Overview - Surah 13: ar-Ra`d (The Thunder )
The basic theme of the Surah is divine guidance. Allah has created this whole universe. He knows what is in the wombs and every thing is under His knowledge. He sent His prophets and guides to all people for their guidance and now the Last Messenger has come.
Sections:
- Allah's signs in nature.
- Allah knows everything; the whole universe praises Him. Those who have eyes can see the truth. The truth has an abiding power.
- The faithful and unfaithful, their characters and their ends.
- The comfort of the hearts is in the remembrance of Allah. Those who deny Allah, no signs or miracles can help them.
- People in the past also denied Allah's Prophets and laughed at them, but what were their ends.
- Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The witness is Allah and all those who have the knowledge of the Scriptures of Allah.
The word ar-Ra'd (thunder), which this Surah is named after, is used in the 13th Surah of the Qur'an, in the 13th Juzz and is the 13th Ayat.
This Surah has 43 Ayaat.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 43 |
| Total Words * | 853 |
| Root Words * | 251 |
| Unique Root Words * | 4 |
| Makki / Madani | Madani |
| Chronological Order* | 96th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 13th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
, 2nd Pledge of Aqabah, 1st Pledge of Aqabah, Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
| |
| Events during/after still to occur*
Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
| |
| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
| |
| Surah Index
Adversity (patience during) , God (knows that beyond comprehension) , Angels, Astronomy (celestial mechanics) (solar and lunar orbits), Behaviour (each group given a law and way of life) , Botany, Botany (two sexes to every plant) , Charity, Commandments (general religious) , Disbelievers, Disbelievers (God’s promise to) , Earth, Earth (rotation of) , Hell, Hydrology (scum) , Knowledge (study nature to acquire) , Metallurgy (slag) , Pregnancy, Prophet (those who came before had wives and children) , Qur’an (revealed in Arabic) , Resurrection (of humans) , Revelation, Revelation (every age has had its own) , Weather (lightning) , Weather (lightning) (striking people), Weather (rain) , Weather (thunder)
| |
Theme: Strength and Power of the Truth
The first verse enunciates the main theme of this Surah that is The Message of Muhammad is the very Truth but it is the fault of the people that they are rejecting it. This is the pivot on which the whole Surah turns. This is why it has been shown over and over again in different ways that the basic components of the Message, Monotheism (Tawhid), Resurrection and Prophethood are a reality: therefore they should believe sincerely in these for their own moral and spiritual good. They have been warned that they shall incur their own ruin if they reject them for disbelief (Kufr) by itself is sheer folly and ignorance. Moreover the aim of the Surah is not merely to satisfy the minds but also to appeal to the hearts to accept the Faith. Therefore it does not merely put forward logical arguments in support of the truth of the Message and against the people’s wrong notions. But at appropriate intervals it makes frequent use of sympathetic and earnest appeals to win over their hearts by warning them of the consequences of disbelief and by holding out the happy rewards of Faith so that the foolish people should give up their stubbornness.
Besides this, the objections of the opponents have been answered without any mention of them and those doubts which are proving a hindrance in the way of the Message or were being created by the opponents have been removed. At the same time the Believers; who had been passing through a long and hard ordeal and were feeling tired and waiting anxiously for God’s assistance, have been comforted and filled with hope and courage.
- Interesting note that the word Ra'd (thunder) is used in the 13th Surah in the 13th Juzz and is the 13th Ayat.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
18th Century
18th Century
13th Century AH
13th Century AH
8th Century AH
8th Century AH
19th Century
19th Century
10th Century
10th Century
9th/15th-10th/16th century
9th/15th-10th/16th century
4th/10th Century
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
- The word Ra'd (thunder) is used in the 13th Surah in the 13th Juzz and is the 13th Ayat.
- Words derived from AYN-QA-BA (end, ultimate) appear 9 timers in Surah ar-Ra'd. The highest compared to any other Surah.
- Tranquility of the Heart resides in the remembrance of Allah. الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ "Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (13:28)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 4* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | أ ل ه | 35 | 2851 |
| 2. | ٱلَّذِى | 27 | 1464 |
| 3. | ق و ل | 16 | 1722 |
| 4. | ر ب ب | 13 | 980 |
| 5. | ك ف ر | 11 | 525 |
| 6. | ك ل ل | 10 | 377 |
| 7. | أ ر ض | 10 | 461 |
| 8. | إِلَىٰ | 9 | 742 |
| 9. | ع ق ب | 9 | 80 |
| 10. | ع ل م | 8 | 854 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| أ ل ه | 35 | 2851 |
| ٱلَّذِى | 27 | 1464 |
| ق و ل | 16 | 1722 |
| ر ب ب | 13 | 980 |
| ك ف ر | 11 | 525 |
| ك ل ل | 10 | 377 |
| أ ر ض | 10 | 461 |
| إِلَىٰ | 9 | 742 |
| ع ق ب | 9 | 80 |
| ع ل م | 8 | 854 |
The internal evidence (v. 27-31 and v. 34-48) shows that this Surah was revealed in the last stage of the Mission of the Prophet at Makkah and during the same period in which Surah 7: al-A’raf (The Elevations), Surah 10: Yunus (Jonah) and Surah 11: Hud (Hud) and were sent down.
