And since something of it did not benefit anyone among them at all, the Sunnah of Allah did not change regarding His allies and His enemies in any century of the centuries [or any era of the eras]. Rather, it proceeded upon the most upright system and the most precise rulings. This is confirmed by His saying, exalted is He, in the context of illustration: ﴿The example of those﴾.

And when the supplication to other than Allah is contrary to sound reason, clear transmission, and sound nature [and correct thought], it requires [training to] harshness and habituation to density. He said: ﴿They took﴾ meaning: they relied on taking.

And when the ranks beneath His rank, glorified and exalted is He, are countless, and all ranks are below His rank, He said [pointing to this with the preposition]: ﴿Other than Allah﴾ meaning: the one who has no equal, so they were content with the lesser, in exchange for one whom imaginations and assumptions do not suffice. ﴿Allies﴾ (p-442) who support them with their claims of deities and others, in weakness and frailty. ﴿Like the example of the spider﴾, the known creature with many long legs; then he began to mention the aspect of similarity and expressed it in the feminine form even though it is said in the masculine form, to emphasize its weakness, because the context is for the weakness of what it builds. He said: ﴿It took a house﴾ meaning: it made an effort to take it in its craft to protect it from destruction and to shield it from calamity, just as these people made an effort to fabricate their lords to benefit them, and to protect them with their claims and elevate them. Thus, that house, despite its effort in its matter and its great toil regarding it, is in the utmost weakness.

And when its condition in its making is like that of one who denies its weakness, he said affirmatively: ﴿And indeed﴾ [and] its 'wa' is for the state of the pronoun - ﴿It took﴾ meaning: while it is weaker - thus was the original, but it appeared for generalization, so he said: ﴿The weakest of houses﴾ meaning: it weakened it. ﴿Is the house of the spider﴾ which endured in weaving it what it endured and suffered in its spinning what it suffered, for it does not provide shelter from heat, nor protect from cold, nor fortify against a seeker. Likewise, what these people have taken from these idols, and this religion which has no foundation, is the weakest (p-443) of religions and the least of them. ﴿If only they knew﴾ meaning: if they had any kind of knowledge, they would have benefited from it and realized that this is their example, so they would have distanced themselves from believing in what this example is.