13.Surah ArRa'd
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَيُسَبِّحُ
الرَّعْدُ
بِحَمْدِهِ ...
13:13. Nay,
thunderrepeateth His praises,
C1819. Nay, thunder itself, which may frighten you, is but a tame and beneficent force before Him, declaring His praises, like the rest of creation.
THUNDER thus aptly gives the name to this Surah of contrasts, where what we may think terrible is shown to be really a submissive instrument of good in Allah's hands.
... وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ...
and so do the angels, with awe:
C1820. And the angels, whom we think to be beautiful creatures of power and glory nearest to Allah, yet feel reverence and awe even as they praise His Holy Name.
...وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَاء وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللّهِ...
He flingeth the loud-voiced thunderbolts, and therewith He striketh whomsoever He will... Yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah,
...وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ ﴿١٣﴾
with the strength of His power (supreme)!
C1821. Who is puny man, to call Allah in question?
Cf. some variations on this theme in the Book of Job, e.g. chapters 38 to 41.
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضِ...
13:16. Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?"
C1828. The meaning of "Rabb" is explained in n. 20, to 1:2.
...قُلِ اللّهُ...
Say: "It is Allah."
...قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلاَ ضَرًّا...
Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?"
C1829. Cf. 5:76.
...قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ...
Say:
"Are the blind equal with those who see?
...أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ...
Or the depths of darkness equal with Light?"
...أَمْ جَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ شُرَكَاء خَلَقُواْ كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ...
Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar?
C1830. This verse may be analyzed into six parts, each two parts going together like question and answer. Each except the fifth part is introduced by the word "Say", which is equivalent in old Arabic to inverted commas.
The fifth part, "or do they assign .... similar?" is not introduced by "Say", because it is in the indirect form.
- Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the Worlds?
It is Allah,
- And yet you worship other gods?
No, no one can be equal to Him, any more than darkness is equal to light.
- Your other gods have created nothing by which you can be misled?
No indeed; He is the only Creator, the One and Supreme.
...قُلِ اللّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿١٦﴾
Say:
"Allah is the Creator of all things:
He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."
Other versions:
13: 13
Asad ……And yet, they stubbornly argue about God, not withstanding [all evidence] that He alone has the power to contrive whatever His unfathomable wisdom wills!
Pickthall The thunder hymneth His praise and (so do) the angels for awe of Him. He launcheth the thunder bolts and smiteth with them whom He will while they dispute (in doubt) concerning Allah, and He is mighty in wrath.
Transliteration Wa yusabbihur ra'du bi hamdihi wal mala_'ikatu min khifatih(i), wa yursilus sawa_'iqa fa yusibu biha_ may yasya_'u wa hum yuja_dilu_na filla_h(i), wa huwa syadidul miha_l(i).
[asad note 29: …….the expression “shaded al-mihal (which occurs in the Quran once) ]
13: 16
Pickthall Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heaven and the earth? Say: Allah! Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners Who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.
Yuksel Say, "Who is the Lord of the heavens and earth," Say, "God." Say, "Have you taken besides Him allies who do not possess for themselves any benefit or harm?" Say, "Is the blind and the seer the same? Or, does the darkness and the light equate?" Or have they made partners with God who have created like His creation, so the creations all seemed the same to them? Say, "God has created all things, and He is the One, the Supreme."
Transliteration Qul mar rabbus sama_wa_ti wal ard(i), qulilla_h(u), qul afa-ttakhaztum min du_nihi auliya_'a la_ yamliku_na li anfusihim naf'aw wa la_ darra_(n), qul hal yastawil a'ma_ wal basir(u), am hal tastawiz zuluma_tu wan nu_r(u), am ja'ala_ lilla_hi syuraka_'a khalaqa_ ka khalqihi fa tasya_bahal khalqu 'alaihim, qulilla_hu kha_liqu kulli syai'iw wa huwal wa_hidul qahha_r(u).
[[Ruby’s note 13:15 – This is giving true ideas about worshipping God is to follow His Laws, moral and physical. In the universe all follows God’s spiritual and physical laws except the ones who are given the liberty of choice, namely humans. Compliance with God’s system then is true worship.]]
[[Yuksel’s note -013:015 The unappreciative opponents of the monotheistic message also prostrate for God; in other words, willingly or unwillingly they follow God's laws in nature. Unappreciative people are obliged to follow the laws of nature. Those who do not cognitively wish to accept God's sovereignty might speculate about their ability to control their biological bodies, but the Quran challenges them with a simple example that they can never escape: your shadow obeys God. The shade created by sunlight follows a precise path depending on geographic coordinates, hour of the day, and the day of the year. In other words, the motion of your shadow follows the laws of reflection of light that comes from the sun and changes in accordance to earth's motion. As long as you live on this moving planet and under this illuminating and radiating sun, you cannot change the motion of your shade. See 2:258, 16:48-49.]]