On the one hand the Prophet’s opponents had been scheming different devices to defeat him and his Mission and on the other his followers had been expressing a desire that by showing a miracle the disbelievers might be brought to the Right Way. In answer, God impressed on the Believers that it is not His way to revert people by this method and that they should not lose heart if He is giving the enemies of the Truth a rope long enough to hang themselves. Otherwise, He is able to show such signs as may bring the dead out of their graves and make them speak (v. 31). But even then these obdurate people will invent an excuse to explain this away. All this decisive evidence clearly proves that this Surah was revealed during the last stage of the Prophet’s Mission at Makkah.
- The Qur’an is the Revelation of God.
- Trees, fruit, and vegetables are among the signs of Allah.
- The consequences shown of previous nations who denied the verses/signs of God.
- The importance of learning the Arabic language as it is the language of the Qur'an (13:37)
- Virtue of the people of intellect, their traits and the reward of those who use their Aql [intellect].
- The Sunnah [laws/patterns] of Allah in dealing with His Messengers.
- Allah never changes the condition of a people unless they are willing to change themselves.
- Those who do not respond to the call of Allah will have no way to escape from the fire of hell.
- It is the remembrance of Allah that provides tranquility to hearts (13:28)
- Messengers have no power to show any miracle except by the permission of Allah.
Tafsir Zone
|
Overview (Verses 3 - 5) Elaborate and Coherent Scenes This inimitable imagery then moves from the heavens to the earth to depict its wider view: “It is He who has spread out the earth and placed upon it firm mountains and rivers, and created on it two sexes of every type of fruit, and caused the night to cover the day. In all these there are signs for people who think.” (Verse 3) The main lines here are the spreading out of the earth so that its expanse comes into view. Whatever its total shape, it is spread out to give the appearance of broadness. This is the first aspect. Then the line of firm mountains is drawn, followed by that of flowing rivers to complete the broad lines of the main view. These are made both parallel and contrasting, for they are complemented with a total picture of what the earth contains and what life in it holds. The first refers to the plants that come out of the earth: ‘It is He who... has created on it two sexes of every type of fruit,’ while the other is represented in the phenomena of night and day: ‘and caused the night to cover the day.’ (Verse 3) The first of these scenes includes a fact that has only recently been fathomed by scientific research. That is that all living creatures, and plants among them, have a male and female. It used to be thought that plants have no male sex, but it was recently discovered that one- sex plants carry the male and female organs within the same flower, or the same stem. This fact increases the effect of the scene as it urges us to contemplate the secrets of the universe after considering only its apparent aspects. The other scene speaks of the succession of night and day, with one overwhelming the other in a never-failing system. This invites us to think more carefully about the laws of nature. The arrival of the night after the departure of the day, and the break of dawn when the night begins to move away are phenomena that we are familiar with. Familiarity may make them less striking, but only a little contemplation is needed for them to appear before us as infinitely marvellous. We only need to feel them as if it were all happening for the first time. Moreover, the very elaborate system that helps all celestial bodies move in their respective orbits, without fail, invites us to think of the power that governs all this and ensures that it continues to function with perfect accuracy. “In all these there are signs for people who think.” (Verse 3) We should pause again here to reflect on the contrasting features in the scene before moving to the next one. There is a contrast for example between the firm mountains that appear well established in their positions, and the flowing rivers; between the male and female in all fruits and trees; between the night and the day; and then between the earth and the sky. These last two scenes complement each other in the overall panoramic view of the universe. As we move along with the sūrah, we see this highly creative paintbrush delivering further detail of the scene of the face of the earth: “And there are on earth adjoining tracts of land; and vineyards, and fields of grains and date palms, growing in clusters or non-clustered. [All] are irrigated by the same water; yet some of them are favoured above others with regard to the food [they provide]. In all this there are signs for people who use their reason.” (Verse 4) Many of us pass by these scenes not looking carefully at what we see, until our souls go back to their nature and re-establish contact with the universe of which they constitute a part. We stand aside to contemplate it before reuniting with it. “And there are on earth adjoining tracts of land,” with different characteristics. Had they been the same, they would have constituted a single piece or tract. But they are ‘tracts’, some of which are fertile and some which are not; some are rocky and some barren. In each type there are grades and colours. Some are built up, while others have subsided; some are cultivated while others abandoned; some are well-watered and others arid, etc. Yet they are all next to each other. Then we are given yet further detail: vineyards, fields of grains and palm trees. They represent three different types of plant: the creeping grape tree, and the high, upright date-palm and the ordinary grain plants, shrubs of beans, roses, etc. The picture is one of immense variety and colour. The date-palms may grow in clusters or stand alone. Some