He said: This is a likeness Allah has set forth for the idolater... [Those whom] they call upon besides Allah are like the spider, and "the weakest" means weak, providing them no benefit. It has been narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas similarly.

17321 - Abu Yazid al-Qaratisi informed me in what he wrote to me, Asbagh ibn al-Faraj reported to us, he said: I heard ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam regarding the saying of Allah: "The likeness of those who take allies other than Allah is like that of the spider who takes a home," he said: It is a likeness Allah has set forth; their allies do not avail them of anything, just as its home does not avail the spider.

His saying, the Exalted: "Like that of the spider"

17322 - My father narrated to us, Hisham ibn ‘Ammar reported to us, Isma‘il ibn ‘Ayyash reported to us, Sulayman ibn Sulaym al-Kinani (meaning Abu Salamah) reported to us, from Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Yazid ibn Maysarah, from Ibn ‘A’idh, that he said: The spider is a devil.

17323 - ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, Abu ‘Umayr reported to us, Damrah reported to us, from Ibn ‘Ata’, from his father, he said: The spider wove its web twice; once upon David, peace be upon him, and the second time upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

His saying, the Exalted: "And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew"

17324 - Abu Sa‘id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Harithi reported to us, from Juwaybir, from al-Dahhak regarding "And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider," he said: In terms of weakness and frailty.

17325 - Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Tahrani informed me in what he wrote to me, ‘Abd al-Razzaq reported to us, Ma‘mar reported to us, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "Like that of the spider who takes a home," he said: This is a likeness Allah has set forth, that it [the idol] does not avail him of anything; due to its weakness and the scarcity of its parts, it is like the weakness of the spider's home.

His saying, the Exalted: "Indeed, Allah knows whatever they call upon other than Him from among anything"

17326 - ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, Musa ibn Harun al-Dulabi reported to us, my father narrated to us, Fatima reported to us, from Juwaybir, from al-Dahhak regarding His saying: "Indeed, Allah knows," he said: He knows what you do not know.