• The Glory, the Might and All-Supreme Authority of God related

• He knoweth everything and every action be it hidden or open

• His might incomparable

• His Wrath Irresistible

• Everything in the heavens and in the earth willingly or unwillingly makes obeisance to Him

• The abode of the wicked shall be Hell

Ar-Ra’d (The Thunder) Verses 8 – 18

اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنْثَىٰ وَمَا تَغِيضُ الْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ

God knoweth what every female beareth, and that which the wombs fall short (of completion) and that in which they increase;1And of every thing (there is) with Him2a measure.3(13:8)4

عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ

The Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Great, the Most High. (13:9)

سَوَاءٌ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِاللَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ

Alike (unto him) among you is he who concealeth (his) speech or speaketh aloud, and he who hideth himself by night and (who) goeth forth by day. (13:10)

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَالٍ

For him5there are (angels) following6one another, before him and behind him who guard him by God’s command; Verily God changeth7not the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves; And when willeth God unto any people a punishment, there is no repelling of it for them, there is none besides Him a Protector. (13:11)8

هُوَ الَّذِي يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنْشِئُ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ

He it is Who showeth you the lightning causing fear and hope and raiseth He the heavy (laden) clouds. (13:12)

وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ

And glorifieth Him the thunder with His praise, and the angels too in awe for Him; and sendeth He the thunderbolts and smiteth He with them whom soever He willeth, and yet dispute they concerning God; while He is Mighty in prowess. (13:13)

لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهِ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ

Unto Him (alone) is due the true prayer; and those unto whom they pray besides Him give not any answer9unto them, but (they are) like one who stretcheth his two hands unto water that it may reach his mouth, but it will reach it not; and the prayer of the infidels doth nothing but goeth far astray. (13:14)

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَالُهُمْ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

And unto God (alone) doth prostrate10(in worship) whatever s in the heavens and the earth, willingly or by 11constraint, (so do) their shadows (also) at morn and eve. (13:15)1213

قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ قُلِ اللَّهُ قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلِ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

Say14thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say:15(thou) “God!” Say:16What! “take ye then besides Him guardians who own neither any profit nor harm for themselves?” Say: (thou) “Are the blind17and the seeing alike? or can darkness and light be equal?” or they have made unto God partners who have created (any) creation like unto His that what is created hath become confused unto them?” Say thou: “God (alone) is the Creator of all things, and He is (the Only) One, 18All-Dominant 19All-Mighty.” (13:16)

أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِهَا فَاحْتَمَلَ السَّيْلُ زَبَدًا رَابِيًا وَمِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِي النَّارِ ابْتِغَاءَ حِلْيَةٍ أَوْ مَتَاعٍ زَبَدٌ مِثْلُهُ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْحَقَّ وَالْبَاطِلَ فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَاءً وَأَمَّا مَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ

He sendeth down water from the heavens then the valleys flow according to their 20measure, and the torrent beareth along the swelling foam, (mounting to the surface); (Even so) and from that (the ore) what they melt in the fire for the sake of (making) ornaments or (the necessary) implements,21arises a scum22like it; Thus compareth God the truth and the falsehood; then as for the scum,23it passeth away as a worthless thing; and as for that which profiteth the people, then it remaineth in the earth; Thus doth God set forth parables. (13:17)24

لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمُ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَهُ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لَافْتَدَوْا بِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْحِسَابِ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ

For those who respond to (the call of) their Lord is good; and (as for) those who respond not unto Him, even if they had all that is in the earth and the like thereof with it, they would certainly offer it for a ransom, (but in vain), for them shall be terrible25reckoning, and their abode the Hell; and what a wretched resting place it will be! (13:18)26

Commentary

Verse 8

What happens in the womb of a female is an example of extreme secrecy, for not even the female herself knows what takes place in her own body, what she possesses is a male or a female and whether she would deliver it at the usual measure of the time-limit or it would be caused to be delivered earlier. All these which are hidden secrets for mankind, are not so for God, for there is nothing in the universe which is not encompassed by His Knowledge. And all things are strictly restricted and regulated according to the measure willed by Him. This fact is made clear by the succeeding verse. The minimum time-limit for the delivery is six months and the maximum ten months.

Once during the Caliphate of ‘Umar, a woman gave birth to a child in six months and ‘Umar ordered her to be stoned. The First Holy Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib asked ‘Umar what defence had he if she sues him according to the Word of God? For God has said that the duration of the period of pregnancy is thirty months and in 2:233 has said that the breast-feeding of the child should be for two complete years. If the two years are deducted from the thirty months, there remain only six months, which is the minimum period of manifest pregnancy.

Verse 10

‘Mu’aqqibat’, i.e., the angels who descend continuously - Two angels always attend each individual to save him from calamities when the individual, in God’s Will is not to suffer death.27 (M.S.) records an incident when Amir and another man came to the Holy Prophet with a secret plot to kill him. Just when one of them was about to attack the Holy Prophet from behind, a flame came from heaven and he was burnt to death and the other man, Amir, who rode away to escape from the heavenly chastisement died on the back of his horse.

