Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:56

Surah Al-'Ankabut (The Spider): Verse 56

{يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَاعْبُدُونِ} (O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone.)

The context here is that after Allah (Exalted is He) mentioned the state of the polytheists separately, and the state of the People of the Book separately, and warned both groups, leading them to be among the inhabitants of the Fire, their obstinacy intensified, their corruption increased, and they sought to harm the believers and prevent them from worship. Therefore, Allah addresses the believers, saying: {O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone.}

This means: If worship becomes difficult for you in one place, then emigrate (Hijra), but do not abandon My worship under any circumstances. From this, it is understood that remaining in the land of war (Dar al-Harb) is forbidden, and leaving it is obligatory. Even if someone swore by divorce that he would not leave, he is still obligated to leave; he should let the divorce occur, and then leave.

In this verse, there are several issues:

The address is specifically to the believers, even though a disbeliever is technically included in the term "My servants" (as all creation belongs to God). However, the disbeliever is not included here for several reasons:

1. Satan's Dominion: When Allah refers to someone as {My servants}, Satan has no authority over them, as proven by the verse: {Indeed, over My servants there is for you no authority} (Al-Hijr: 42). Since the disbeliever is under the dominion of Satan, he cannot be included in this specific address.
2. The Nobility of the Title: The address "My servants" represents the highest station for a responsible being. When Allah created Adam, He bestowed upon him a great title: the title of Vicegerency (Khilafah), as He said: {Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority} (Al-Baqarah: 30). The Vicegerent is the most esteemed of people. Iblis (Satan) was not deterred by this title; rather, he became hostile and overcame Adam because of it, as stated: {But Satan made them slip} (Al-Baqarah: 36). However, among the righteous descendants of Adam, when they are called {My servants}, Satan retreats and diminishes, as seen in the verse cited above. Allah also said through Satan’s own tongue: {I will surely mislead them all, Except Your chosen servants} (Al-Hijr: 32-33). Thus, when a servant is truly a servant of Allah, his rank is higher than that of the Vicegerent of the Earth. Perhaps Adam, like David (whom Allah said: {Indeed, We made you a vicegerent on the earth} [Sad: 26]), was only saved from Satan's grasp when Allah addressed him as "My servant" and when he called out: {Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves} (Al-A'raf: 23), elevating him through this call, just as He said regarding David: {And remember Our servant David, the man of strength} (Sad: 17). If this is established, the disbeliever is not fit for Vicegerency, so how could he be fit for something greater than it? Therefore, only the believer is included in {My servants}.
3. Earned Status: This address was attained by the believer through his own striving, aided by God's success. Allah commanded: {Call upon Me; I will respond to you} (Ghafir: 60). The believer called upon his Lord, saying: {Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling us to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed} (Az-Zumar: 53). Allah responded by saying: {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah"}. Thus, the attribution (Idafah) between God and the servant—the servant saying "My God" and God saying "My servant"—is confirmed by the servant's call. The disbeliever did not call, so he was not answered in this manner, and thus {O My servants} does not include anyone other than the believers.

If {My servants} only refers to the believers, what is the benefit of adding the description {who have believed}? Description is usually mentioned to distinguish the described subject, as one might say "O believing responsible beings" to distinguish them from disbelievers, or "O rational men" to distinguish them from the ignorant.

We reply that the description is not mentioned here for distinction, but merely to state the attribute that is present in them, just as one says "The honored prophets" or "The purified angels," even though every prophet is honored and every angel is purified. This is done to affirm the presence of honor and purity in them. Similarly, saying "Allah the Great" or "Zayd the Tall" serves to state the attribute. Here, it is mentioned to affirm that they are believers.

If they are called {My servants}, they are inherently worshippers. What is the purpose of commanding worship with {so worship Me alone}?

There are two benefits:

1. Perseverance (Continuity): Meaning, "O you who have worshipped Me in the past, continue to worship Me in the future."
2. Sincerity (Ikhlas): Meaning, "O you who worship Me, direct your deeds purely to Me and worship no one other than Me."

The Fa' (Fā') in {so worship Me alone} (fa-iyyāya) suggests it is the answer to a condition. What is that condition?

We reply that the statement {Indeed, My earth is spacious} indicates the absence of any impediment to worshipping Him. It is as if He is saying: "Since there is no barrier to My worship, then worship Me."

As for the Fa' in {so worship Me alone} (fa-ʿbudūn), it indicates the consequence following the prerequisite. It is like saying, "This person is a scholar, so honor him." Similarly here, since He established His right to worship by saying {worship Me alone} (which is due to Him), He then commanded: {so worship Me alone}.

In the supplication {You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help} (Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn), the servant mentions both worship and seeking help. Here, Allah affirms worship {so worship Me alone} but omits mentioning seeking help.

We reply that seeking help is already implied in the term {My servants} ('ibādī). Since the path of Satan is blocked and his approach cut off for those designated as "My servants," this state itself signifies the utmost level of divine assistance (I'ānah).

Why did Allah mention Divine Help (I'ānah) first (implicitly in 'ibādī) and the servant's seeking of help (Istī'ānah) later (in the general supplication)?

We reply that the servant's action is goal-oriented, and every action is for a purpose. The purpose precedes the action in perception. For example, someone building a house for dwelling first conceives of the benefit of dwelling, which motivates him to build. However, the purpose in actual existence only occurs after the means (the action) is performed.

Therefore, the servant's seeking of help is for a purpose, so it precedes in his perception. As for Allah (Exalted is He), His action is for a purpose, so He observed the order of existence: Divine Help precedes worship.

{كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ} (Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned.)