Al-Qur'an Surah Al-'Ankabut Verse 42

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Surely, Allah knows whatever thing they invoke beside Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah surely knows that whatever ˹gods˺ they invoke besides Him are ˹simply˺ nothing. For He is the Almighty, All-Wise.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah knows whatever they call upon besides Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

A. J. Arberry

God knows whatever thing they call upon apart from Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

Abdul Haleem

God knows what things they call upon beside Him: He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily Allah knoweth whatsoever thing they invoke beside Him. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Verily Allah doth know of (every thing) whatever that they call upon besides Him; and He is Exalted (in power), Wise.

Abul Ala Maududi

Surely Allah knows fully what they call upon apart from Him. He is the Most Powerful, the Most Wise.

Ahmed Ali

Verily God knows what they invoke in His place, for He is all-mighty and all-wise.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah knows what they worship instead of Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah indeed knows whatever thing they invoke besides Him, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.

Ali Ünal

God surely knows what they deify and invoke apart from Him and that their doing so is not based on any truth. He is the All-Glorious with irresistible might (Who never accepts any partner in Divinity, Lordship and Sovereignty), the All-Wise (in Whose creation and rule there are many instances of wisdom).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Verily, Allâh knows whatever they call upon apart from Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

English Literal

That God knows what they call from other than Him from a thing, and He is the glorious/mighty , the wise/judicious.

Faridul Haque

Allah knows what they worship instead of Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise.

Hamid S. Aziz

The similitude of those who choose other patrons than Allah, is as the likeness of a spider, that takes to himself a house; and, lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider´s house, if they but knew!

Hilali & Khan

Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So each one We punished for his sin. Of them was he on whom We sent a violent storm, and of them was he whom the rumbling overtook, and of them was he whom We caused the earth to swallow, and of them was he whom We drowned. And it was not Allah, Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely Allah knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! Allah knoweth what thing they invoke instead of Him. He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Muhammad Sarwar

God knows whatever they worship besides Him; He is the Majestic and All-wise.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah knows whatever they call upon other than Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

Wahiduddin Khan

God surely knows what they invoke besides Him. He is the Mighty, the Wise One.

Talal Itani

God knows what they invoke besides Him. He is the Almighty, the Wise.

Tafsir jalalayn

Truly God knows whatever thing (m functions like alladh) they call on, [what] they worship (read yad`na, `they call on', or tad`na, `you call on') besides Him, other than Him. And He is the Mighty, in His kingdom, the Wise, in what He does.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

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.

Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

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 الاَْمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلاَّ الْعَالِمُونَ