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 2 (Verses 13:8–13:18): Fall and Rise of Nations
Translation:
اَللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُ مَا تَحۡمِلُ کُلُّ اُنۡثٰی وَ مَا تَغِیۡضُ الۡاَرۡحَامُ وَ مَا تَزۡدَادُ ؕ وَ کُلُّ شَیۡءٍ عِنۡدَہٗ بِمِقۡدَارٍ ﴿۸﴾
13:8 Allah knows what every female bears, and what the wombs fall short of completing and what they grow.1 And everything with Him has a measure.
عٰلِمُ الۡغَیۡبِ وَ الشَّہَادَۃِ الۡکَبِیۡرُ الۡمُتَعَالِ ﴿۹﴾
13:9 The Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Great, the Most High.
سَوَآءٌ مِّنۡکُمۡ مَّنۡ اَسَرَّ الۡقَوۡلَ وَ مَنۡ جَہَرَ بِہٖ وَ مَنۡ ہُوَ مُسۡتَخۡفٍۭ بِالَّیۡلِ وَ سَارِبٌۢ بِالنَّہَارِ ﴿۱۰﴾
13:10 Alike (to Him) among you is he who conceals the word and he who speaks openly, and he who hides himself by night and (who) goes forth by day.2
لَہٗ مُعَقِّبٰتٌ مِّنۡۢ بَیۡنِ یَدَیۡہِ وَ مِنۡ خَلۡفِہٖ یَحۡفَظُوۡنَہٗ مِنۡ اَمۡرِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُغَیِّرُ مَا بِقَوۡمٍ حَتّٰی یُغَیِّرُوۡا مَا بِاَنۡفُسِہِمۡ ؕ وَ اِذَاۤ اَرَادَ اللّٰہُ بِقَوۡمٍ سُوۡٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَہٗ ۚ وَ مَا لَہُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ مِنۡ وَّالٍ ﴿۱۱﴾
13:11 For him are (angels) guarding the consequences (of his deeds), before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah’s command.3 Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people, until they change their own condition. And when Allah intends harm to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector.
ہُوَ الَّذِیۡ یُرِیۡکُمُ الۡبَرۡقَ خَوۡفًا وَّ طَمَعًا وَّ یُنۡشِیُٔ السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ ﴿ۚ۱۲﴾
13:12 He it is Who shows you lightning causing fear and hope and (Who) brings up the heavy cloud.
وَ یُسَبِّحُ الرَّعۡدُ بِحَمۡدِہٖ وَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ مِنۡ خِیۡفَتِہٖ ۚ وَ یُرۡسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَیُصِیۡبُ بِہَا مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ وَ ہُمۡ یُجَادِلُوۡنَ فِی اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ ہُوَ شَدِیۡدُ الۡمِحَالِ ﴿ؕ۱۳﴾
13:13 And thunder celebrates His praise, and the angels too for awe of Him. And He sends thunderbolts and strikes with them whom He pleases, yet they dispute concerning Allah, and He is Mighty in prowess.
لَہٗ دَعۡوَۃُ الۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖ لَا یَسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡنَ لَہُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ اِلَّا کَبَاسِطِ کَفَّیۡہِ اِلَی الۡمَآءِ لِیَبۡلُغَ فَاہُ وَ مَا ہُوَ بِبَالِغِہٖ ؕ وَ مَا دُعَآءُ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ ﴿۱۴﴾
13:14 To Him is due the true prayer. And those to whom they pray besides Him give them no answer, but (they are) like one who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it. And the prayer of the disbelievers is only wasted.
