Quran Universe
29:43

وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُ نَضۡرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِۖ وَمَا يَعۡقِلُهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡعَٰلِمُونَ

Watilka alamthalu nadribuha lilnnasi wama yaAAqiluha illa alAAalimoona

And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.

Word by word
  1. وَتِلۡكَAnd these
  2. ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُexamples
  3. نَضۡرِبُهَاWe set forth
  4. لِلنَّاسِۖto mankind
  5. وَمَاbut not
  6. يَعۡقِلُهَآwill understand them
  7. إِلَّاexcept
  8. ٱلۡعَٰلِمُونَthose of knowledge
Al-'Ankabut · 29:43Makkah

The examples are for everyone, the understanding for few.

Parables that need a thinking heart

The parables
examplesgiven to all people
understood by
people of knowledgewho ponder
How to read a parable
a nice imagespiders, ships, ruins
a lesson to pondergrasped by those who know

Ibn Kathir says no one understands these examples except those with deep knowledge. He reports that 'Amr bin Murrah said that whenever he met a verse of the Book he did not understand, it grieved him, because of this verse.

You have heard the spider parable a dozen times in khutbahs and nodded along. Hearing is not the same as understanding. The verse invites you to sit with one example until it changes something in you.

I know that story already.

Allah's examples open up only to those who keep thinking about them.

Try this

Choose one parable from this surah and spend five minutes today thinking about what it means for you.

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.)"