SURAH (29) AL-ANKABOOT ((AYA 1 to 10)

Sura (29) ANKABOUT (The Spider) Aya 1 to 69 in 7 Sections

Revealed in Makka

SECTION 1

Every soul shall be tried

Every soul shall be tried to prove his or her own goodness or evil—Whatever anyone earns in this life, it is for the individual’s own credit---Goodness to parents enjoined but not to obey them if they invite to idolatry---Sins of those who believe will be wiped out and they will be recompensed with the best reward---The Hypocrites who deem trials as the chastisements from ALLAH (SWT) and when any profit comes out of the trials, they profess to be with the believers---The disbelievers shall bear their own burdens as well as the burdens of those whom they lead astray.

الم {29:1}

[Q29:1] Alif-Laaam-Meeem. 
[Q29:1] Alif Lam Mim.

[Q29:1] Alif, Laam, Miim.

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah 2:1 for Alif, Lam, Mim (huruf muqatta-at).

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(29:1) Alif. Lam. Mim.

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ {29:2}

[Q29:2] Ahasiban naasu anyu yutrakooo any yaqoolooo aamannaa wa hum la yuftanoon.
[Q29:2] Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and not be tried?

[Q29:2] Patutkah manusia menyangka bahawa mereka akan dibiarkan dengan hanya berkata: Kami beriman, sedang mereka tidak diuji (dengan sesuatu cubaan)? 

ISLAM AIMS AT THE ACTUAL PRACTICE AND not a mere verbal declaration of faith. There is no salvation of any individual at mere profession of faith without disciplining his self in line with the dictates of Islam. No one will be let off merely on saying that they have believed.

r  Ayyashi narrates from Imam Ali bin Muhammad an Naqi that Ibn Abbas, after the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) from this world, told Ali: "Go to the people. They will pay allegiance to you." In reply Ali quoted this verse.

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(29:2) Do people think that they will be let go merely by saying: “We believe,” and that they will not be tested, *1

*1 When this thing was said, the conditions prevailing in Makkah were extremely trying. Whoever accepted Islam was made a target of tyranny and humiliation and persecution. If he was a slave or a poor person, he was beaten and subjected to unbearable tortures; if he was a shopkeeper or artisan, he was made to suffer economic hardships, even starvation; if he was a member of an influential family, his own people would tease and harass him in different ways and make life difficult for him. This had created an atmosphere of fear and fright in Makkah, due to which most people were afraid of believing in the Holy Prophet although they acknowledged him to be a true Prophet in their hearts; and some others who believed would lose heart soon afterwards and would submit and yield to the disbelievers when they confronted dreadful persecutions. Though these trying circumstances could not shake the determination of the strong-willed Companions, naturally they also were sometimes overwhelmed by an intense feeling of anxiety and distraction. An instance of this is found in the tradition of Hadrat Khabbab bin Arat, which has been related by Bukhari, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i. He says, "During the time when we had become sick of our persecution by the mushriks, one day I saw the Holy Prophet sitting in the shade of the wall of the Ka`bah. I went up to him and said, `O Messenger of Allah, don't you pray for us!' Hearing this his face became red with feeling and emotion, and he said, `The believers who have gone before you had been subjected to even greater persecutions. Some one of them was made to sit in a ditch in the earth and was sawed into two pieces from head to foot. Someone's joints were rubbed with ironcombs so as to withhold him from the Faith. By God, this Mission will be accomplished and the time is not far when a person will travel without apprehension from San`a' to Hadramaut and there will be none but Allah Whom he will fear." In order to change this state of agitation into forbearance, Allah tells the believers, "He one can become worthy of Our promises of success in the world and the Hereafter merely by verbal profession of the Faith, but every claimant to the Faith will have to pass through trials and tribulations so as to furnish proof of The truth of his claim. OUR PARADISE IS NOT SO CHEAP, NOR OUR SPECIAL FAVOURS IN THE WORLD SO LOW-PRICED, that We should bless you with all these as soon as you proclaim verbal faith in Us. The vial is a pre-requisite for them. You will have to undergo hardships for Our sake, suffer losses of life and property, face dangers, misfortunes and difficulties; you will be tried both with fear and with greed; you will have to sacrifice everything that you hold dear for Our pleasure, and bear every discomfort in Our way. Then only will it become manifest whether your claim to faith in Us was true or false. This thing has been said at every such place in the Qur'an where the Muslims have been found placed in hardships and difficulties and obsessed by fear and consternation. In the initial stage of life at Madinah, after the migration, when the Muslims were in great trouble on account of economic hardships, external dangers and internal villainy of the Jews and the hypocrites, Allah said: "Do you think that you will enter Paradise without undergoing such trials as were experienced by the believers before you? They met with adversity and affliction and were so shaken by trials that the Prophet of the time and his followers cried out, `when will Allah's help come?' (Then only they were comforted with the good tidings:) "Yes, Allah's help is near!"' (Al-Baqarah: 214). Likewise, when after the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims again confronted a period of afflictions, it was said: "Do you think that you will enter Paradise without undergoing any trial? Whereas Allah has not yet tried you to see who among you are ready to lay down their lives in His way and who will show fortitude for His sake." (Al-i-`Imran: 142). Almost the same thing has been said in AI-i-'Imran: 179, Taubah: 16 and Surah Muhammad: 31. Allah in these verses has impressed on the Muslims that trial is the touchstone by which the pure and the impure are judged. The impure is turned aside by Allah and the pure is selected so that Allah may honour them with His favours which the sincere believers only deserve. 

