13.Surah ArRa'd

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَلِلّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ ...

13: 15. Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection)

C1824. Notice that the original of what I have translated "whatever being" is the personal pronoun man, not ma.

This then refers to beings with a personality, e.g., angels, spirits, human beings, and possibly other things of objective (not necessarily material) existence, as contrasted with their Shadows or Simulacra or Appearances, or Phantasms, mentioned at the end of the verse.

Both these Beings and their Shadows are subject to the Will of Allah.

See notes 1825 and 1827.

C1825. "Prostrate themselves": the posture means that they recognise their subjection to Allah's Will and Law, whether they wish it or not.

... طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا...

-- with good will or in spite of themselves:

C1826. "In spite of themselves": Satan and Evil.

They would like to get away from the control of the All-good Allah, but they cannot, and they have to acknowledge His supremacy and lordship over them.

...وَظِلالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالآصَالِ ﴿١٥﴾

so do their shadows in the mornings and evenings.

C1827. Even the Shadows -creations of the Imagination, or projections from other things and dependent on the other things for their existence, as shadows are to substance- even such shadows are subject to Allah's Laws and Will, and cannot arise or have any effect on our minds except by His permission.

The Shadows are longest and therefore most prominent when the sun is level, and tend to disappear as the sun approaches the zenith. But even when they are longest and most prominent, they are still subject to Allah's Will and Law. (R).

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: 15 [ar-R’ad, Medina 96]

Yusuf Ali Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection) with good will or in spite of themselves: so do their shadows in the mornings and evenings.

Pickthall And unto Allah falleth prostrate whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening hours.

Yuksel To God prostrate all who are in the heavens and the earth, willingly and unwillingly, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening.*

Transliteration Wa lilla_hi yasjudu man fis sama_wa_ti wal ardi tau'aw wa karhaw wa zila_luhum bil guduwwi wala a_sa_l(i).

13: 16

Yusuf Ali Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "It is Allah." Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with Light?" Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One the Supreme and Irresistible."

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.]]

[[ Ali’s notes - 1824 Notice that the original of what I have translated "whatever being" is the personal pronoun man, not ma. This then refers to beings with a personality, e.g., angels, spirits, human beings, and possibly other things of objective (not necessarily material) existence, as contrasted with their Shadows or Simulacra or Appearances, or Phantasms, mentioned at the end of the verse. Both these Beings and their Shadows are subject to the Will of Allah. See notes 1825 and 1827. (13.15)

1825 "Prostrate themselves": the posture means that they recognise their subjection to Allah's Will and Law, whether they wish it or not. (13.15)

1826 "In spite of themselves": Satan and Evil. They would like to get away from the control of the All-good Allah, but they cannot, and they have to acknowledge His supremacy and lordship over them. (13.15)

1827 Even the Shadows-creations of the Imagination, or projections from other things and dependent on the other things for their existence, as shadows are to substance- even such shadows are subject to Allah's Laws and Will, and cannot arise or have any effect on our minds except by His permission. The Shadows are longest and therefore most prominent when the sun is level, and tend to disappear as the sun approaches the zenith. But even when they are longest and most prominent, they are still subject to Allah's Will and Law. (13.15)

1828 The meaning of "Rabb" is explained in n. 20, to i. 2. (13.16)

1829 Cf. v. 76. (13.16) ]]