30. Surah Ar Rum

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَن يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ...

30: 46. Among His Signs is this, that He sends the Winds, as heralds of Glad Tidings,

C3563. The theme of Allah's artistry in the physical and the spiritual world was placed before us above in 30:20-27.

Then, in verse 28-40, we were shown how man and nature were pure as they came out of the hand of Allah, and how we must restore this purity in order to fulfill the Will and Plan of Allah.

Now we are told how the restorative and purifying agencies are sent by Allah Himself, in both the physical and the spiritual world.

...وَلِيُذِيقَكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ...

giving you a taste of His (Grace and) Mercy, --

C3564. Cf. 7:57 and n. 1036 and 25:48 and n. 3104.

...وَلِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ...

that the ships may sail (majestically) by His Command and that ye may seek of His Bounty:

C3565. In the physical world, the winds not only cool and purify the air, and bring the blessings of rain, which fertilizes the soil, but they help international commerce and intercourse among men through sea-ways and now by air-ways.

Those who know how to take advantage of these blessings of Allah prosper and rejoice, while those who ignore or fail to understand these Signs perish in storms.

So in the spiritual world: heralds of glad tidings were sent by Allah in the shape of Messengers: those who profited by their Message prospered and those who ignored or opposed the Clear Signs perished, see next verse.

...وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾

in order that ye may be grateful.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ...

30: 47. We did indeed send, before thee, apostles to their (respective) peoples,

...فَجَاؤُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ...

and they came to them with Clear Signs:

... فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا...

then, to those who transgressed, We meted out Retribution:

...وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾

and it was due from us to aid those who believed.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا...

30: 48. It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds:

C3566. Again the Parable of the Winds is presented from another aspect, both physical and spiritual.

In the physical world, see their play with the Clouds:

how they suck up the moisture from terrestrial water, carry it about in dark clouds as needed, and break it up with rain as needed.

So Allah's wonderful Grace draws up men's spiritual aspirations from the most unlikely places and suspends them as dark mysteries, according to His holy Will and Plan: and when His Message reaches the hearts of men even in the smallest fragments, how its recipients rejoice, even though before it, they were in utter despair!

...فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاء كَيْفَ يَشَاء...

then does He spread them in the sky as He wills,

...وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِ...

and break them into fragments, until thou seest rain-drops issue from the midst thereof:

...فَإِذَا أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ...

then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills,

C3567. See last note.

... إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾

behold, they do rejoice!

وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾

30: 49. Even though, before they received (the rain) -- just before this -- they were dumb with despair!

فَانظُرْ إِلَى آثَارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا...

30: 50. Then contemplate (O man!) the memorials of Allah's Mercy! -- how He gives life to the earth after its death:

C3568. After the two Parables about the purifying action of the Winds and their fertilizing action, we now have the Parable of the earth that dies in winter or drought and lives again in spring or rain, by Allah's Grace:

so in the spiritual sphere, man may be dead and may live again by the Breath of Allah and His Mercy if she will only place himself in Allah's hands.

...إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى...

verily the Same will give life to the men who are dead:

...وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٥٠﴾

for He has power over all things.

Asad’s Version:

(30:46) for among His wonders is this: He sends forth [His messages as He sends forth] the winds that bear glad tidings," so that He might give you a taste of His grace [through life-giving rains], and that ships might sail at His behest, and that you might go about in quest of some of His bounties, and that you might have cause to be grateful.

30;47 And indeed, [O Muhammad, even] before thee did We send forth apostles - each one unto his own people" - and they brought them all evidence of the truth: and then, [by causing the believers to triumph,] We inflicted Our retribution upon those who [deliberately] did evil: for We had willed it upon Ourselves to succour the believers.

(30:48) It is God who sends forth the winds [of hope],"so that they raise a cloud - whereupon He spreads it over the skies as He wills, and causes it to break up so that thou seest rain issue from within it: and as soon as He causes it to fall upon whomever He wills of His servants - lo! they rejoice,

(30:49) even though a short while ago, [just] before it was sent down upon them, they had abandoned all hope!

30:50 Behold, then, [O man,] these signs of God's grace - how He gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless! Verily, this Selfsame [God) is indeed the One that can bring the dead back to life: for He has the power to will anything!