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ {29:3}

[Q29:3] Wa laqad fatannal lazeena min qablihim fala ya'lamannaL Laahul lazeena sadaqoo wa la ya'lamannal kaazibeen. 
[Q29:3] And certainly We tried those before them, so ALLAH (SWT) will certainly know those who are true and He will certainly know the liars.

[Q29:3] Dan demi sesungguhnya! Kami telah menguji orang-orang yang terdahulu daripada mereka, maka (dengan ujian yang demikian), nyata apa yang diketahui ALLAH (SwT) tentang orang-orang yang sebenar-benarnya beriman dan nyata pula apa yang diketahuiNya tentang orang-orang yang berdusta.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) SAID THAT WITH HIS DEPARTURE FROM THIS WORLD THE GUIDANCE COMING FROM ALLAH (SWT) BY REVELATION THROUGH JIBRAIL WILL END, BUT THE EVIL OF MISCHIEF MONGERS WILL CONTINUE.

±  Imam Ali said:

"'ALLAH (SWT) knows' means that He examines and tests the believers to distinguish the righteous from the wicked."

Muslims will be tried and tested in times of discord among people so as to distinguish the genuine believers from the bogus pretenders in faith (see commentary of al Bara-at 9:64).

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND THE IMAMS IN HIS AHLUL BAYT ARE THE THOROUGHLY PURIFIED IDEALS FOR THE TRUE BELIEVERS. The opportunist pretenders deviated from the true path of ALLAH (SWT) and did not follow the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt in order to usurp the temporal authority, but these Imams, in all ages, remain the true guides for all Muslims.

±  The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said:

"My Ahl ul Bayt are like the ark of Nuh. Whoso sails on it is safe, but he who holds back shall perish."

Also refer to the commentary of Ali Imran 3:140 and 141.

The seventh Holy Imam Musa ibne Jafar Al-Kazim said that once Abbas the uncle of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and Ali, came over to Ali and said “Come out that people swear allegiance to thee” Ali replied: “The matter is not for me to go seek allegiance from any one but it is a test for the people to prove which one of them is firm in his faith and true in his following the Word of ALLAH (SwT) and the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). Men will be tested as gold is tested and purified before it is accepted.”

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) WAS THE LIVING MODEL OF FAITH IN ALLAH (SWT), SO WAS ALI AND HIS ELEVEN ISSUES, ONE AFTER ANOTHER. THESE GODLY SOULS AND THE HEAVENLY GUIDES WERE THROWN IN THE BACKGROUND BY THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED THIS WORLD, AND THESE DIVINELY ENLIGHTENED BEINGS REMAINED IN THEIR OWN PLACES, ONE AFTER ANOTHER IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TIMES AS THE BEACON LIGHT’S OF HEAVEN’S GUIDANCE TO MANKIND AGAINST THE FALSE WAYS AND WERE GUIDING THEM TO THE RIGHT ROYAL ROAD TO THE TRUE FAITH AND SALVATION. IT HAS BEEN LEFT TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL MAN AND WOMAN EITHER TO BE GUIDED BY THOSE HEAVELY SIGNPOSTS OR TO IGNORE THEM AND SET SAIL THEIR SHIPS BLINDLY AND DASH AGAINST THE ROCKS AND GET DESTROYED. Also refer to the commentary of verse 76:3.

