SURAH AR-RA’AD (THE THUNDER)

MEDINAN PERIOD

Division: 587

1Alif/1, Lam/30, Mim/30, Ra/200.381 These are the Ayat of the Scripture. That which has been revealed to you by your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] is the Truth/reality. But most of the people do not believe.

2-4Allah is the One Who erected the Heavens without pillars, then established His dominion over the Greatest Throne,382 made the sun and the moon to prostrate/created them so creatures may avail. –All of which flows to a predetermined deadline.- He governs all affairs, expounds the Ayat so you may believe in the day when you will meet your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. And He is the One Who extended the Earth and created therein mountains standing tight and rivers. And He created all fruits in pairs. He enshrouds the day with the night. Surely, there are evidence/signs in this for a people who can contemplate. And He created neighboring continents that are irrigated with the same rain, grapevines, crops, split or non-split date palms. And We raised some of them over others in fruits, taste and smell. Surely, there are evidence/signs in this for a people who reason.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d-1-4)

Division: 588

5And if you marvel at these, then the most astounding is their statement: “Shall we be resurrected with a new creation after we have become soil?”. These are those who disbelieve in their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. And they have iron shackles around their necks. And they are the Companions of the Fire and they shall abide there eternally.

6And they ask you to hasten the evil before the good. But before them have punishments passed away, leaving traces for them. Truly, your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] forgives your evil deeds. And surely, severe is the wrath/questioning of your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. 7And the blasphemers; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] say: “Why has no evidence/sign been sent down to him?”. You are but a warner. And there is a guide for every people.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/5-7)

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Division: 589

8Allah knows “what each female gestates and what wombs increase or decrease”. And everything with Him is by measure.

9Allah is the One Who knows the unseen, the unheard, the unfelt, the past and the future and that which is manifest, He is the Most Exalted, the Sublime.

10The same are the ones who hide the word and the ones who disclose it and the ones who hide in the night and the ones who go out during the day.

11There are observers for each person, supervising and protecting from between their hands and from their behind –as an affair of Allah-. Basically, unless a people alters that which is in their very souls, Allah will not alter anything. And if Allah casts evil upon a people, nothing can prevent it. And there are no helpers, guides and protectors for them from among the subordinates of Allah.

12He is the One Who shows you the lightning casting fear and hope in you and emerges the rain laden clouds.

13Thunder exonerates Him from all deficiencies with His praise, and forces of the nature also exonerate Him out of fear. And He sends down lightning to hit whomever He pleases. They struggle with Allah. But severe is the hit of Allah.

14Invitation of the Truth is only with Him. Those who associate others with Him, those subordinates of Him whom they supplicate; they cannot respond to them with anything. They are like the one who opens his palms to direct water into his mount although there is no water. And prayers of the infidels; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] are in perversion.

15And those who are in the Heavens and on the Earth and their shadows prostrate and submit only to Allah.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/8-15)

Division: 590

16Say: “Who is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] of the Heavens and the Earth?”. Say: “Allah!”. Say: “Do you adopt subordinates of Allah who are not able to avail even themselves as your helpers, guides and protectors?”. Say: “Can the blind and the seeing be equal? Or the darkness and the light?”. OR have they found partners to Allah who can create like Him and their creations

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seemed similar to them? Say: “Allah is the Creator of all things. And He is the One and the Only, the Most Exalted and the Overwhelming”.

17Allah has sent down a water from the Heavens and valleys flooded according to their capacity. Then the flood has loaded with a floating foam. There is a similar foam on gems or that which you melt over fire to benefit. –Thus exemplifies Allah the Truth and the superstition.- Then the foam is removed and that which avails people remains. Thus exemplifies Allah.

18”The most beautiful” is for those who follow their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. And as for those who do not follow Him; if they had all that which is on the Earth the same amount once more, they would certainly have given it as ransom. And they are the ones for whom will be the worst account. And their final destination is Jahannah [Hell]. How an evil destination it is!

19-24Then, is the one who knows that which has been revealed to you from your Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] is the Truth equal to the one who is blind to this? Surely, only those who are able to comprehend;

those who are faithful to their promises to Allah and who do not break their covenants,

those who combine that which Allah wished to be combined; the faith and the good deed,

those who awe at their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] with respect, love and knowledge and who fear the evil of their accounts,

those who have patience in order to obtain the acceptance of their Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer],

those who perform salat [support financially and spiritually; establish and maintain institutions that enlighten the community],

those who openly or secretly spend the blessings We bestow upon them for the cause of Allah

and those who eliminate evil with good take the admonition and contemplate. For them are the consequence of this home; the gardens of Eden. They, the righteous from among their ancestors, wives and descendants shall abide into the gardens of Eden. And the forces in charge/harbinger Ayat shall enter upon them from every gate: “Peace be upon you for that upon which you have had patience! How beautiful is the consequence of this home!”.

