Verses 18–26
13. Ar-Ra'd · The Thunder
Madinan43 verses
لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لَهُۥ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا وَمِثْلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفْتَدَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ
13:18For those who answer [the summons of] their Lord there shall be the best [of rewards]. But those who do not answer Him, even if they possessed all that is on the earth and as much of it besides, they would surely offer it to redeem themselves with it. For such there shall be an adverse reckoning, and their refuge shall be hell, and it is an evil resting place.
۞ أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ
13:19Is someone who knows that what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth, like someone who is blind? Only those who possess intellect take admonition
ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَٰقَ
13:20—those who fulfill Allah’s covenant and do not break the pledge solemnly made,1
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ
13:21and those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined, and fear their Lord, and are afraid of an adverse reckoning2
وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
13:22—those who are patient for the sake of their Lord’s pleasure, maintain the prayer, and spend secretly and openly out of what We have provided them, and repel evil [conduct] with good. For such will be the reward of the [ultimate] abode:3
جَنَّٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّٰتِهِمْ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍۢ
13:23the Gardens of Eden, which they will enter along with whoever is righteous from among their forebears, their spouses, and their descendants, and the angels will call on them from every door:
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
13:24‘Peace be to you, for your patience.’ How excellent is the reward of the [ultimate] abode!
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۙ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلدَّارِ
13:25But as for those who break Allah’s compact after having pledged it solemnly, and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the earth—it is such on whom the curse will lie, and for them will be the ills of the [ultimate] abode.
ٱللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَٰعٌۭ
13:26Allah expands the provision for whomever He wishes, and tightens it. They boast of the life of this world, but compared with the Hereafter the life of this world is but a [trifling] enjoyment.4
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 19
1.This is an open challenge that a true believer is not like a blind man. The master of wisdom is different and those who go astray are different. According to traditions Ali (a.s.) is the master of wisdom and it is absolutely true.
Verse 26
2.Expansion of livelihood and poverty is the best image of the state of affairs, that Allah, besides taking the surety of livelihood, has given an authority to men of its expansion and narrowness. No doubt livelihood comes from the sky but its provisions are connected with the earth whether to get it by hard work, by case or by tactics. The livelihood will expand or contract depending on your deeds.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
It should be clear that man is having a relationship with Allah and a relationship with the Prophet and Imam. He also has a relationship with his society, It is his duty to respect all the relationships and he must consider the fear of Allah as his motivating force. The fear of Allah and fear of Soo-ul Hisab is different in the sense that the former makes us aware of the might and greatness of Allah and thus it is unrelated to His accounting. Also the word ‘Rabb’ is used with fear and in seeking the grade of Rabb which denotes the satisfaction of Allah and which cannot be gained without being patient. Patience is also that which is for earning divine satisfaction, and not the patience that is forced on us due to helplessness.
- 1
Anything that could be proved by reason or Shariat is the ‘Ahd’ of Allah.
- 2
Cordial relations with believing brothers is a sign of faith and obedience of Allah.
- 3
‘Goodness’ denotes forgiveness and ‘evil’ denotes revenge and reprisal etc. otherwise the punishment of the Hereafter cannot be remitted
- 4
Mataa’ denotes pleasure and the Tanveen (Mata’un) indicates its scarcity and lowliness.
Benefit
The gates of Paradise in the 23rd ayat are actually the gates of good deeds. Every good action is having the status of a door of Heaven. Also the traditions mention eight gates of Paradise and the ayats mention seven gates of Hell. This indicates that the gates of mercy are more than the gates of fury.