Al-Qur’an Lessons through Stories

Al-Qur'an: Lessons through Stories - Surah Al-Ankabut

Introduction: The Context of Revelation

In this few minutes, very very short session insha'Allah, I want to share with you some brief reflections on this awesome surah of the Qur'an, surah Al-Ankabut. This is the 29th surah of the Qur'an. And in this surah, the context of revelation is one in which the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions were being tortured physically at this point in Makkah, is a late, late Makkan surah.

The Suffering of the Early Muslims

So people like Khabab bin Arad was actually forced onto the ground on burning coal, and then his torturer stood on him until the skin off of his back was melted off. So these horrible, horrible things were happening to Muslims, and particularly Khabab, the narration says, came to Rasul (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and said, why are these things happening to us if we're the believers? And the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) didn't respond. First he responded to him, that you're rushing people before you went through much worse, I'm paraphrasing here.

The Divine Response: The Test of Faith

And the ayat came down:

"Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and will not be tried?"

The ayat belonging to surah Al-Ankabut. Have people assumed that they're going to just be left alone as they say they've got faith, and they're not going to be put to test, they're not going to be tried. And literally, fatana is to put something in intense heat, subhanAllah.

The Significance of the Word "Yuftanoon"

Allah used the word fatana here. Not even yubtaloon, yubtaloon would have been there tested, or yubtaloon. But he says, yuftanoon. They're tested like gold is burnt. Because fatana is actually to burn gold. But what I wanted to highlight is when things got so tough for Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) in Mecca, what was around the corner, those of you that are familiar with the seerah, the life of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) know that hijrah, the migration was around the corner.

The Story of Prophet Nuh: A Lesson in Patience

And this surah so remarkably, first it talks about the believers being patient. And in order to teach them a lesson about patience, immediately it goes to:

"And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years..."

We sent Nuh to his nation, and he remained with them. He remained with them a thousand years, meaning 950 years he was with them.

The Divine Pattern: Rescue and Salvation

So Allah says that basically there were people before you that had to endure a lot more. And he gives of course the prime example, Nuh (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). But when he mentions Nuh (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), he says something beautiful. He says:

"So We saved him and the companions of the ship, and We made it a sign for [all] people."

We rescued him and the people on the ship with him, and We left it as a sign for those who believe. We left it as a sign for all the worlds.

The Story of Prophet Ibrahim: Rescue from Fire

So Allah talks about them being saved, being rescued. He talks immediately then after Ibrahim (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) who had a quarrel with his dad. And who has, you know, talking back to all of his people. Telling them, you know, what are you people doing? And then they say, we should burn him. We should kill him or burn him.

And Allah says:

"So Allah saved him from the fire..."

Allah rescued him from fire. So it's so cool. Allah rescued Nuh (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) using water. And Allah rescued him from water. And Allah rescued Ibrahim (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) from fire after that. So the two extremes, the two things you can be destroyed with.

Signs for the Believers

And you're rescued from both of them. And then Allah then says to the believers:

"Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe."

You know, in all of that there are many signs, many lessons for people that want to believe. And as he's talking about Ibrahim, he starts talking about his nephew Lut.

The Story of Prophet Lut: Migration as a Solution

And then at the end of the discussion about Lut, Lut is also given escape. He escapes. He's able to get away. You know, because the angels come and they bring good news to Ibrahim but they destroy the nation of Lut. And Lut (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) is able to escape.

Why are these stories important? The surah began talking about Muslims have to be patient. And then it talks about three situations where prophets, punishment of God is on its way, and they escape, they escape, they escape. Already in between the lines, the Muslims were being told, your hijrah is coming. Your migration is coming.

The Declaration of Migration

Literally with the words of Lut, so awesome. Allah says:

"And [Abraham] said, "Indeed, I will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise."

That's what Allah tells from the tongue of Lut to Ibrahim (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and he accepted his call and he said, I'm migrating towards my master. Literally migration is mentioned.

Hidden Instructions Through Stories

The sahaba were being told instructions through the stories of the prophets. They didn't just hear history, they were hearing their own legacy. They were listening to their own way of thinking. Maybe if hijrah is a possibility for Lut, maybe it's a possibility for us too (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), you know.

Guidance for Future Interactions

And what's really remarkable when you get to the end of this surah, you start reading about the interaction Muslims are going to have with the people of the book:

"And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them..."

Do not argue with the people of the book. Accept with the better way. When they say something harsh, say something nicer in response. Accept the ones that are really wrong doing among them, then you deal with them harshly.

The Preparation for Migration

This advice is being given because once the Muslims migrate, they're going to be dealing with the people of the book. They're going to be dealing with that end of the audience of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) the other side. So in this surah which doesn't explicitly say, go make hijrah, the way it's packaged, first be patient, deal with what you have in front of you, and then through the stories of the Prophets, the Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) is given the beautiful message that migration is around the corner, help of Allah is on its way.

The Ultimate Meeting with Allah

So Allah says in the beginning, in the middle of the surah, He says:

That the meeting of Allah, the meeting with Allah, the deadline is on its way. So there's one thing, hijrah is around the corner, the relief is on its way, but you shouldn't worry about that more. You should worry about the fact that your meeting with Me is coming. That's on its way.

The Promise of Divine Guidance

And at the end, the last ayah of the surah, and I'll conclude:

"And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good."

Those who struggle in our path, we guide them to multiple pathways. Allah took multiple roads to get to Medina. So awesome. Allah says, people who struggle for us, we guide them to His multiple pathways. In life, in our spiritual lives, in the span of history, whoever struggles for Allah, Allah guides them to His pathways. But literally the sahaba were guided through multiple pathways to Medina.

Conclusion: Stories as Divine Instructions

So it's a beautiful, beautiful surah with embedded teachings that were actually a strategy given to Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). That is why when outsiders say, Qur'an is just full of stories. These are just legends of old times. Sahaba immediately knew these aren't just stories. These are instructions about them. That Allah is telling them what to do and how to think. And how the history is actually lessons for them to live by.

Qur'an Weekly.