The parable: like the Spider's flimsiest house ........

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ

ٱلۡعَنڪَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتۡ بَيۡتً۬ا‌ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوۡهَنَ ٱلۡبُيُوتِ

لَبَيۡتُ ٱلۡعَنڪَبُوتِ‌ۖ لَوۡ ڪَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ

مِن شَىۡءٍ۬‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَڪِيمُ

"The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the Spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses― is the Spider's house if they but knew.

Verily Allah doth know of (everything) whatever that they call upon besides Him: and He is Exalted (in power), Wise.

And such are the Parables We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have Knowledge."

(Qur'an: Ankabut: 29: 41-42)

REFLECTION

"Tauhiid" - attestation to the Oneness of God, being the most important message of Islam primarily invites all to the Truth : "That there is no god (i.e. none to be regarded as divine to be worshipped) except Allah, Alone". Allah, the Unseen Creator & Sustainer of the worlds, Who sees all, Who alone is God, Unique, without partners or associate. Thus, a Muslim's assertion of God's Oneness (Tauhiid)requires him to deny and reject every notion of associations that people may ascribe to God - this is called Shirk (lit. 'associating' god with another, setting up partners or rival to Allah). Sometimes we use the term 'idolatory' (worshipping of idols) for shirk - even for those who claimed to be atheists (they deny God's existence), because these atheists, in fact, have taken their desires (as their idols) as object of worship, like God.

Many people in other Faith, do acknowledge instinctively in their innate pure nature (fitrah sa-lee-ma), that there is the One God - the Creator & Sustainer of the worlds. Yet, they still turn to things in creations and regard them as god or gods - following blindly the dictates of their religious leaders, or relying upon ancient practices of their fore-fathers before them, even though they know how absurd these teachings are. Yet they would place hope, reliance and dependence upon these idols to fulfill their needs.

Parable: Likening the gods of the idolators to the House of a Spider

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَ كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡعَنڪَبُوتِ ٱتَّخَذَتۡ بَيۡتً۬ا‌ۖ وَإِنَّ أَوۡهَنَ ٱلۡبُيُوتِ لَبَيۡتُ ٱلۡعَنڪَبُوتِ‌ۖ لَوۡ

ڪَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

"The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the Spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses― is the Spider's house if they but knew."

This is how Allah s.w.t. described the idolators in their reverence of gods besides Him, hoping that these dieties would help them and provide for them, and turning to them in times of difficulties. In this regard, they were like the house of a spider, which is so weak and frail, because by clinging to these gods they were like a person who holds on to a spider's web, who does not gain any benefit from that. If they knew this, they would not take any protectors besides Allah.

Reflecting upon the similitude

Apart from the obvious flimsiness, fragility of a spiders house (web), it (the web) is self-produced, spunned from a spinnerate gland in the spider itself. During the process of making a web, the spider will use its own body for measurements, a very practical and ergonomic design feature of any web.

Similarly, the idolators (mushrikin), invents or concocts from their own imaginations - gods, dieties, idols, images, doctrines etc. One characteristic of this innovation in their theology can be described with the term 'anthropomorphism' - to conceive God in human form or puerly human perspective. Thus, they 'measure' God in accordance with their own measurement - e.g. having physical forms, begetting sons & families, wives & consorts, enemies & advisers, having feuds, having similar needs as humans, etc.

This is unlike the Muslim believer, whose concept of God is based upon revelation. That Islam rejects the nonsensical 'anthropomorphic' idea is summed up profoundly in:

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ

"Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him."

(Qur'an: al-Ikhlas: 112: 1-4)

لَّا تُدۡرِڪُهُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدۡرِكُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرَ‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ

"Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He (Allah) comprehendeth (all) vision. For He (Alone) is the Subtle (the Unfathomable), the Aware."

(Qur'an: An'am: 6: 103)

Note: The use of pronoun 'He' does not imply male gender for God, only that our human language has limitations, thus we cannot help but to apply this pronoun for second person when referring to God. To use 'she' or 'it' would be worse. Similarly, when Allah uses of 'We' is not plural of numbers but plural of respect - for Allah is the Absolute One God, without partners.

Trap of entanglement

Another aspect of a spiders house is that it was built to also trap & ensnare other insects, whereupon the spider then feed upon them. Religion that has deviated from Tauhiid (Belief in the Oneness of God, the essence of all revealed religion since Prophet Adam a.s.) into polytheism & idolatory will become a trap for unsuspecting people. Their leaders, idealogue, clergy or religious elites would occasionally strengthen and manage their dogmatic teachings by adding/innovating, like a spider repairing the web and ensuring those insects already trapped are kept secure with further entaglement. And usually they do this as matter of their survival (for material gains) to maintain a cult-following. The allegory of web also reflect how such organization gathers following through networks of families & acquaintances, spreading like cob-web in homes that has been left unmanaged. Muslim society that neglects Da'wah (amr' al-ma'-ruf, nahyu 'anil-munkar), is like that proverbial home left unmanaged and not kept free from cob-webs.

TAUHIID: THE FIRMEST HANDHOLD

The Muslim heart is devoted to Allah, yet he still does righteous deeds and follows the Laws of Allah, for he has grasped the most trustworthy handle that will never break because it is so strong and firm. Its theology is so clear, yet profound. It rejects myth, superstition, conjecture, surmise, etc, and insists that man uses every God-given faculty to check & confirm truth, never to accept anything blindly:

وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬

"And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)." (Qur'an: al-Isra': 17: 36)

Then Allah warns those who worship others besides Him and associate others with Him that He knows what they do and the rivals they associate with Him. He warns that He will punish them for their attribution, for He is All-Wise and All-Knowing. Then He says:

وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَآ إِلاَّ الْعَـلِمُونَ

"And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge."

Meaning, no one understands them or ponders them except those who are possessed of deep knowledge. It is most unfortunate that in spite of the tremendous achievement in science, the unbelievers & idolators just would not apply knowledge when in comes to religion & religious beliefs. We Muslims who are given this parable, must understand the profound message and convey & invite others to this correct path, with genuine concern for their salvation. This Deen of Al-Islam is meant to guide everyone. Allah s.w.t. says:

فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٱللَّهُ وَلِىُّ

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ‌ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ يُخۡرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى

ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ‌ۗ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ‌ۖ هُمۡ فِيہَا خَـٰلِدُونَ

"whoever rejects Evil (falsehood) and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness, He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the Evil Ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever)."

(Qur'an: Baqarah : 2: 256-257)

OUR DO'A

سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَا‌ۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَا‌ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرً۬ا

كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُ ۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَا‌ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ‌ۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآ‌ۚ أَنتَ

مَوۡلَٮٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

"We hear and we obey; (We seek) Thy forgiveness, Our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.

Our Lord! condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith.

O Allah! Shower Blessings & Peace upon our Leader, our beloved Prophet, Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah, and upon his Family and Companions, and those who follow them and assisted them in truth & benevolence, striving to uphold this Deen from time to time till the Hereafter - and make us to be gathered with him in Your Merciful Embrace in the Abode of Peace - Aamin!

WaAllaahu a'lam

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