Tafseer of The Spider · Al-Ankaboot · 29:63
And if you asked them, "Who sends down rain from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness?" they would surely say " Allah." Say, "Praise to Allah "; but most of them do not reason.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of the Exalted: وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْقِلُونَ (63) (And if you were to ask them who has sent down water from the sky and thereby given life to the earth after its death, they would surely say: "Allah." Say: "All praise be to Allah." But most of them do not understand.) (63)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: And if you, O Muḥammad, were to ask these polytheists (mushrikīn) from your people who associate partners with Allah who has sent down water from the sky — and that is the rain which Allah sends down from the clouds — فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ (and thereby given life to the earth). He says: and by means of the water that was sent down from the sky He has given life to the earth; and giving it life is: the bringing forth of vegetation within it, مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا (after its death), that is to say: after its dryness and barrenness.
And His words: لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ (they would surely say: "Allah") mean: they would surely say that the One who has done that is Allah, to whom belongs the worship of all things.
And His words: قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (Say: "All praise be to Allah") mean: and when they say that, then say: all praise be to Allah. بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْقِلُونَ (But most of them do not understand) means: but most of these polytheists who associate partners with Allah do not understand wherein lies the benefit for them with regard to their religion, and wherein lies the harm. Through their ignorance they suppose that by their worship of the gods besides Allah they thereby attain nearness and proximity to Allah; and they do not know that thereby they are destroyed and earn eternal abode in the Fire.
