Al-'Ankabut (The Spider): Verses (4 - 5)

{Am hasiba allatheena...} (Do those who believe...)

After establishing the virtue of accountability (Taklīf) in the preceding verse, it is clarified here that whoever is commanded to do something and fails to do it will be punished, even if not immediately, then certainly later. Nothing escapes God, neither in this world nor the next.

This refutes the doctrine of those who claim that divine commands are merely guidance, and the threats of punishment are merely incentives (Targhīb and Tarhīb), asserting that God does not actually inflict punishment. If He did punish immediately, they argue, He would not be incapable of doing so now, so why delay the retribution?

Therefore, God Almighty said: {Am hasiba allatheena ya'maloon al-sayyi'ati an yasbiquna} (Do those who work evil deeds think that they will outstrip Us?). Meaning, it is not as they claim; rather, God punishes those who deserve punishment and rewards those who deserve reward according to His promise and threat. God does not break His promise. As for the respite (Imhāl) granted to them, it does not lead to neglect (Ihmāl). Hastening the recompense for deeds is only necessary for those who fear missing the opportunity due to their impatience.

Then the Almighty said: {Saa'a ma yahkumoon} (Evil is that which they judge). Meaning, their judgment—that they can disobey God's command without being punished—is an evil judgment. A good judgment can only be based on reason or divine law (Sharīʿah). Reason does not dictate this regarding God, as God is free to do what He wills. The Sharīʿah dictates the opposite of what they claim. Thus, their judgment is one of extreme evil and baseness.

{Man kana yarjoo liqa'a Allahi...} (Whoever hopes for the meeting with Allah...)

After establishing that man is not left in this world in vain (in the first part of the passage), and after clarifying that whoever neglects what he is commanded to do will be punished (in the second part), it is now clarified that whoever acknowledges the Hereafter and acts for it will not have his deeds wasted nor his hope disappointed.

In this verse, there are several important issues:

We have mentioned in several places that the three fundamental principles (al-Uṣūl al-Thalāthah) are:

1. God Almighty and His Oneness (The First).
2. The Last Day (The Last).
3. The intermediary principle: the sent Prophet (the conveyor from the First to the Last).

These three are rarely mentioned separately in divine discourse.

• The statement {A hasiba al-nāsu an yutrakū an yaqūlū āmannā} (Do people think that they will be left alone merely upon saying, "We believe"?) (27:2) alludes to the First Principle (God). It implies: Do they think the First Principle is sufficient?
• The statement {wahum lā yuftanoon * walaqad fatannā allatheena min qablihim} (and that they will not be tested? And We certainly tested those before them) (27:2-3) alludes to the Second Principle (testing through sending Messengers and clarifying the paths).
• The statement {Am hasiba allatheena ya'maloon al-sayyi'ati} combined with {Man kāna yarjū liqā'a Allāh} alludes to the Third Principle (the Last Day/Hereafter).

Some commentators suggest that "meeting Allah" means seeing Him (Ru'yah). This view is weak. The terms liqā' and mulāqāh mean reaching or arriving. In the Arabic language, even if two inanimate objects connect, one has met the other.

Some commentators suggest that Rajā' (hope) here means fear (Khawf). Thus, {Man kāna yarjū liqā'a Allāh} would mean: Whoever fears Allah. This is also weak. The established meaning of Rajā' is expecting good, nothing else. We all agree that Rajā' is used in this sense; one says, "I hope for Allah's favor," and this is never understood as "I fear Allah's favor." If it has one established meaning, it cannot be used for another to avoid ambiguity.

It is possible that "God's appointed term" refers to death, or it could refer to the Second Life (Resurrection/Gathering).

If it refers to death: This implies the survival of the souls after death, as reported in traditions. This is because when someone says, "Whoever hopes for good, the Sultan will arrive," it is understood that the good will occur upon the Sultan's arrival. Even if the Sultan arrives but the good does not appear, one could say to the speaker, "Did you not say that the Sultan would arrive, yet he arrived and the good did not manifest?" If the meeting (at death) did not occur as we mentioned in the example, then the statement would be unsound. If this is established, then without the soul's survival, the meeting would not occur.

The structure is conditional: {Man kāna yarjū liqā'a Allāh} (Condition) {fa-inna ajala Allāhi la-āt} (Consequence). The consequence is contingent upon the condition; therefore, whoever does not hope for the meeting with Allah, God's appointed term will not come to him. This is clearly false, as the term (death) comes to everyone.

The Answer: What is meant is that the coming of the appointed term is coupled with the reward promised to the obedient. That is: Whoever hopes for the meeting with Allah, God's appointed term will come with the reward for his obedience. Undoubtedly, whoever does not hope for it, God's appointed term will not come to him in a manner where he is rewarded.

Why were only these two attributes mentioned, and not others like Al-ʿAzīz (The Mighty) or Al-Ḥakīm (The Wise)?

This is because the preceding verses discussed speech ({A hasiba al-nāsu an yutrakū an yaqūlū}) and action ({wahum lā yuftanoon}, {falee'lamanna Allāha allatheena ṣadaqū}, and {Am hasiba allatheena ya'maloon al-sayyi'ati}). Speech is perceived by hearing, and actions are perceived by sight, but some actions (like intentions) are not perceived by sight.

• Al-Samīʿ (The Hearer): He hears what they say.
• Al-ʿAlīm (The Knower): He knows who is truthful in what they say and who is lying. Furthermore, He knows what they do, thus rewarding and punishing.

There is a subtlety here: A servant has three categories of good deeds:

1. The action of the heart (belief/sincerity), which is neither seen nor heard, but only known.
2. The action of the tongue (speech), which is heard.
3. The action of the limbs (physical acts), which is seen.

When the servant performs these deeds, God grants to what was heard what no ear has heard, to what was seen what no eye has seen, and to the action of his heart what has never crossed the mind of anyone, as described in the traditions regarding Paradise.

{Waman jāhada fa-innamā yujāhidu li-nafsihi...} (And whoever strives...) (7)

{Waman jāhada fa-innamā yujāhidu li-nafsihi inna Allāha la-ghaniyyun ʿani al-ʿālamīn} (And whoever strives, strives only for himself. Indeed, Allah is free of need of the worlds.)