بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الٓمٓ
Alif, Lam, Meem
Introduction
This is āyah 1 of Sūrat Al-Ankaboot (The Spider), the 85th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 20. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Meccan
- Order revealed
- 85 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Ankaboot (29)
(Alif. Lam. Mim. Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction?) [29:1-2]. Said al-Sha�bi: �These verses were revealed about some people in Mecca who embraced Islam. The Companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Medina wrote to them saying that their faith and embracing of Islam will not be accepted from them until they emigrate from Mecca. For this reason, they left Mecca with the intention of joining Medina. However, the idolaters caught up with them and harmed them. These verses were, therefore, revealed about them. The Muslims of Medina then wrote back and said to them that such-and-such verses were revealed about you. Those Muslims in Mecca said: �We will leave and fight whoever follows us�. They left Mecca and were pursued by the idolaters. Fighting ensued between them; some were killed and some escaped safe. Allah, exalted is He, therefore revealed about them (Then lo! Thy Lord�for those who become fugitive after they had been persecuted�) [16:110]�. Said Muqatil: �This verse was revealed about Mihja�, the client of �Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was the first Muslim to be killed at the Battle of Badr. �Amr ibn al-Hadrami struck him with a bow which killed him. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said on that day: �The master of all martyrs is Mihja�. He will be the first one of this community to be called to the gate of heaven�. His wife and parents were distraught because of his death, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed about them these verses, explaining that they had to suffer trials and hardship for the sake of Allah, exalted is He�.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
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