Quran Universe
29:42

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

Inna Allaha yaAAlamu ma yadAAoona min doonihi min shayin wahuwa alAAazeezu alhakeemu

Indeed, Allah knows whatever thing they call upon other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. يَعۡلَمُknows
  4. مَاwhat
  5. يَدۡعُونَthey invoke
  6. مِنbesides Him
  7. دُونِهِۦbesides Him
  8. مِنany
  9. شَيۡءٖۚthing
  10. وَهُوَAnd He
  11. ٱلۡعَزِيزُ(is) the All-Mighty
  12. ٱلۡحَكِيمُthe All-Wise
Al-'Ankabut · 29:42Makkah

He knows exactly what you call on besides Him.

Nothing you lean on is hidden

What He sees
what they call onrivals to Allah
fully known to
the Mighty, the Wiseknows and judges
Hidden reliance
privatenobody knows I depend on it
knownAllah sees every heart's prop

After the spider parable, Ibn Kathir says Allah warns those who associate others with Him that He knows what they do and the rivals they set up. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

No one knows you check your horoscope app before big decisions, or that you secretly trust a lucky charm. Allah knows. That is not only a warning. It means He also knows the moment you let go and turn to Him.

What I quietly rely on is my own private business.

Allah knows every hidden thing I lean on, and every time I turn back to Him.

Try this

Let go of one small superstition or private crutch today and say tawakkaltu ala Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 29:41)

The parable of those who seek protectors from other than Allah is that of a spider who builds a house; but indeed, the weakest of houses is the spider's house – if they but knew (41)Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise (42)And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah)(43)

Likening the gods of the Idolators to the House of a Spider

This is how Allah described the idolators in their reverence of gods besides Him, hoping that they would help them and provide for them, and turning to them in times of difficulties. In this regard, they were like the house of a spider, which is so weak and frail, because by clinging to these gods they were like a person who holds on to a spider's web, who does not gain any benefit from that. If they knew this, they would not take any protectors besides Allah. This is unlike the Muslim believer, whose heart is devoted to Allah, yet he still does righteous deeds and follows the Laws of Allah, for he has grasped the most trustworthy handle that will never break because it is so strong and firm.

Then Allah warns those who worship others besides Him and associate others with Him that He knows what they do and the rivals they associate with Him. He will punish them for their attribution, for He is All-Wise and All-Knowing. Then He says:

وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ ۖ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلَّا الْعَالِمُونَ 

(And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge.) meaning, no one understands them or ponders them except those who are possessed of deep knowledge. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Amr bin Murrah said, "I never came across an Ayah of the Book of Allah that I did not know, but it grieved me, because I heard that Allah says:

وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ ۖ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلَّا الْعَالِمُونَ 

(And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge.)"