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 5 (Verses 13:32–13:37): Opposition will Fail

Translation:

وَ لَقَدِ اسۡتُہۡزِیَٔ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ فَاَمۡلَیۡتُ لِلَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا ثُمَّ اَخَذۡتُہُمۡ ۟ فَکَیۡفَ کَانَ عِقَابِ ﴿۳۲﴾

13:32 And messengers before you were certainly mocked, but I gave respite to those who disbelieved, then I seized them. How (terrible) was then My retribution!

اَفَمَنۡ ہُوَ قَآئِمٌ عَلٰی کُلِّ نَفۡسٍۭ بِمَا کَسَبَتۡ ۚ وَ جَعَلُوۡا لِلّٰہِ شُرَکَآءَ ؕ قُلۡ سَمُّوۡہُمۡ ؕ اَمۡ تُنَبِّـُٔوۡنَہٗ بِمَا لَا یَعۡلَمُ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اَمۡ بِظَاہِرٍ مِّنَ الۡقَوۡلِ ؕ بَلۡ زُیِّنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا مَکۡرُہُمۡ وَ صُدُّوۡا عَنِ السَّبِیۡلِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّضۡلِلِ اللّٰہُ فَمَا لَہٗ مِنۡ ہَادٍ ﴿۳۳﴾

13:33 Is, then, He Who watches every soul as to what it earns (like their associate gods)? And yet they ascribe partners to Allah! Say: Name them.1 Would you inform Him of what He does not know in the earth, or of an outward saying?2 Rather, their plan is made to seem good to those who disbelieve, and they are kept back from the path.3 And whom Allah leaves in error, he has no guide.

لَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا وَ لَعَذَابُ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ اَشَقُّ ۚ وَ مَا لَہُمۡ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ وَّاقٍ ﴿۳۴﴾

13:34 For them is punishment in this world’s life, and the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly more grievous. And they have no protector against Allah.

مَثَلُ الۡجَنَّۃِ الَّتِیۡ وُعِدَ الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ ؕ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ ؕ اُکُلُہَا دَآئِمٌ وَّ ظِلُّہَا ؕ تِلۡکَ عُقۡبَی الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّقَوۡا ٭ۖ وَّ عُقۡبَی الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ النَّارُ ﴿۳۵﴾

13:35 A parable of the Garden which is promised to those who keep their duty:4 In it flow rivers. Its fruits are perpetual and (so is) its plenty. Such is the end for those who keep their duty; and the end for the disbelievers is the Fire.

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ یَفۡرَحُوۡنَ بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مِنَ الۡاَحۡزَابِ مَنۡ یُّنۡکِرُ بَعۡضَہٗ ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اُمِرۡتُ اَنۡ اَعۡبُدَ اللّٰہَ وَ لَاۤ اُشۡرِکَ بِہٖ ؕ اِلَیۡہِ اَدۡعُوۡا وَ اِلَیۡہِ مَاٰبِ ﴿۳۶﴾

13:36 And those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been revealed to you,5 and some sects deny a part of it. Say: I am commanded only to serve Allah and not set up partners with Him. To Him do I invite (you), and to Him is my return.

وَ کَذٰلِکَ اَنۡزَلۡنٰہُ حُکۡمًا عَرَبِیًّا ؕ وَ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعۡتَ اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ بَعۡدَ مَا جَآءَکَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ ۙ مَا لَکَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ وَّلِیٍّ وَّ لَا وَاقٍ ﴿٪۳۷﴾

13:37 And thus have We revealed it, a true judgment, in Arabic. And if you follow their low desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would have against Allah no guardian nor protector.

Commentary:

  1. It is to show the utmost contempt for the alleged partners of the Divine Being that their worshippers are called upon to give them a name, as if it were said that they are not worthy of a name. Or the meaning may be, give them a name expressing any qualification of godhead, such as a sustainer, creator, etc. ↩
  2. He knows both the inner feelings of man and his outward sayings, and He does not stand in need of a mediator. ↩
  3. As stated in 29:38, it is the devil who makes their evil deeds seem good to people and keeps them back from the right path. ↩
  4. The paradise mentioned here is called a parable, as also in 47:15. A saying of the Holy Prophet makes it clear that the blessings of paradise are such as no eye has seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to conceive of them (Bukhari, 59:8). The description given in the Quran is only a likeness of what it actually is, as it is of a nature entirely different from the things of this world. ↩
  5. The Book may signify the Quran; or it may refer to the previous revelation, in which case the Jewish and Christian converts to Islam are meant here. ↩

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