ä  EVEN the great prophet Ibrahim was tested (al Baqarah 2:124). EVERYONE is tested and tried (al Baqarah 2:155).

The greatest test to manifest the highest qualities of a true servant of ALLAH (SWT) was held in Karbala in 61 Hijra. See the biography of Imam Husayn "The King of Martyrs".

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(29:3) for We indeed tested those who went before them? *2 Allah will most certainly ascertain *3 those who spoke the truth and those who lied.

*2 That is, "This is not a new thing which you alone may be experiencing. The same has been happening before also. Whoever made a claim to the Faith was made to pass through trials and tribulations. And when the others were not given anything without the trial, you are in no way any special people that you should be favoured and rewarded merely on verbal profession of the Faith." 
*3 Literally, "It is necessary that Allah should find out." A question may be asked: "When Allah already knows the truth of the truthful and the untruth of the liar, why should He put the people to the test for the sake of these?" The answer is: Until a person has manifested his potential and capability to do a thing in practical terms, justice requires that he neither deserves any rewards nor any punishment. One man, for example, is capable of being trustworthy and another man of being un-trustworthy. Unless both are tried and one manifests trustworthiness and the other the lack of it practically, it will not be justice on the part of Allah that He should reward one for trustworthiness and punish the other for the lack of it only on the basis of His knowledge of the unseen. Therefore the knowledge Allah already possesses about the capabilities of the people and about their conduct in the future is not enough to satisfy the requirements of justice until the people have manifested their potentialities in practical ways. Justice with AIlah is not based on the knowledge that a person possesses a tendancy to steal and will commit a theft, but on the knowledge that he has actually committed a theft. Likewise, Allah does not bestow favours and rewards on the basis of the knowledge that a person has the potential and capability to become a great believer and fighter in His way, but on the basis of the knowledge that the person concerned has practically proved by deed and action that he is a sincere believer and a brave fighter in His way. That is why we have translated the words of the verse as: "Allah has to see..." 

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ يَسْبِقُونَا ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ {29:4}

[Q29:4] Am hasibal lazeena ya'maloonas sayyiaati any yasbiqoonaa; saaa'a maa yahkumoon. 
[Q29:4] Or do they who work evil think that they will escape Us? Evil is it that they judge!

[Q29:4] Bahkan patutkah orang-orang yang melakukan kejahatan menyangka bahawa mereka akan terlepas dari azab Kami? Amatlah buruk apa yang mereka hukumkan itu. 

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(29:4) Do the evil-doers *4 suppose that they will get the better of Us? *5 How evil is their judgement!

*4 This may refer to all those people who disobey Allah's Commands but here particularly it implies those wicked chiefs of the Quraish, who were in the forefront in their antagonism to Islam and persecution of the converts to Islam, e.g. Walid .bin Mughirah, Abu Jahl, `Utbah, Shaibah,`Uqbah bin Abi Mu`ait, Hanzalah bin Wail, etc. Here the context itself requires that after exhorting the Muslims to patience and fortitude against the trials and tests, those people also should be chided and scolded, who were persecuting the believers." 
*5 It may also mean: "...that they will escape Our grasp." The words yasbiquna in the original may have two meanings: (1) `Whatever we will (i.e. the success of the mission of Our Messenger) should meet with failure, and whatever they wish (i.e. to frustrate the mission of Our Messenger) should be accomplished;" and (2) "We may want to seize them for their excesses and they should be able to escape and get out of Our reach."

مَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَآتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ {29:5}

[Q29:5] Man kaana yarjoo liqaaa 'aLLaahi fa inna ajalaL Laahi laaat; wa Huwass Sameeul 'Aleem. 
[Q29:5] Whoever hopes to meet ALLAH (SWT), the term appointed by ALLAH (SWT) will then most surely come; and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

[Q29:5] Sesiapa yang percaya akan pertemuannya dengan ALLAH (SwT) (untuk menerima balasan), maka sesungguhnya masa yang telah ditetapkan oleh ALLAH (SwT) itu akan tiba (dengan tidak syak lagi) dan ALLAH (SwT) jualah Yang Maha Mendengar, lagi Maha Mengetahui. 

