Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:68

Surah Al-'Ankabut (The Spider): Verse 68

{وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِلْكَافِرِينَ} (And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or denies the truth when it has come to him? Is not Hell a dwelling place for the disbelievers?)

When Allah (Exalted is He) clarified the matters [of Tawhid (Oneness), Prophethood, and Resurrection] in the manner mentioned, and no one believed, He then explained who is the most unjust.

The Nature of Injustice (Zulm): Injustice, fundamentally, is placing something in a position that is not its rightful place. If someone places a thing where it does not belong, they are unjust. If they place it where it is impossible for it to belong, they are more unjust. This is because impossibility is a stronger condition than mere non-attainment (since everything impossible is not attained, but not everything not attained is impossible).

1. Regarding Shirk (Polytheism): It is impossible for Allah to have a partner. Yet, they assigned a partner to Him. If this act were done concerning an independent king in his dominion, it would be an injustice deserving painful punishment from that king. How much greater is the injustice when the partner is assigned to the One to whom partnership is impossible?
2. Regarding Denial: If someone lies to a truthful person (one who is incapable of lying), it is an injustice. How much worse is the situation when someone lies to the One whose nature precludes falsehood?

Therefore, no one is more unjust than:

1. He who fabricates a lie against Allah (by associating partners with Him).
2. He who denies the Truth when it comes to him (i.e., denying the Prophet in accepting his message, denying the message of the Prophet, and denying the Qur'an revealed by Allah to the Messenger).

A Point of Wonder: It is astonishing that the polytheists accepted the idol—carved from wood—as divine, yet they did not accept the one described by lineage and character [the Prophet] as a Messenger.

An Alternative Interpretation of the Verse: When Allah established and confirmed the principles of Monotheism, Prophethood, and Resurrection, and issued warnings and admonitions, the verse implies a challenge to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to say to the people:

"I have brought this message claiming it is from Allah, and you have denied me. The situation is one of two possibilities:

1. Either I am a fabricator and a false prophet if this message is from other than Allah.
2. Or you are deniers of the Truth if it is truly from Him.

However, I acknowledge the eternal punishment and am fully aware of it, so I would never dare to fabricate, because {Hell is a dwelling place for the disbelievers} (Az-Zumar: 32), and a false prophet is a disbeliever. Since you have denied me, Hell is your dwelling place, as it is the dwelling of the disbelievers."

This interpretation aligns with the meaning of the verse: {Say: "We are either guided or are in manifest error"} (Saba: 24).

{وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ} (And those who strive hard for Us - We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.)