Verse 11

Once a man who carried a pot of wine on his head, when wine had been forbidden, saw the Holy Prophet and got perturbed and prayed to God to save him and promised never again to go near wine.

When he came to the Holy Prophet and was asked what was on his head, he replied that it was vinegar. When the liquid was brought down and tested it was the best kind of vinegar. When the man himself was surprised and wanted to relate about his feelings when he saw the Holy Prophet and what he prayed for, the Holy Prophet himself informed him about his repentance and his prayer and God granting it.

The Fourth Holy Imam Ali Ibn al-Husayn says that whatever bounty God bestows upon any individual, is never taken away from the individual but in return for certain sins. The following are only a few of the instances. For example:

Sins:

1. Disobedience to the Virtuous - Bounties withdrawn and the sin increases.

2. Pride.

3. Ridiculing others.

4. Going to bed before offering the ‘Isha’ or the night prayers.

5. Sleeping in the morning hours of the prayer. – Sustenance tightened.

6. Thinking lightly of the bounties of God.

7. Complaining to others against God.

8. Taking of false oath.

9. Uttering lies.

10. Adultery.

11. Obstructing the way of the Muslims. – Brings down calamities.

12. False claims.

13. Misappropriation of a Trust.

14. Not helping the aggressed and the oppressed.

15. Not preaching goodness and abstinence from evil.

16. Manifesting iniquity and wickedness.

17. Legalising that which is forbidden. – Makes the enemy triumphant.

18. Obedience to the wicked and revolting against the virtuous.

19. Drunkenness and gambling.

20. Using jests and jokes to stimulate ridicule of others.

Verses 12, 13 And 14

As the water does not answer to its seeker, the false deities are also dumb and unable even to answer to their worshippers. Similarly, calling any saint or any religious leader to fulfil the prayers independent of God is also forbidden save in the way that the seeker takes them as the medium for getting his prayer heard by God.

“And seek ye unto Him (God) a medium” (5:35).

Verse 15

This verse, like verse 7:206, followed by actual prostration to manifest the physical life being under the influence of the feelings in the mind.

(a) Considering the absolute reality as the real light of lights by which every being has come into light and evidence,28 the beings in the order of existence differ from each other in the extent of their limitations. The less in limitation the closer to the Absolute in such form and order that between the lowest or the most limited one and the Absolute, each lower in the order is considered to be a shadow of his immediate higher luminary. The closer to the Absolute more luminous and the being immediately below it is its shadow while in its relation to the one next to it, is a luminary. Thus, every lower realm of beings is the shadow of the higher one, following in its movement. (A.P.).

Verse 16

Regarding the contrast between the blind and the seeing.29

As for the confusion caused by the belief in the power and the authority of the false deities, in the minds of the disbelievers that they worship their imaginary deities who are themselves helpless, in the place of God Who is the Real Creator Lord of the Universe.

Verse 17

This parable applies to the process of the creation of the finites, from the Absolute, the transitory and momentary value and the condition of useless and parasitic things and the real utility and durability of useful things, and it also leads the course of divine revelation and how and why the reaction of mankind to it by giving their own colours to what they have received. In any case in either course whatever is divine and real, remains and that which is temporal and unreal disappears.30 (A.P.)

• 1. Including the bearing of Twins.
• 2. God.
• 3. Refer to verse 15:21.
• 4. Everything is revealed measured. There is no measure or limit in the pre-revealed state of things. (A.P.).
• 5. For man.
• 6. Pursuing.
• 7. This clearly indicates that for their misfortunes the people themselves are responsible. Refer to verses 4:79 & 8:53.
• 8. Refer to verse 6:61.
• 9. The false deities answer not to prayer of their devotees.
• 10. pays obeisance.
• 11. Reluctant.
• 12. Sajdah Prostrate (Sunnat) (Recommended).
• 13. Refer to verses 7:206, 22:18, 22:77, 16:48-49 & 76:14.
• 14. Ask the people.
• 15. Ask the people.
• 16. Ask the people.
• 17. Refer to verses 13:19, 5:100, 6:50, 47:14 & 39:9.
• 18. The Absolute All-Supreme Authority in all realms irresistible.
• 19. The Absolute All-Supreme Authority in all realms irresistible.
• 20. Capacity.
• 21. Tools - apparatus goods – Vessels - anything of utility.
• 22. Foam
• 23. Foam.
• 24. Refer to verse 7:58.
• 25. Literally Evil.
• 26. Refer to verses 39:47 &10:24, 18:45, 14:17.
• 27. See verse 6:61.
• 28. Refer to verse 24:35.
• 29. See verses 5:100; 6:50.
• 30. Refer to verse 16:96.