The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: << مثل الذين اتخذوا من دون الله أولياء كمثل العنكبوت . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >
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In this noble verse, there is evidence of the foolishness of those polytheists, for they relied on that which is not to be relied upon by worshipping idols. This is derived from His saying: [Al-'Ankabut 29:41].
Among its benefits is also the condemnation of these polytheists and the lowering of their status, for they were likened to what? To spiders. For there is no doubt that likening a human being to an animal is a humiliation for him and a lowering of his status, for Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Isra: 70].
One of the benefits of the verse is that these idols never benefit their worshippers; they do not benefit them nor ward off harm from them. They do not bring good nor repel harm. From where is this derived? From the fact that they were likened to the spider's web.
And from it is the permissibility of using a lesser thing as an example, according to what the situation requires. From where do we derive this?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, for it is among the lowest of created things. Yes, and Allah the Exalted said in Surat al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah 2:26] And Allah has used the gnat, the donkey, the dog, the mosquito, and the spider as examples, all of this according to what the occasion requires.
And among the benefits of the verse is that the weakest and most fragile of houses is the spider's web. And from this we derive that it is not permissible to say: "This is weaker than a spider's web," or is it?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Consider it: weaker than a spider's web.
The student: ....
The Shaykh : Weaker than a spider's web. Why do we say it is not permissible? Because Allah said: So you cannot say of a house that it is weaker than a spider's web. To say of a house that it is weaker than a spider's web is not permissible, because Allah says: But if it is not a house, for example, you say: "This man's argument is weaker than a spider's web," what is your opinion?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with this; it does not contradict the Qur'an. What contradicts the Qur'an is to say of a house that it is weaker than a spider's web.
like that of the spider who takes a home
كمثل العنكبوت اتخذت بيتاAmong its benefits is also the condemnation of these polytheists and the lowering of their status, for they were likened to what? To spiders. For there is no doubt that likening a human being to an animal is a humiliation for him and a lowering of his status, for Allah the Exalted says:
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًاOne of the benefits of the verse is that these idols never benefit their worshippers; they do not benefit them nor ward off harm from them. They do not bring good nor repel harm. From where is this derived? From the fact that they were likened to the spider's web.
And from it is the permissibility of using a lesser thing as an example, according to what the situation requires. From where do we derive this?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No,
Like the spider
كمثل العنكبوتIndeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it
إنَّ الله لا يستحيي أن يضرب مثلًا ما بعوضة فما فوقَهاAnd among the benefits of the verse is that the weakest and most fragile of houses is the spider's web. And from this we derive that it is not permissible to say: "This is weaker than a spider's web," or is it?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Consider it: weaker than a spider's web.
The student: ....
The Shaykh : Weaker than a spider's web. Why do we say it is not permissible? Because Allah said:
The weakest of houses
أوهَن البيوتThe weakest of houses is the spider's web
أوهن البيوت بيت العنكبوتThe student: ...
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with this; it does not contradict the Qur'an. What contradicts the Qur'an is to say of a house that it is weaker than a spider's web.