Quran 29:41 — Al-Ankaboot, verse 41
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Those who take protectors other than God can be compared to spiders building themselves houses- the spider’s is the frailest of all houses- if only they could understand.
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ كَمَثَلِ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ ۖ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
mathalu alladhīna ittakhadhū min dūni l-lahi awliyāa kamathali l-ʿankabūti ittakhadhat baytan wa-inna awhana l-buyūti labaytu l-ʿankabūti law kānū yaʿlamūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- The likeness of those who have taken to them protectors, apart from God, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; and surely the frailest of houses is the house of the spider, did they but know.
- Muhammad Asad
- The parable of those who take [beings or forces] other than God for their protectors is that of the spider which makes for itself a house: for, behold, the frailest of all houses is the spiders house. Could they but understand this!
- Sahih International
- The example of those who take allies other than Allāh is like that of the spider who takes [i.e., constructs] a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | مَثَلُmathalu | (The) example | مثل |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | (of) those who | — |
| 3 | ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ittakhadhū | take | أخذ |
| 4 | مِنmin | besides | — |
| 5 | دُونِdūni | besides | دون |
| 6 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 7 | أَوْلِيَآءَawliyāa | protectors | ولي |
| 8 | كَمَثَلِkamathali | (is) like | مثل |
| 9 | ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِl-ʿankabūti | the spider | عنكب |
| 10 | ٱتَّخَذَتْittakhadhat | who takes | أخذ |
| 11 | بَيْتًۭا ۖbaytan | a house | بيت |
| 12 | وَإِنَّwa-inna | And indeed | — |
| 13 | أَوْهَنَawhana | the weakest | وهن |
| 14 | ٱلْبُيُوتِl-buyūti | (of) houses | بيت |
| 15 | لَبَيْتُlabaytu | (is) surely (the) house | بيت |
| 16 | ٱلْعَنكَبُوتِ ۖl-ʿankabūti | (of) the spider | عنكب |
| 17 | لَوْlaw | if (only) | — |
| 18 | كَانُوا۟kānū | they | كون |
| 19 | يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūna | know | علم |