وَ لِلّٰہِ یَسۡجُدُ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ طَوۡعًا وَّ کَرۡہًا وَّ ظِلٰلُہُمۡ بِالۡغُدُوِّ وَ الۡاٰصَالِ ﴿ٛ۱۵﴾
13:15 And whoever is in the heavens and the earth makes submission to Allah only, willingly and unwillingly, and their shadows, too, morning and evening.Prostration
قُلۡ مَنۡ رَّبُّ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ قُلِ اللّٰہُ ؕ قُلۡ اَفَاتَّخَذۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِہٖۤ اَوۡلِیَآءَ لَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ لِاَنۡفُسِہِمۡ نَفۡعًا وَّ لَا ضَرًّا ؕ قُلۡ ہَلۡ یَسۡتَوِی الۡاَعۡمٰی وَ الۡبَصِیۡرُ ۬ۙ اَمۡ ہَلۡ تَسۡتَوِی الظُّلُمٰتُ وَ النُّوۡرُ ۬ۚ اَمۡ جَعَلُوۡا لِلّٰہِ شُرَکَآءَ خَلَقُوۡا کَخَلۡقِہٖ فَتَشَابَہَ الۡخَلۡقُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ قُلِ اللّٰہُ خَالِقُ کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ وَّ ہُوَ الۡوَاحِدُ الۡقَہَّارُ ﴿۱۶﴾
13:16 Say: Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Do you then take besides Him, guardians who control no benefit or harm even for themselves? Say: Are the blind and the seeing alike? Or, are darkness and light equal? Or, have they set up with Allah partners who have created creation like His, so that what is created became confused to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.
اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَالَتۡ اَوۡدِیَۃٌۢ بِقَدَرِہَا فَاحۡتَمَلَ السَّیۡلُ زَبَدًا رَّابِیًا ؕ وَ مِمَّا یُوۡقِدُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہِ فِی النَّارِ ابۡتِغَآءَ حِلۡیَۃٍ اَوۡ مَتَاعٍ زَبَدٌ مِّثۡلُہٗ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یَضۡرِبُ اللّٰہُ الۡحَقَّ وَ الۡبَاطِلَ ۬ؕ فَاَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَیَذۡہَبُ جُفَآءً ۚ وَ اَمَّا مَا یَنۡفَعُ النَّاسَ فَیَمۡکُثُ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یَضۡرِبُ اللّٰہُ الۡاَمۡثَالَ ﴿ؕ۱۷﴾
13:17 He sends down water from the clouds, then watercourses flow according to their measure, and the torrent bears along the swelling foam. And a scum like it arises from what they melt in the fire for the sake of making ornaments or tools.4 Thus does Allah compare truth and falsehood. Then as for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing; and as for that which benefits people, it remains behind in the earth. Thus does Allah set forth parables.5
لِلَّذِیۡنَ اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لِرَبِّہِمُ الۡحُسۡنٰی ؕؔ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ لَمۡ یَسۡتَجِیۡبُوۡا لَہٗ لَوۡ اَنَّ لَہُمۡ مَّا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ جَمِیۡعًا وَّ مِثۡلَہٗ مَعَہٗ لَافۡتَدَوۡا بِہٖ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ لَہُمۡ سُوۡٓءُ الۡحِسَابِ ۬ۙ وَ مَاۡوٰىہُمۡ جَہَنَّمُ ؕ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡمِہَادُ ﴿٪۱۸﴾
13:18 For those who respond to their Lord is good. And as for those who do not respond to Him, even if they had all that is in the earth and as much again, they would certainly offer it for a ransom. As for those, theirs is an evil reckoning and their abode is hell; and evil is the resting-place.
Commentary:
- The physical law of nature is spoken of here with a deeper reference to the spiritual law, according to which some receive a new birth through the Prophet and others do not. The subject is made clearer in the verses that follow. ↩
- A general law is given expression to here, with a deeper reference to the secret and open counsels against the Holy Prophet and to enemies seeking his life by day and by night. ↩
- While the statement is no doubt general and refers to the guardian angels referred to in 6:61, there is a deeper allusion to the Divine protection specially granted to the Holy Prophet against the numerous enemies among whom he lived day and night. The angels guard the consequences of the deeds of man, and are therefore spoken of here as guarding him, i.e., guarding whatever he does, by Allah’s command. ↩
- The word used includes here all kinds of things necessary for the life of man, such as utensils, tools, implements, and instruments of war. ↩
- The parable set forth here signifies that the Holy Prophet and his followers will live and prosper, as they work for the good of mankind. On the other hand, evil practices and worthless usages and customs, as well as those who uphold them, will be swept away before the mighty current of Truth, as rubbish is borne away by a torrent. ↩