“The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider’s house; – if they but knew.” – 29:41

Allah uses in the verse the feminine form of the word spider “Ankabut” عَنكبوت rather than the masculine form Ankab عَنكَب and the feminine form of the verb “ittakhathat” اتَّخَذَتْ which means one who does something referring to the spider as it builds its web/house rather than the masculine form “ittakhath” اتَّخَذَ without the t at the end. As such, it is concluded from the verse that the spider that builds a house/web has to be a female.

According to a recent publication of the American Arachnological Society (AAS), the authoritative scientific organization that studies arachnids including spiders:

“It is generally accepted in arcachnological literature that adult female spiders build species typical webs while adult males do no web-building”

There are very rare exceptions to the rule where males might build webs but in almost all cases, webs are built by female spiders and males do not build webs as they search for females to mate.

May Allah make us among those who see the truth and among those “(3:191) Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