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 6 (Verses 13:38–13:43): Steady Progress of Truth
Translation:
وَ لَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلًا مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ وَ جَعَلۡنَا لَہُمۡ اَزۡوَاجًا وَّ ذُرِّیَّۃً ؕ وَ مَا کَانَ لِرَسُوۡلٍ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَ بِاٰیَۃٍ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ لِکُلِّ اَجَلٍ کِتَابٌ ﴿۳۸﴾
13:38 And certainly We sent messengers before you and appointed for them wives and children. And it is not in the power of a messenger to bring a sign except by Allah’s permission. For every term there is an appointment.
یَمۡحُوا اللّٰہُ مَا یَشَآءُ وَ یُثۡبِتُ ۚۖ وَ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اُمُّ الۡکِتٰبِ ﴿۳۹﴾
13:39 Allah effaces what He pleases and establishes (what He pleases), and with Him is the basis of the Book.1
وَ اِنۡ مَّا نُرِیَنَّکَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِیۡ نَعِدُہُمۡ اَوۡ نَتَوَفَّیَنَّکَ فَاِنَّمَا عَلَیۡکَ الۡبَلٰغُ وَ عَلَیۡنَا الۡحِسَابُ ﴿۴۰﴾
13:40 Whether We show you part of what We promise them, or cause you to die (before it comes about), your duty is only to deliver the message, and Ours to call (them) to account.
اَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا اَنَّا نَاۡتِی الۡاَرۡضَ نَنۡقُصُہَا مِنۡ اَطۡرَافِہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یَحۡکُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُکۡمِہٖ ؕ وَ ہُوَ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ ﴿۴۱﴾
13:41 Do they not see that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides?2 And Allah pronounces a doom — there is no repeller of His decree. And He is Swift in calling to account.
وَ قَدۡ مَکَرَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ فَلِلّٰہِ الۡمَکۡرُ جَمِیۡعًا ؕ یَعۡلَمُ مَا تَکۡسِبُ کُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ؕ وَ سَیَعۡلَمُ الۡکُفّٰرُ لِمَنۡ عُقۡبَی الدَّارِ ﴿۴۲﴾
13:42 And those before them planned indeed, but all planning is Allah’s.3 He knows what every soul earns. And the disbelievers will come to know for whom is the (good) end of the abode.
وَ یَقُوۡلُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا لَسۡتَ مُرۡسَلًا ؕ قُلۡ کَفٰی بِاللّٰہِ شَہِیۡدًۢا بَیۡنِیۡ وَ بَیۡنَکُمۡ ۙ وَ مَنۡ عِنۡدَہٗ عِلۡمُ الۡکِتٰبِ ﴿٪۴۳﴾
13:43 And those who disbelieve say: You are not a messenger. Say: Allah is sufficient for a witness between me and you and whoever has knowledge of the Book.4
Commentary:
- The Divine ordinance to annihilate the power of the opponents of the Holy Prophet and to bring about the establishment of the Truth is called the “basis of the Book” (Umm al-Kitāb), because the final defeat of the powers of evil, which was previously foretold, would be such a clear sign that it would dispel all doubts. ↩
- The reference in curtailing the sides may be either to some of the exalted men having come over to Islam and the opposition being thus weakened, or to the diminution of the number of disbelievers, both high and low, by people daily leaving their ranks and joining the ranks of Islam. ↩
- The meaning is that the plans of the enemy need not be feared, for all their planning is controlled by Allah, or that the requital of their plans is in the hands of Allah. ↩
- Those who have any knowledge of previous revelation will testify to the truth of the revelation of the Quran, because it fulfils all previous prophecies and satisfies the criteria of a true revelation. ↩