Verses 6–13
13. Ar-Ra'd · The Thunder
Madinan43 verses
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِمُ ٱلْمَثُلَٰتُ ۗ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍۢ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ ظُلْمِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَشَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
13:6They would press you for evil sooner than for good, though there have already gone by before them exemplary punishments. Indeed your Lord is forgiving to mankind despite their wrongdoing, and indeed your Lord is severe in retribution.1
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌۭ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
13:7The faithless say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ You are only a warner, and there is a guide for every people.*
ٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَىٰ وَمَا تَغِيضُ ٱلْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ ۖ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ عِندَهُۥ بِمِقْدَارٍ
13:8Allah knows what every female carries [in her womb], and what the wombs reduce and what they increase, and everything is by [precise] measure with Him,2
عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ٱلْمُتَعَالِ
13:9the Knower of the sensible and the Unseen, the All-great, the All-sublime.
سَوَآءٌۭ مِّنكُم مَّنْ أَسَرَّ ٱلْقَوْلَ وَمَن جَهَرَ بِهِۦ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍۭ بِٱلَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌۢ بِٱلنَّهَارِ
13:10It is the same [to Him] whether any of you speaks secretly, or does so loudly, or whether he lurks in the night, or is open to view in daytime.
لَهُۥ مُعَقِّبَٰتٌۭ مِّنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ يَحْفَظُونَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍۢ سُوٓءًۭا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ
13:11He has guardian angels, to his front and his rear, who guard him by Allah’s command. Indeed Allah does not change a people’s lot, unless they change what is in their souls. And when Allah wishes to visit ill on a people, there is nothing that can avert it, and they have no protector besides Him.3
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًۭا وَيُنشِئُ ٱلسَّحَابَ ٱلثِّقَالَ
13:12It is He who shows you the lightning, inspiring fear and hope, and He produces the clouds heavy [with rain].4
وَيُسَبِّحُ ٱلرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِۦ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُمْ يُجَٰدِلُونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْمِحَالِ
13:13The Thunder celebrates His praise, and the angels [too], in awe of Him, and He releases the thunderbolts and strikes with them whomever He wishes. Yet they dispute concerning Allah, though He is great in might.5
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 7
1.The hypocrites always insisted that miracles should be shown according to their wish and when one miracle was performed they demanded another so that they do not accept faith. Allah clarified that it is a duty of His Apostle to warn them of Allah’s chastisement and the prophet’s job is to guide the people and He is fit for trustworthiness and He does not believe and follow the desires of the people.
Verse 11
2.This is an example of Perfect divine knowledge that He keeps a watch of a child who is forming under the three layers in the womb and everything happens according to His will. How the child is, how many live and how many die, all these facts are the signs of Allah’s perfection and knowledge.
3.If a community is good in personal affairs, Allah does not send chastisement till they remain so and if they are not good Allah does not send His blessings until they become good. The fact is that as long as a man does not work hard he can’t save himself from hunger and poverty and if he does not make arrangement for educational institutions he cannot escape chastisement. Allah has not changed the condition of such community yet, which does not try to improve its own condition.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Sayye’ah denotes punishment. Hasana denotes reward and Mathlaas are the past punishments of the nations.
Benefit
The 7th ayat indicates that the work of a prophet is to warn and apart from warning he is not obliged to show miracles. Also that the word ’Haad’ is not related to the prophet because the words ‘likulle qaum’ in between is the stable word which is aimed at maintaining the continuity of Anzaar (warner). Haad means the function of the Imam.
- 2
Maghferat denotes delay of punishment otherwise the dispenser of forgiveness cannot be severe in retribution. But He can be forgiving for one and severe in reprisal for other.
- 3
‘Ghaiz’ denotes the absorption of water in the earth. But here it indicates common scarcity.
- 4
Some people think that Muaqibaat are angels that protect the people. Others consider it to mean the mental and psychological capabilities of man that fulfill the duty of protecting him.
- 5
This could qualify the Barq or it be the condition. Thiqaal are the water laden clouds. 6. These are the lightings of punishment because ordinary lighting cannot be said to be good or bad.
Benefit
The 8th ayat mentions all the three conditions of pregnancy. That sometimes it remains in the womb for 9 months and sometimes for less or more. And Allah is aware of it beforehand. He not only knows its sex, but knows all its conditions