What is the meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted: “And whoever associates partners with Allah is as if he had fallen from the sky, and the birds snatch him away, or the wind carries him off to a distant place”?
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The questioner : A message containing a set of questions from the listener Ahmad Hasan in the Arab Republic of Egypt. He begins with this verse and asks: What is the meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted? I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. [Al-Hajj 22:31]
The Shaykh : The meaning of this verse is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, likened the one who associates partners with Allah to someone who falls from the sky, from a high place, but does not settle on the ground; he has no resting place. The wind carries him off, or the birds snatch him away, and he has no resting place on the ground he intended. So it is with the one who associates partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic: he does not benefit from what he associates with Allah in any way, nor does it lead him to his goal. For this idol which he worships besides Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not avail him against Allah in any way. They are unable to help themselves, nor to help their worshippers, and they possess no benefit or harm for them. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, likened these worshipped idols along with their worshippers to a man who stretches his hand into the water to reach his mouth, but it does not reach it, like a man who extends his hand into the water, stretching it out to bring the water to his mouth, and this is impossible. And He likened the worship of idols along with their worshippers to the spider that has made a home. He said, the Exalted:[Al-'Ankabut 29:41] So whoever clings to other than Allah and worships it, or draws near to it through worship, or calls upon it for aid, or seeks its help in a matter that only Allah is able to do, then that is shirk (associating partners with Allah). For he is one who associates partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with major shirk that takes him out of the religion. So he must repent to his Lord and make his worship sincere for Him before death overtakes him, for then repentance will not benefit him.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
And he who associates with Allah - it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.
ومن يشرك بالله فكأنما خرّ من السماء فتخطفه الطير أو تهوي به الريح في مكان سحيقThe Shaykh : The meaning of this verse is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, likened the one who associates partners with Allah to someone who falls from the sky, from a high place, but does not settle on the ground; he has no resting place. The wind carries him off, or the birds snatch him away, and he has no resting place on the ground he intended. So it is with the one who associates partners with Allah, Mighty and Majestic: he does not benefit from what he associates with Allah in any way, nor does it lead him to his goal. For this idol which he worships besides Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not avail him against Allah in any way. They are unable to help themselves, nor to help their worshippers, and they possess no benefit or harm for them. And Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, likened these worshipped idols along with their worshippers to a man who stretches his hand into the water to reach his mouth, but it does not reach it, like a man who extends his hand into the water, stretching it out to bring the water to his mouth, and this is impossible. And He likened the worship of idols along with their worshippers to the spider that has made a home. He said, the Exalted:
And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider
وإن أوْهن البيوت لبيت العنكبوتThe questioner : May Allah bless you.