"MEETING WITH ALLAH (SWT)" DOES NOT IMPLY SEEING HIM. It refers to the resurrection and the final judgement on the day of reckoning.

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(29:5) Let him who looks forward to meeting Allah know that Allah’s appointed term will surely come to pass. *6 He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. *7

*6 That is, "The case of the one who does not believe in the life hereafter and thinks he is answerable to none for his deeds and there is no accountability whatever, is different. He may remain heedless and act as he likes, for he will himself see the consequences when they appear against his expectations. But those who expect that they have to meet their Lord one day and rewarded and punished according to their deeds, should not have the misunderstanding that the time of death is yet tar off. They should rather think that it is near at hand and the respite for action is about to come to an end. Therefore, whatever they can do for their well-being in the Hereafter, they should do. They should not delay self-reform on account of the baseless belief that they have yet to live a long life."
*7 That is, "That God before Whom they will appear to render their accounts is not uninformed. He hears everything and knows every thing, and nothing about them is hidden from Him." 

وَمَنْ جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ {29:6}

[Q29:6] Wa man jaahada fainnamaa yujaahidu linafsih; innaL Laaha laghaniyyun 'anil 'aalameen. 
[Q29:6] And whoever strives hard, he strives only for his own soul; most surely ALLAH (SWT) is Self-sufficient, above (need of) the worlds.

[Q29:6] Dan sesiapa yang berjuang (menegakkan Islam) maka sesungguhnya dia hanyalah berjuang untuk kebaikan dirinya sendiri; sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) Maha Kaya (tidak berhajatkan sesuatupun) daripada sekalian makhluk. 

Jihad, in its total rational perspective, does not mean a war against some enemy. IT MEANS STRIVING, ESPECIALLY AGAINST ONE'S OWN SELF, which is the greatest jihad. One who strives in the way of ALLAH (SWT), does it for his own good.

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(29:6) Whosoever strives (in the cause of Allah) does so to his own good. *8 Surely Allah stands in no need of anyone in the whole Universe. *9

*8 The word mujahadah means to struggle and exert one's utmost against an opponent , and when the particular opponent force is not pointed out, the word implies an all-out, many-sided struggle. The struggle that a believer has to make in the world, is of this very nature. He has to fight against Satan, who frightens him every moment of the possible losses he thay have to incur for the sake of good and allures him with the benefits and pleasures of the evil. He has to fight his own self also, which exerts to make him the slave of its lusts. He has also to fight all those men, from home to the world outside, whose ideology, trends, morality, customs way of life and social and economic principles may be in conflict with his Faith; and he has to fight that state too, which enforces its laws independent of obedience to Allah, and employs its forces to promote evil instead of the good. This struggle is not of a day or two, but of a lifetime, of every moment of the day and night. And it is not a struggle in one field only but on every front of life. It is about this that Hadrat Hasan Basri has said: "Man exerts in the way of Allah, even though he may not strike one sword at any time." 
*9 That is, "Allah is not asking you to exert your utmost because he stands in need of any help from you to establish His Godhead and keep it established and sustained. But He instructs you to enter this conflict because this opens the way to your own progress.Through this way only you can get rid of the evil and follow the way of truth; through this way alone you can develop the ability and power to rise as the standard-bearers of goodness in the world and become worthy of Allah's Paradise in the Hereafter. By waging this war you will not do any favour to AIlah but will only be helping your own selves. " 

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَحْسَنَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ {29:7}

[Q29:7] Wallazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati lanukaf firanna 'anhum saiyiaatihim wa lanajziyannahum ahsanal lazee kaanoo ya’maloon. 
[Q29:7] And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will most certainly do away with their evil deeds and We will most certainly reward them the best of what they did.

[Q29:7] Dan orang-orang yang beriman serta beramal soleh sesungguhnya Kami akan hapuskan dari mereka kesalahan-kesalahan mereka dan Kami akan membalas apa yang mereka telah kerjakan dengan sebaik-baik balasan.