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25And as for those who break their promise after they have been given their “solemn covenant” swearing unto Allah and separate/interrupt that which Allah commands to be combined; faith and deeds and make mischief on the Earth; for them is the curse of Allah. And the evil home will be for them either.

26And Allah extends or restricts His blessings upon whomever He pleases. But they rejoice over the convenience of the simple worldly life. However, the simple worldly life is just an earning in Akhirat [Afterlife].

27-29,31And the infidels; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] say: “Had there been a Qur’an with which mountains are moved, the Earth is split open or the dead are made to speak then why had evidence/a sign not been sent down upon him..?”. Say: “Surely, Allah averts whomever He pleases and guides those who are devout; those who believe and whose hearts are assured, eliminating all questions in their minds by remembering Allah”. Open your eyes! Hearts can only be assured by remembering Allah; eliminating all the questions in your minds. Those who believe and do good deeds; only for them are the Tuba [Bliss/tree of blessedness in Jannah [Heaven/Paradise]]; all the good, good tidings and a beautiful destination. In fact, the whole command belongs to Allah. Have the believer still not understood that had Allah wished so, He would certainly have guided all humankind. Those who deny; they shall be hit by a calamity or a trouble will be sent down close to their lands for what they do until the promise of Allah will come. Surely, Allah never breaks His promise nor fails to fulfill in timely manner.383

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/16-29, 31)

Division: 591

30Thus We have made you a messenger for a people with a leader, before whom many people with a leader have passed away, so you may recite them that which We have revealed to you while they disbelieve Rahman [Allah; The One Who is Most Merciful Towards His Creations on the Earth]. Say: “Rahman [Allah; The One Who is Most Merciful Towards His Creations on the Earth] is my Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer], there is no god but Him. I rely only unto Him for my affairs, and I will return only to Him”.

32Surely, those messengers before you were all ridiculed. And I gave respite to the infidels; those who deny My Divinity and the fact that I am Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]. Then I seized them. Behold! How severe is My wrath!

38Surely, We have sent many prophets before you. And We gave them wives and descendants [sons and daughters] as well. It is not possible for a prophet to bring

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evidence/a sign without the consent/knowledge of Allah. For each respite there is a decree.

39Allah annihilates whomever He pleases and lets whomever He pleases intact. The Mother of all Scriptures; the source of the knowledge is with Him.384

(96/13; Ar-Ra’ad/30, 32, 38-39)

Division: 592

33So, who is the one who stands upon/observes each soul with their earnings? But they associate partners with Allah. Say: “Name them! Or will you inform Him about that which He does not know on the Earth or about the word that is disclosed? In fact, plots of the infidels; those who deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] have been made alluring to them so they have been averted from the righteous path. Whomever Allah leads astray, there will be no guide for them.

34For them is a punishment in this simple worldly life. The punishment of Akhirat [Afterlife], on the other hand, is certainly more severe. And there will be no-one to protect them from the wrath of Allah.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’ad/33-34)

Division: 593

35Example of Jannah [Heaven/Paradise] that is promised to those who are under the guardianship of Allah is as follows: Underneath of it rivers flow, its blessings; fruits, colors, taste and shadows are eternal. This is the end of those who are under the guardianship of Allah. End of the infidels; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] is the Fire.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/35)

Division: 594

36And those whom We have sent down a Scripture rejoice over that which We have revealed to you. But among the opposing groups are those who manipulate a part of them. Say: “I have been commanded only to worship Allah and refuse associating partners with Him. I invite only to Him and to Him I will be returned”.

37Thus We have revealed the Qur’an in Arabic; a perfect law. And should you follow their vain and transitory desires after the knowledge has come upon you, there will be no “helper, guide nor protector” from Allah.

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40And if We should show you a part of that which We have promised to them or remind you that which you did in the past and that which you failed to do while being obliged to, your duty surely is to convey them. And Our duty is to conclude accounts.385

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/36-37, 40)

Division: 595

41And have they not seen that We have come to the Earth, reducing it from its edges? Allah rules. There is no-one to forbid His rule. And He is swift in accounting.

42And those before them deceived as well. But it is upon Allah to disclose all deceptions and punish. He knows what every man earns. The infidels; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer] shall know soon for whom is the consequence of this home.

43And as for the blasphemers; those who consciously deny the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer, the Sustainer]; they say: “You are not the messenger”. Say: “Allah and the one who has the knowledge of the Scripture are sufficient as witness between you and me”.

(96/13; Ar-Ra’d/41-43)

381 See Footnote No. 8.

382 See Footnotes No. 37 and 52.

383 Due to technical and semantic reasons, we rearranged this passage differently than the Official Mushaf. For detailed information, see Tabyeen al-Qur’an.

384 See Footnote No. 353.

385 See Footnote No. 353.

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