Summary of
Al-Ankabut Quran Chapter 29
It can be said
with certainty about Surah Al-Ankabut that this Surah was revealed in the year fifth of
the Prophetical. This was the period when the oppression of the polytheists on
the Muslims in Makkah had greatly increased. For three years before that, the
opponents did not show any serious reaction to the effects of the Last Prophet Muhammad’s
invitation but instead tried to blow it into pieces. During this time, those
people kept making fun of Muhammad PBUH, kept calling him a poet and a
magician, and thus trying to ridicule him.
They believed that such tactics
would kill your willpower, you would become discouraged and lose heart and thus
the movement would come to end. However, despite all these tactics, the scope
of Muhammad’s invitation was expanding day by day. Of particular concern to
them was the fact that most of those affected by your invitation were slaves
and young men from high families. So, when several slaves of the Quraysh
leaders came to faith and accepted Islam, on the other hand, young people like
Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umar and Hazrat Othman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with
them, also converted to Islam.
The polytheists had to think seriously about
this invitation so that they can prevent it. In this regard, the important
decision taken by them, the pagans of Makkah, was to deal strictly with all
such people and force them to leave the new religion through physical abuse and
violence. When this series started, although their family members also
subjected the young people of faith to violence to some extent, it was as if
the apocalypse had broken on the slaves and the helpless people. The status of
slaves in that society was like that of animals. Like you bought a goat and
tying it to your peg. He used the goat as long as he wanted to use it and
slaughtered it when he wanted.
These slaves had no human rights. A master
should treat his slave as he likes, beat him or kill him, no one could ask him.
So, along with companions like Hazrat Bilal, Hazrat Abu Faqiha, and Hazrat
Khabab bin Al-Arat, may Allah be pleased with them, their masters tried such
methods of persecution that make them cringe at the very thought of them. Apart
from the slaves, some people who were not Quraysh, and who were living in
Makkah as allies of someone, were subjected to this terrible and brutal
torture. Hazrat Yasir (RA) is counted among such people.
He belonged to Yemen.
You had heard from the Yemeni Christians about the coming of Prophet Muhammad
PBUH. It is known from the traditions that he also received a hint in a dream
that the time of the appearance of the last prophet in Makkah was near.
Therefore, in his desire to be blessed by the company of Prophet Muhammad PBUH,
he left Yemen, came to Makkah, and sought and took refuge from Abu Jahl’s
uncle. Abu Jahl’s uncle was a nobleman; he not only sheltered him but also
married him to his concubine Shamiya.
Then Allah also gave you a son. When Abu
Jahl’s uncle died, this family came under the shelter of Abu Jahl. Hazrat
Muhammad PBUH declared Prophethood, and then Hazrat Yasir, his wife Hazrat
Samia, and his son Ammar (RA) believed in Hazrat Muhammad. When Quraysh adopted
the strategy of torturing the believers, Abu Jahl started the violence in this
small family. As a result, Hazrat Yasir and Hazrat Sumia were martyred. While
Hazrat Ammar (May Allah be pleased with him) saved his life by saying words of
disbelief in compel, which he regretted for the rest of his life.
[In verse 106
of Surah An-Nahal Qur’an chapter 16, The Bees, it is explained that if someone
is forced to utter the word of disbelief, but his heart remains content with
faith, then Allah is forgiving (Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief,
except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but
such as open their breast to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs
will be a great torment)].
In the
same way, the severe pain and intense suffering that Hazrat Khabab bin Alarat
(RA) went through is also a part of history. You were from a poor family and a
blacksmith by profession. One day, burning coals were taken from his furnace,
and put on the ground, and their shirts were removed and laid on their backs on
coals until Even their body fat cooled the coals. Then you got some peace.
Hazrat Khabab bin Alarat says that when the situation became unbearable for us,
one day we came to the service of Hazrat Muhammad. At that time, Hazrat
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was resting in the shadow of the wall of the Ka’aba
with a blanket as a pillow. We said: O Messenger of Allah! Why you do not pray
to Allah for us? The increasing acts of violence of the polytheists have now
become unbearable for us.
Hazrat Khabab narrates that our words displeased
Hazrat Muhammad. He sat up and said: By Allah, you are in haste, and the
conditions that befell the people before you have not yet befallen you. They
were half pressed into the ground and torn up their body with saws, they were
burned alive in fire and they endured such conditions. You also have to be
patient anyway. By Allah! The time will surely come when a rider will travel
from Sana’a Yemen to “Hazarmaveth” (a famous region of Yemen) and he will fear
none but Allah.
This is a glimpse of the background in which this surah was
revealed. In its opening verses, the glimpse of the above incident narrated by
Hazrat Khabab (RA) is visible. The essence of these verses is that no
revolutionary movement can succeed without the sacrifices of its workers.
Whenever a revolutionary movement appears to be taking root in a society, the
defenders of the old system feel their interests threatened. Therefore, they do
get ready to try every tactic to suppress and eliminate any such movement. In
this difficult phase, the revolutionary movement demands sacrifices from its
workers.
Therefore, when the invitation of Hazrat Muhammad PBUH was discussed
in Makkah and people began to be attracted to him, the polytheists of Makkah
came to the field with all their strength as the guardians of the Ancient
system. After that, an endless series of persecution began in the streets of
Makkah. In this life-threatening situation, the believers showed extraordinary
courage and perseverance. In this context, the first ruku of the Surah is of
special importance. It also provides logical answers to the questions that
arise in the mind regarding the aforementioned terrible conditions in Makkah,
provides support for the bloodstained, and arranges for the healing of wounded
hearts.
Not only have these but guiding principles have also been laid down for
every revolutionary religious movement and the workers of the struggle for
religious domination until the Day of Resurrection. According to this article,
this bowing of Surah Al-Ankabut has the status of the peak in the entire
Qur’an. It should also be noted here that Surah Al-Baqarah is the most
important part of the Qur’an as a whole. The last Prophet Muhammad said:
(Everything has a peak and the peak of the Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah).
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