ALLAH (SWT) GIVES INCENTIVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE SINNERS TO AMEND THEMSELVES AND BECOME RIGHTEOUS. It is a self-destructive theory to believe that mere faith in some prophet or saint will save from punishment DESPITE indulgence in the gravest sins and crimes, BECAUSE this way the offenders will remain habitual sinners.

Ø  The Christian doctrine advocating salvation of Christian believers through the blood of Jesus is ridiculous, since it implies that ALLAH (SWT) has lost His authority over sinners.

The sins of **those who believe, **turn repentant to ALLAH (SWT) and **amend themselves will be wiped out by ALLAH (SWT).

For effective intercession by those whom ALLAH (SWT) has given permission see commentary of al Baqarah 2:48, 255; Nisa 4:48; Yunus 10:3; Maryam 19:87; Ta Ha 20:109; and Anbiya 21:28.

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(29:7) Those who believe and do good deeds, We shall cleanse them of their evil deeds and reward them according to the best of their deeds. *10

*10 Iman means to believe in and accept sincerely all those things to which the Messenger of Allah and this Book invite; and "good works" are those which are performed in accordance with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger. THE GOOD WORK OF THE HEART AND MIND IS THAT MAN'S THINKING AND HIS IDEAS AND HIS INTENTIONS SHOULD BE RIGHT AND PURE. The good work of the tongue is that man should refrain from talking evil things, and whatever he says should be just and right and true; and the good work of the limbs is that man's entire life should be spent in Allah's worship and in obedience to His Commands and Law.

Two results of the belief and righteous deeds have been mentioned: (1) That man's evils will be wiped off; and (2) that he will be rewarded for the best of his deeds better than what he will actually deserve.

Wiping off of evils means several things: (1) All kinds of sins that man might have committed before his affirmation of the Faith will be pardoned as soon as he believes; (2) the errors that man might have committed after the affirmation of the faith due to human weakness, but not because of a rebellious attitude, will be overlooked in view of his good deeds; (3) man's self reform will automatically take place when he adopts a life of belief and righteousness and most of his weaknesses will be removed from him.

The sentence, "We shall reward them for the best of their deeds", has two meanings: (1) Man will be given his rewards on the basis of the best of his deeds; and (2) he will be rewarded better and more handsomely than what he will actually deserve for his deeds. This thing has been stated at other places also in the Qur'an. For instance, in Surah Al-An`am :160, it has been said: "He who will bring a good deed before Allah, will receive a tenfold reward for it", and in Surah AlQasas :4: "Whoever brings a good deed, shall have a better reward than that", and in Surah An-Nisa :40: "Indeed Allah does not wrong anyone even by a jot: if one does a good deed, He increases it manifold. "

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا ۖ وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۚ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ {29:8}

[Q29:8] Wa wassainal insaana biwaalidaihi husnanw wa in jaahadaaka litushrika bee maa laisa laka bihee 'ilmun falaa tuti'humaa; ilaiya marji'ukum fa unabbi'ukum bimaa kuntum ta’maloon. 
[Q29:8] And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents, and if they contend with you that you should associate (others) with Me, of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, to Me is your return, so I will inform you of what you did.

[Q29:8] Dan Kami wajibkan manusia berbuat baik kepada kedua ibu bapanya dan jika mereka berdua mendesakmu supaya engkau mempersekutukan Daku (dalam ibadatmu) dengan sesuatu yang engkau tidak mempunyai pengetahuan mengenainya, maka janganlah engkau taat kepada mereka. Kepada Akulah tempat kembali kamu semuanya, kemudian Aku akan menerangkan kepada kamu segala yang kamu telah kerjakan. 

ISLAM COMMANDS ALL CHILDREN TO OBEY THEIR PARENTS, MAKING IT COMPULSORY AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT ASKED BY PARENTS TO DO ANYTHING AGAINST ALLAH (SWT); but in everything else, not forbidden by ALLAH (SWT), the children must obey their parents. See commentary of Bani Israil 17:23.

Ø  The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said that

“ALLAH (SwT) is pleased with the one with whom his parents are pleased.”

The position of mother in this regard is unique.

