ــــــــــبوت the spider parable كمثل العنكبـــــــــــ

have you ever wondered...
how and why some people resemble a spider?!
this creature, that many tend to find 'creepy'.. some to the extent of fear!
but in reality... its very weak.

my window - a couple of weeks ago

{مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاء كَمَثَلِ الْعَنكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنكَبُوتِ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ } surat al-ankaboot.

*Meanings/translations of "أولياء" : Guardians, patrons, or protectors. (source)

There are many ways that mushriks resemble spiders:


1- Just as a spider has many 'legs', a mushrik, or polytheist, does not call on one Lord, rather, he's lost and holds on to too many things at once. However, all he is reaching out are worldy affairs and desires!


2- No matter how 'big' a spider is, their webs are all the same and are all weak. The ayah makes you sense the spider's hard work or careful 'effort' in building its web, and allows you to compare it to the end result: frailty.


3- Looking at its web, the main focus of the verse, it is very weak, just like shirk. It is not a shield from anything nor shelter.


4- As artistic and precise as the web is when you look at it, its neither intact nor stable in reality.


5- Even though its material is silk(as I was told), again, it doesn't serve any good, nor does it provide any shelter or preservation.


6- Any kind of climate can ruin it: strong winds, rain etc. The sun light (light of eiman/faith) overcomes it as well.


7- The only things that get caught in the web are other insects, resembling the attraction of other kuffaar to shirk.


8- The spider then weaves a 'sack' around the insect, and sometimes, it could even be a bee! A bee resembles someone a little better than a mushrik, since it actually produces good stuff, but it shows that one can fall for shirk if they're not careful.


9- When the spider's house is ruined, guess what...it just rebuilds it!! Like a kafir who never learns from their mistake.

10. As time passes, and as the spider keeps rebuilding or mending its web, it starts looking more and more distorted, eventually... its d e s t ro y e d.


and Allah knows best.