English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

Chapter 13: Al-Rad — The Thunder (Revealed at Makkah: 6 sections, 43 verses)

Section 1 (Verses 13:1–13:7): Truth of Revelation

Translation:

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

الٓـمّٓرٰ ۟ تِلۡکَ اٰیٰتُ الۡکِتٰبِ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ الۡحَقُّ وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱﴾

13:1 I, Allah, am the Best Knower, the Seer.1 These are verses of the Book. And what is revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth, but most people do not believe.

اَللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡ رَفَعَ السَّمٰوٰتِ بِغَیۡرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوۡنَہَا ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰی عَلَی الۡعَرۡشِ وَ سَخَّرَ الشَّمۡسَ وَ الۡقَمَرَ ؕ کُلٌّ یَّجۡرِیۡ لِاَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی ؕ یُدَبِّرُ الۡاَمۡرَ یُفَصِّلُ الۡاٰیٰتِ لَعَلَّکُمۡ بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّکُمۡ تُوۡقِنُوۡنَ ﴿۲﴾

13:2 Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see, and He is established on the Throne of Power, and He made the sun and the moon subservient (to you). Each one runs to an appointed term.2 He regulates the affair, making clear the messages that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.

وَ ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ مَدَّ الۡاَرۡضَ وَ جَعَلَ فِیۡہَا رَوَاسِیَ وَ اَنۡہٰرًا ؕ وَ مِنۡ کُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ جَعَلَ فِیۡہَا زَوۡجَیۡنِ اثۡنَیۡنِ یُغۡشِی الَّیۡلَ النَّہَارَ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿۳﴾

13:3 And He it is Who spread the earth, and made in it firm mountains and rivers. And of all fruits He has made in it pairs, two (of every kind). He makes the night cover the day. Surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.

وَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجٰوِرٰتٌ وَّ جَنّٰتٌ مِّنۡ اَعۡنَابٍ وَّ زَرۡعٌ وَّ نَخِیۡلٌ صِنۡوَانٌ وَّ غَیۡرُ صِنۡوَانٍ یُّسۡقٰی بِمَآءٍ وَّاحِدٍ ۟ وَ نُفَضِّلُ بَعۡضَہَا عَلٰی بَعۡضٍ فِی الۡاُکُلِ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ ﴿۴﴾

13:4 And in the earth are tracts side by side, and gardens of vines, and corn, and palm-trees growing from one root and distinct roots — they are watered with one water; and We make some of them to excel others in fruit. Surely there are signs in this for a people who understand.3

وَ اِنۡ تَعۡجَبۡ فَعَجَبٌ قَوۡلُہُمۡ ءَ اِذَا کُنَّا تُرٰبًا ءَ اِنَّا لَفِیۡ خَلۡقٍ جَدِیۡدٍ ۬ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بِرَبِّہِمۡ ۚ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ الۡاَغۡلٰلُ فِیۡۤ اَعۡنَاقِہِمۡ ۚ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ ۚ ہُمۡ فِیۡہَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ ﴿۵﴾

13:5 And if you wonder, then wondrous is their saying: When we are dust, shall we then be raised in a new creation? These are they who disbelieve in their Lord, and these have chains on their necks,4 and they are the companions of the Fire; in it they will abide.

وَ یَسۡتَعۡجِلُوۡنَکَ بِالسَّیِّئَۃِ قَبۡلَ الۡحَسَنَۃِ وَ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمُ الۡمَثُلٰتُ ؕ وَ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَذُوۡ مَغۡفِرَۃٍ لِّلنَّاسِ عَلٰی ظُلۡمِہِمۡ ۚ وَ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَشَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ ﴿۶﴾

13:6 And they ask you to hasten on the evil before the good, and indeed there have been exemplary punishments before them. And surely your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind despite their wrongdoing. And surely your Lord is Severe in retribution.5

وَ یَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا لَوۡ لَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ عَلَیۡہِ اٰیَۃٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہٖ ؕ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنۡتَ مُنۡذِرٌ وَّ لِکُلِّ قَوۡمٍ ہَادٍ ٪﴿۷﴾

13:7 And those who disbelieve say: Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord? You are only a warner and for every people a guide.6

Commentary:

  1. The original Arabic consists of the letters alif, lām, mīm and rā. These stand for ana (I), Allāh, A‘lam (Best Knower) and Rā’ī, (Seer) respectively. ↩
  2. All heavenly bodies are raised high without any pillars that man can see. Those pillars are the laws of gravitation. All heavenly bodies, we are further told, run their course to an appointed term; they have a beginning and an end, as all things on earth have a beginning and an end. ↩
  3. Unity in diversity is observable in the whole of nature, which is a sure sign of the Unity of the great Author of all existence. Besides this, as there is a difference in the produce of different tracts, though they are subject to the same laws of nature, even so are the hearts of people in relation to the growth of the seed of virtue, which is sown by revelation. ↩
  4. The chains spoken of here are the chains which keep them constrained to evil usages and corrupt practices. ↩
  5. The opponents of the Holy Prophet are told that the Merciful God would deal with them not according to their wrongdoings, but according to His vast and comprehensive forgiveness. But when evil outsteps all bounds, His very mercy, which must be exercised towards His righteous servants, requires that the wrong­doers should not be left without punishment. ↩
  6. The words for every people a guide refer to the Holy Prophet. He was a warner indeed; he warned the evildoers of the evil consequences of their evil deeds, but he was ultimately to be a guide for every people, to lead them out of their evil ways and to set them on the right path. ↩

Top