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(29:8) We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents, but if they exert pressure on you to associate with Me in My Divinity any that you do not know (to be My associate), do not obey them. *11 To Me is your return, and I shall let you know all that you have done. *12

*11 According to Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Da'ud and Nasa`i, this verse was Sent down in respect of Hadrat Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas. He was 18 or 19 years old when he embraced Islam. When his mother, Hamnah, daughter of Sufyan bin Umayyah (neice of Abu Sufyan), came to know that her son had become a Muslim, she said, "I will neither eat nor drink nor sit in shade unless you disown Muhammad. The rights of the mother are supermost even according to Allah's Command. Therefore if you disobey me, you will be disobeying Allah too." Hadrat Sa'd was perplexed and came before the Holy Prophet and told his whole story. At this, this verse was revealed. Possibly other young men who embraced Islam in the initial stage at Makkah were also confronted with similar situations. Therefore, the same theme has been repeated forcefully in Surah Luqman: 15 also. What the verse means to impress is this: The rights of the parents, among the creation of Allah, are to be held as the supreme, but even if the parents force a person to adopt shirk, they should not be obeyed. The words, "If both of them force you to associate..." imply that a lesser pressure, or a pressure by either of them, deserves to be set aside much more promptly. The next sentence, ".... whom you do not know (as such)," is also noteworthy. This gives a sound reason for not obeying the parents in this regard. The parents certainly have the right that the children should serve them, respect them, and obey them in lawful things. But they do not have the right that one should obey them blindly against one's knowledge of the reality. Therefore, there is no reason why a person should go on following his parents' religion just because it is their religion. If the children come to know that their parents are following a false religion, they should give it up and adopt the right religion and should not follow the wrong way whose falsehood has become clear to them even if the parents use every kind of pressure for it. When this is so in the case of even the parents, it should be so with every other person, too. No one deserves to be followed and obeyed unless one is sure that the person being followed is on the right path. 
*12 That is, "The relationships of the world and their obligations are confined to the world. At last, the parents as well as the children have to return to their Creator, and before Him everybody will be held answerable only on the basis of his personal responsibility. If the parents have misled the children, they will be called to account. If the children have accepted deviation for the sake of the parents, they will be punished. And if the children adopted the right way, and showed no slackness in rendering the parents' lawful rights either, but the parents ill-treated them only for the reason that they did not join them in their deviation, they will not be able to escape Allah's punishment."

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ فِي الصَّالِحِينَ {29:9}

[Q29:9] Wallazeena aamanoo wa'amilus saalihaati lanudkhilan nahum fis Saaliheen. 
[Q29:9] And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will most surely cause them to enter among the good. 

[Q29:9] Dan orang-orang yang beriman serta beramal soleh, sudah tentu Kami akan masukkan mereka dalam kumpulan orang-orang yang soleh (dengan mendapat sebaik-baik balasan).

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(29:9) As for those who believed and acted righteously, We shall certainly admit them among the righteous.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَئِنْ جَاءَ نَصْرٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ ۚ أَوَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِمَا فِي صُدُورِ الْعَالَمِينَ {29:10}

[Q29:10] Wa minan naasi many yaqoolu aamannaa biLLaahi faizaaa ooziya fiL Laahi ja'ala fitnatan naasi ka'azaabiL Laahi wa la'in jaaa'a nasrum mir Rabbika la yaqoolunna innaa kunnaa ma'akum; awa laisaL Laahu bi a'lama bimaa fee surdooril 'aalameen.
[Q29:10] And among men is he who says: We believe in ALLAH (SWT); but when he is persecuted in (the way of) ALLAH (SWT) he thinks the persecution of men to be as the chastisement of ALLAH (SWT); and if there come assistance from your Lord, they would most certainly say: Surely we were with you. What! Is not ALLAH (SWT) the best knower of what is in the breasts of mankind.

[Q29:10] Dan ada sebahagian dari manusia yang berkata: Kami beriman kepada ALLAH (SwT); kemudian apabila dia diganggu dan disakiti pada jalan ALLAH (SwT), dia jadikan gangguan manusia itu seperti azab seksa ALLAH (SwT) (lalu dia taatkan manusia) dan jika datang pertolongan dari Tuhanmu memberi kemenangan kepadamu, mereka sudah tentu akan berkata: Kami adalah sentiasa bersama-sama kamu. (Mengapa mereka berdusta?) Bukankah ALLAH (SwT) lebih mengetahui akan apa yang terpendam dalam hati sekalian makhluk? 

