness of the idol-worshipper. He fancies that he is doing something or that he has a refuge: They were reckoning that they were doing beau- tiful artisanry [18:104]. They reckon that they are on to something [58:18]. “He who hopes that the mirage is water will only remain long enough to know that it was an imagining.”

And those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the encounter with Him-they have lost hope in My mercy. In this world the punishment of the unbelievers is completed when they lose hope in God's mercy. To the faithful He says, “No matter how many foolish things you have done and how much you have sinned, despair not of God's mercy [39:53].” Know that the influence of God's mercy for the servants is greater than the influence of His wrath. In the Qur'an, there are more mentions of the attributes of mercy than the attributes of wrath. In the report has come, “My mercy takes precedence over My wrath.” Mercy and wrath are both attributes of the Real, and it is not permissible for you to say that one is before and the other after, or that one is more and the other less. If you say that one is more, then the other must be decreased; if you say one is before, than the other must be newly arrived. Hence, what is meant by this is mercy's influence. In other words: “The influence of My mercy overtakes the influence of My wrath.” It is because of the influence of His wrath that the unbelievers have despaired of His mercy, such that He says, “they have lost hope in My mercy.” It is because of the influence of His mercy that the faithful hope for His forgiveness and place their hearts on His mercy, such that He says, “They hope for God's mercy” [2:218]. The unbeliever who has despaired of God's mercy with his idol before him is like a spider who builds a house, frail and without outcome. It has no foundation to keep it in place, walls for refuge, or roof to cover it. It is of no use in cold or in heat. It is so frail and weak that with the slightest wind it moves up and down and is ruined. This is the likeness of the idol-worshipper. He fancies that he is doing something or that he has a refuge: They were reckoning that they were doing beau- tiful artisanry [18:104]. They reckon that they are on to something [58:18]. “He who hopes that the mirage is water will only remain long enough to know that it was an imagining.”

And those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the encounter with Him-they have lost hope in My mercy. In this world the punishment of the unbelievers is completed when they lose hope in God's mercy. To the faithful He says, “No matter how many foolish things you have done and how much you have sinned, despair not of God's mercy [39:53].” Know that the influence of God's mercy for the servants is greater than the influence of His wrath. In the Qur'an, there are more mentions of the attributes of mercy than the attributes of wrath. In the report has come, “My mercy takes precedence over My wrath.” Mercy and wrath are both attributes of the Real, and it is not permissible for you to say that one is before and the other after, or that one is more and the other less. If you say that one is more, then the other must be decreased; if you say one is before, than the other must be newly arrived. Hence, what is meant by this is mercy's influence. In other words: “The influence of My mercy overtakes the influence of My wrath.” It is because of the influence of His wrath that the unbelievers have despaired of His mercy, such that He says, “they have lost hope in My mercy.” It is because of the influence of His mercy that the faithful hope for His forgiveness and place their hearts on His mercy, such that He says, “They hope for God's mercy” [2:218]. The unbeliever who has despaired of God's mercy with his idol before him is like a spider who builds a house, frail and without outcome. It has no foundation to keep it in place, walls for refuge, or roof to cover it. It is of no use in cold or in heat. It is so frail and weak that with the slightest wind it moves up and down and is ruined. This is the likeness of the idol-worshipper. He fancies that he is doing something or that he has a refuge: They were reckoning that they were doing beau- tiful artisanry [18:104]. They reckon that they are on to something [58:18]. “He who hopes that the mirage is water will only remain long enough to know that it was an imagining.”

And those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the encounter with Him-they have lost hope in My mercy. In this world the punishment of the unbelievers is completed when they lose hope in God's mercy. To the faithful He says, “No matter how many foolish things you have done and how much you have sinned, despair not of God's mercy [39:53].” Know that the influence of God's mercy for the servants is greater than the influence of His wrath. In the Qur'an, there are more mentions of the attributes of mercy than the attributes of wrath. In the report has come, “My mercy takes precedence over My wrath.” Mercy and wrath are both attributes of the Real, and it is not permissible for you to say that one is before and the other after, or that one is more and the other less. If you say that one is more, then the other must be decreased; if you say one is before, than the other must be newly arrived. Hence, what is meant by this is mercy's influence. In other words: “The influence of My mercy overtakes the influence of My wrath.” It is because of the influence of His wrath that the unbelievers have despaired of His mercy, such that He says, “they have lost hope in My mercy.” It is because of the influence of His mercy that the faithful hope for His forgiveness and place their hearts on His mercy, such that He says, “They hope for God's mercy” [2:218]. The unbeliever who has despaired of God's mercy with his idol before him is like a spider who builds a house, frail and without outcome. It has no foundation to keep it in place, walls for refuge, or roof to cover it. It is of no use in cold or in heat. It is so frail and weak that with the slightest wind it moves up and down and is ruined. This is the likeness of the idol-worshipper. He fancies that he is doing something or that he has a refuge: They were reckoning that they were doing beau- tiful artisanry [18:104]. They reckon that they are on to something [58:18]. “He who hopes that the mirage is water will only remain long enough to know that it was an imagining.”

