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Meccan · Surah 29 of 114

Al-Ankaboot 29:21

The Spider · ayah 21 of 69

يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ

YuAAaththibu man yashao wayarhamuman yashao wa-ilayhi tuqlaboon

"He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned."

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy
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Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"He punishes whoever He will and shows mercy to whoever He will. You will all be returned to Him."

Pickthall (classic)+

"He punisheth whom He will and showeth mercy unto whom He will, and unto Him ye will be turned."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

""He punishes whom He pleases, and He grants Mercy to whom He pleases, and towards Him are ye turned."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

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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.

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29:22
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Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

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Он один вершит суд над своими творениями: вознаграждает и милует покорных праведников и наказывает непокорных ослушников. А после вынесения окончательного приговора каждый человек обретает свое место либо в обители милосердия, либо в огненной Преисподней. Помните об этом и совершайте благодеяния, которые помогут вам снискать благоволение вашего Господа. А также остерегайтесь ослушания и непокорности, которые обрекают грешника на великие страдания.

Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

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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.

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

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