Those who deserted the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in the *battles of Uhad and *Hunayn were weak in faith. Islam had not entered their hearts, it was only skin deep AND some of them ran away, disappearing from the city for days together (refer to the commentary of al Bara-at 9:25 to 27 and verses of Ali Imran mentioned therein).

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(29:10) Among people there are some who say: *13 “We believe in Allah.” But when such a person is made to endure suffering in Allah’s cause, he reckons the persecution he suffers at the hands of people as though it is a chastisement from Allah. *14 But if victory comes from your Lord, the same person will say “We were with you.” *15 Does Allah not know whatever is in the hearts of the people of the world?

*13 Though the speaker is a single person, he uses the plural pronoun and says, "We have believed," Imam Razi has pointed out a subtle point in it. He says that the hypocrite always tries to be counted among the believers and mentions his faith as though he is also a true believe like others. His case is like that of a cowardly soldier who accompanies an army to the battlefield where the soldiers have fought well and put the enemy to rout. This cowardly person might have made no contribution at all, but when he returns home, he will say, "We put up a good fight and routed the enemy", as if he was one of the heroes of the battlefield. 
*14 THAT IS, "Just as one should desist from disbelief and sin due to fear of Allah's punishment, so did this man desist from faith and goodness due to fear of persecution by the people. When after belief he was confronted with threats and imprisonment and harsh treatment from the disbelievers, he thought that Allah's punishment in Hell which he will have to suffer after death in consequence of his disbelief, will be no severer than that. Therefore, he decided that he would suffer the torment of the Next World at its own time, but should give up faith and rejoin the disbelievers so that he might save himself from the torment of this world and pass an easy, life."
*15 THAT IS, "Today he has joined the disbelievers in order to save his skin. and has abandoned the believers for he is not prepared even to suffer a thorn prick in the cause of promoting Allah's religion, but when Allah will favour with access and victory those who are struggling in His cause with their lives and properties, this person will come forward to have his share of the fruits of the victory and will tell the Muslims, "Our hearts were with you: we used to pray for your success: we thought very highly of your devotion to duty and your sacrifices." Here, one should understand that in case of an unbearable persecution and loss and extreme fear, one is permitted to disown Islam and save one's life, provided that one remains firm in one's faith with a sincere heart. But there is a big difference between the sincere Muslim who disowns Islam under compulsion in order to save his life and the time-server who ideologically believes in Islam as a true religion but joins the disbelievers when he sees the dangers and risks involved in the life of Faith. Apparently, they do not seem to be much different from each other, but the thing which sets them poles apart is this: The sincere Muslim who utters disbelief under compulsion not only remains attached to Islam ideologically, but practically also his sympathies remain with Islam and the Muslims; he feels happy over their successes and unhappy at their defeat. Even under compulsion he tries to avail himself of every opportunity to cooperate with the Muslims, and remains on the look-out for a chance to join his brethren-in-faith as soon as the grip of the enemies loosens a little. Contrary to this, when the time-server finds that the way of the Faith is difficult to follow and calculates carefully that the disadvantages of siding with Islam outweigh the advantages of re joining the disbelievers, he turns away from Islam and the Muslims for the sake of personal safety and worldly gains, establishes friendship with the disbelievers and is prepared to carry out for his own interests any service for them, which may be utterly opposed to the Faith and harmful to the Muslims. But at the same time, he does not close his eyes to the possibility that Islam also might prosper some time in the future. Therefore, whenever he gets an opportunity to talk to the Muslims, he acknowledges their ideology and admits his faith and pays homage to their sacrifices most generously, so that his verbal admissions might be helpful as and when required. At another place in the Qur'an this same bargaining mentality of the hypocrites has been described, thus: "The hypocrites are watching you closely to see (how the wind blows). If victory comes to you from Allah, they will say to you, `Were we not with you?' And if the disbelievers gain the upper hand, they will say to them, `Were we not strong enough to fight against you'? Yet we defended you from the Muslims'." (An-Nisa': 141).