Sura-29 [Al-'Ankabut mecca 85 ]

[[Ruby’s Notes – This verse revealed during the transitional phase from Mecca to Medina, may be before migration [hijra] is preparing the believers to leave the place of blockade or beyond reclaiming at that time. Whenever there is such a stagnation it is recommended to move to somewhere where one can serve God better. It is implied that God’s earth is spacious and believers can serve God from any place. The main thrust or spirit of this verse is the internationalism instilled in It is also implied that the highest allegiance for a believer is to God and he/she can move to this wide earth to serve God, there is no hindrance as to different culture, creed, ethnicity or geographical barriers. In faith one should overcome these man-made barriers and reach out to the inherent commonality of all human beings. ]]

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَاعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦﴾

29:56 [Ali]. O My servants who believe! truly, spacious is My Earth: therefore serve ye Me -- (and Me alone)!

C3489. There is no excuse for any one to plead that he could not do good or was forced to evil by his circumstances and surroundings, or by the fact that he lived in evil times.

We must shun evil and seek good, and Allah's Creation is wide enough to enable us to do that, provided we have the will, the patience, and the constancy to do it.

It may be that we have to change our village or city or country; or that we have to change our neighbors or associates; or to change our habits or our hours, our position in life or our human relationships, or our callings. Our integrity before Allah is more important than any of these things, and we must be prepared for exile (or Hijrah) in all these senses. For the means with which Allah provides us for His service are ample, and it is our own fault if we fail.

Asad’s Version:

29:56 O YOU servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Behold, wide is Mine earth: worship Me, then, Me alone! 53

[[ Asad’s notes -

53 Implying that since the earth offers innumerable, multiform facilities to human life, there is no excuse for forgetting God "owing to the pressure of adverse circumstances". Whenever or wherever the worship of God in its essential, and not merely liturgical sense - becomes impossible, the believer is obliged to "forsake the domain of evil" (which, as explained in note 124 on 4:97, is the innermost meaning of the concept of hijrah) and to "migrate unto God", that is, to a place where it is possible to live in accordance with one's faith. ]]