And those who disbelieve in the signs of God and the encounter with Him-they have lost hope in My mercy.In this world the punishment of the unbelievers is completed when they lose hope in God's mercy. To the faithful He says, �No matter how many foolish things you have done and how much you have sinned, despair not of God's mercy [39:53].�Know that the influence of God's mercy for the servants is greater than the influence of His wrath. In the Qur'an, there are more mentions of the attributes of mercy than the attributes of wrath. In the report has come, �My mercy takes precedence over My wrath.�Mercy and wrath are both attributes of the Real, and it is not permissible for you to say that one is before and the other after, or that one is more and the other less. If you say that one is more, then the other must be decreased; if you say one is before, than the other must be newly arrived. Hence, what is meant by this is mercy's influence. In other words: �The influence of My mercy overtakes the influence of My wrath.� It is because of the influence of His wrath that the unbelievers have despaired of His mercy, such that He says, �they have lost hope in My mercy.� It is because of the influence of His mercy that the faithful hope for His forgiveness and place their hearts on His mercy, such that He says, �They hope for God's mercy� [2:218].The unbeliever who has despaired of God's mercy with his idol before him is like a spider who builds a house, frail and without outcome. It has no foundation to keep it in place, walls for refuge, or roof to cover it. It is of no use in cold or in heat. It is so frail and weak that with the slightest wind it moves up and down and is ruined. This is the likeness of the idol-worshipper. He fancies that he is doing something or that he has a refuge: They were reckoning that they were doing beau- tiful artisanry [18:104]. They reckon that they are on to something [58:18]. �He who hopes that the mirage is water will only remain long enough to know that it was an imagining.�

والذين جحدوا حُجج الله وأنكروا أدلته، ولقاءه يوم القيامة، أولئك ليس لهم مطمع في رحمتي لَمَّا عاينوا ما أُعِدَّ لهم من العذاب، وأولئك لهم عذاب مؤلم موجع.

"والذين كفروا بآيات الله ولقائه" أي جحدوها وكفروا بالمعاد "أولئك يئسوا من رحمتي" أي لا نصيب لهم فيها "وأولئك لهم عذاب أليم" أي موجع شديد في الدنيا والآخرة.

وقوله - سبحانه - : مصير الكافرين فقال : ( والذين كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِ الله ) الدالة على وحدانيته وقدرته ، وعلى ذاته وصفاته . . وكفروا - أيضا - بالأدلة الدالة على ( لِقَآئِهِ ) بأن أنكروا البعث والحساب والجزاء ( أولئك ) الذين كفروا بكل ذلك ( يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحْمَتِي ) أى : انقطع ألهم فى رحمتى إياهم انقطاعا تاما وعبر - سبحانه - بالماضى لدلالة علمه التام على تحقق وقوع هذا اليأس ، وفقدان الأمل عند هؤلاء الكافرين وقت أن يقفوا بين يديه للحساب ، بسبب كفرهم سوء أعمالهم .وأضاف - عز وجل - الرحمة إليه ، للإِشارة إلى سبقها لغضبه ، وأنها تشمل عبادة المؤمنين .( أولئك ) أى : الذين كفروا بآيات الله وبلقائه ( لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ) لا يعلم مقدار شدته وفظاعته إلا هو - سبحانه - .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقَائِهِ أُولَئِكَ يَئِسُوا مِنْ رَحْمَتِي وَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (23)يقول تعالى ذكره: والذين كفروا حُجَجَ الله، وأنكروا أدلته، وجحدوا لقاءه والورود عليه، يوم تقوم الساعة: ( أُولَئِكَ يَئِسُوا مِنْ رَحْمَتِي ) يقول تعالى ذكره: أولئك يئسوا من رحمتي في الآخرة لما عاينوا ما أعدّ لهم من العذاب، وأولئك لهم عذاب مُوجِع.فإن قال قائل: وكيف اعْترض بهذه الآيات من قوله: وَإِنْ تُكَذِّبُوا فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ... إلى قوله: إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ وترك ضمير قوله: فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ وهو من قصة إبراهيم. وقوله: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ... إلى قوله: فَابْتَغُوا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ .قيل: فعل ذلك كذلك، لأن الخبر عن أمر نوح وإبراهيم وقومهما، وسائر مَنْ ذَكَر الله من الرسل والأمم في هذه السورة وغيرها، إنما هو تذكير من الله تعالى ذكره به الَّذِينَ يبتدئ بذكرهم قبل الاعتراض بالخبر، وتحذير منه لهم أن يحلّ بهم ما حلّ بهم، فكأنه قيل في هذا الموضع: فاعبدوه واشكروا له إليه ترجعون، فكذّبتم أنتم معشر قريش رسولكم محمدا، كما كذّب أولئك إبراهيم، ثم جَعَل مكان: فكذّبتم: وإن تكذبوا فقد كَذَّب أمم من قبلكم، إذ كان ذلك يدل على الخبر عن تكذيبهم رسولَهم، ثم عاد إلى الخبر عن إبراهيم وقومه، وتتميم قصته وقصتهم بقوله: فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ .

( والذين كفروا بآيات الله ولقائه ) بالقرآن وبالبعث ( أولئك يئسوا من رحمتي ) جنتي ( أولئك لهم عذاب أليم ) فهذه الآيات في تذكير أهل مكة وتحذيرهم ، وهي معترضة في قصة إبراهيم ،

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآَيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقَائِهِ أُولَئِكَ يَئِسُوا مِنْ رَحْمَتِي وَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (23)بيان لما في قوله { يعذب من يشاء ويرحم من يشاء } [ العنكبوت : 21 ] وإنما عطف لما فيه من زيادة الإخبار بأنهم لا ينالهم الله برحمة وأنه يصيبهم بعذاب أليم .والكُفر بآيات الله : هو كفرهم بالقرآن . والكفر بلقائه : إنكارُ البعث .واسم الإشارة يفيد أن ما سيذكره بعده نالهم من أجل ما ذكر قبل اسم الإشارة من أوصاف ، أي أنهم استحقوا اليأس من الرحمة وإصابتهم بالعذاب الأليم لأجل كفرهم بالقرآن وإنكارهم البعث على أسلوب { أولئك على هدى من ربهم } [ البقرة : 5 ] .وأخبر عن يأسهم من رحمة الله بالفعل المضي تنبيهاً على تحقيق وقوعه . والمعنى : أولئك سييأسون من رحمة الله لا محالة .والتعبير بالاسم الظاهر في قوله { بآيات الله } دون ضمير التكلم للتنويه بشأن الآيات حيث أضيفت إلى الاسم الجليل لما في الاسم الجليل من التذكير بأنه حقيق بأن لا يُكفر بآياته . والعدول إلى التكلم في قوله { رحمتي } التفات عاد به أسلوب الكلام إلى مقتضى الظاهر ، وإعادة اسم الإشارة لتأكيد التنبيه على استحقاقهم ذلك .

يخبر تعالى من هم الذين زال عنهم الخير، وحصل لهم الشر، وأنهم الذين كفروا به وبرسله، وبما جاءوهم به، وكذبوا بلقاء اللّه، فليس عندهم إلا الدنيا، فلذلك قدموا على ما أقدموا عليه من الشرك والمعاصي، لأنه ليس في قلوبهم ما يخوفهم من عاقبة ذلك، ولهذا قال تعالى: { أُولَئِكَ يَئِسُوا مِنْ رَحْمَتِي } أي: فلذلك لم يعلموا سببا واحدا يحصلون به الرحمة، وإلا لو طمعوا في رحمته، لعملوا لذلك أعمالا، والإياس من رحمة اللّه من أعظم المحاذير، وهو نوعان: إياس الكفار منها، وتركهم جميع سبب يقربهم منها، وإياس العصاة، بسبب كثرة جناياتهم أوحشتهم، فملكت قلوبهم، فأحدث لها الإياس، { وَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ } أي: مؤلم موجع. وكأن هذه الآيات معترضات بين كلام إبراهيم عليه السلام لقومه، وردهم عليه، واللّه أعلم بذلك.

والذين كفروا بآيات الله ولقائه أي بالقرآن أو بما نصب من الأدلة والأعلام أولئك يئسوا من رحمتي أي من الجنة ونسب اليأس إليهم والمعنى : أويسوا . وهذه الآيات اعتراض من الله تعالى تذكيرا وتحذيرا لأهل مكة .

Man was non-existent and came into being only at a certain point in time. In view of this, why should it not be possible for the creation which occurred once, to take place once again? Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlavi has written this meaningful observation, ‘You have seen the beginning, you can now guess that it can be repeated in future.’ Each man himself is an example of the First Creation. If he needs further examples, he should observe and study this wide world of God. He will see that the whole world is replete with living examples of this event. God has provided these examples in this world so that man may understand what the Second Creation means and then perform such deeds as will be of avail to him in the next stage of existence.

Commentary The infidels of Makkah believed that it is Allah who has created the whole universe, but they deemed it impossible that the people will be resurrected after they once die. The present verses have described the fallacy of their view. It is stated that repeating the process of creation is much easier than its origination. It is strange that these infidels do believe that Allah has originated the creation, but they deny His power to do it again, while the latter is easier than the former. Then verse 20 has induced them to look around them to appreciate the splendors of the creation, so that they may apprehend that the One who has originated this marvelous creation can easily repeat the process. After establishing the Resurrection, the last three verses describe the punishment for those who deny it.

(Those who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah) those who disbelieve in Muhammad (pbuh) and in the Qur'an, i.e. the Jews, Christians and all other disbelievers (and in (their) Meeting with Him) and also disbelieve in resurrection after death, (such) who have these traits (have no hope of My mercy) of My Paradise; the reference here is to the Jews and Christians; they have no hope that in Paradise there will be food, drink and sexual intercourse. (For such there is a painful doom.