date trees have one stem and others have two or more shooting from a single tree. All these are “irrigated by the same water,” and have the same soil, but the fruits they give taste differently: “Yet some of them are favoured above others with regard to the food they provide.” (Verse 4) Who other than the Creator, the wise planner, can do all this? Who of us has not found different tastes in fruits from the same piece of land? Yet how many have looked at this aspect to which the Qur’ān draws our attention? It is with touches like these that the Qur’ān remains ever new, because it enhances our feelings and the way these are influenced by what we see around us. These are too numerous to be fully contemplated within the lifetime of any one person. In fact they are too many for all mankind to fathom. Hence the Qur’ānic comment: “In all this there are signs for people who use their reason.” (Verse 4) Once more the sūrah draws a contrast between the adjoining tracts of land that differ from one another. The date trees can be single or clustered. Moreover, tastes, plants and fruit are all of a rich variety. The sūrah starts with such panoramic scenes from the vast universe, but then speaks of people who remain uninspired by all these signs around them, visible in every aspect of creation. Their hearts and minds remain oblivious to the fact that behind all these marvels lies the great power of the Creator. This is because their minds are in chains and their hearts bound. They cannot contemplate the vast universal scenes around them: “But if you are amazed, amazing, too, is their saying: ‘What! After we have become dust, shall we be raised [to life] in a new act of creation?’ These are the ones who deny their Lord. They are the ones who carry their own shackles around their necks; and they are the ones who are destined for the fire wherein they will abide.” (Verse 5) It is quite amazing that after all these signs people should wonder: ‘What! After we have become dust, shall we be raised to life in a new act of creation?’ (Verse 5) The One who has created the great universe and manages its affairs in meticulous fashion is certainly able to resurrect human beings in a new act of creation. But such people refuse to believe this, lacking faith in their Lord who created them. What holds them back are the chains and shackles that restrain their hearts and minds. Just as they are shackled in this life, so will they be in the life to come. Their punishment will only be completed when they are thrown in the fire of hell where they will abide for a very long time. They have switched off all the faculties God has given to people and honoured them on their account. They have also accepted a low position in this life. This earns them an even lower life in the hereafter, simply because they have lived their first life making no use of their faculties, feelings and emotions. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
|
|
Overview (Verses 3 - 5) Elaborate and Coherent Scenes This inimitable imagery then moves from the heavens to the earth to depict its wider view: “It is He who has spread out the earth and placed upon it firm mountains and rivers, and created on it two sexes of every type of fruit, and caused the night to cover the day. In all these there are signs for people who think.” (Verse 3) The main lines here are the spreading out of the earth so that its expanse comes into view. Whatever its total shape, it is spread out to give the appearance of broadness. This is the first aspect. Then the line of firm mountains is drawn, followed by that of flowing rivers to complete the broad lines of the main view. These are made both parallel and contrasting, for they are complemented with a total picture of what the earth contains and what life in it holds. The first refers to the plants that come out of the earth: ‘It is He who... has created on it two sexes of every type of fruit,’ while the other is represented in the phenomena of night and day: ‘and caused the night to cover the day.’ (Verse 3) The first of these scenes includes a fact that has only recently been fathomed by scientific research. That is that all living creatures, and plants among them, have a male and female. It used to be thought that plants have no male sex, but it was recently discovered that one- sex plants carry the male and female organs within the same flower, or the same stem. This fact increases the effect of the scene as it urges us to contemplate the secrets of the universe after considering only its apparent aspects. The other scene speaks of the succession of night and day, with one overwhelming the other in a never-failing system. This invites us to think more carefully about the laws of nature. The arrival of the night after the departure of the day, and the break of dawn when the night begins to move away are phenomena that we are familiar with. Familiarity may make them less striking, but only a little contemplation is needed for them to appear before us as infinitely marvellous. We only need to feel them as if it were all happening for the first time. Moreover, the very elaborate system that helps all celestial bodies move in their respective orbits, without fail, invites us to think of the power that governs all this and ensures that it continues to function with perfect accuracy. “In all these there are signs for people who think.” (Verse 3) We should pause again here to reflect on the contrasting features in the scene before moving to the next one. There is a contrast for example between the firm mountains that appear well established in their positions, and the flowing rivers; between the male and female in all fruits and trees; between the night and the day; and then between the earth and the sky. These last two scenes complement each other in the overall panoramic view of the universe. As we move along with the sūrah, we see this highly creative paintbrush delivering further detail of the scene of the face of the earth: “And there are on earth adjoining tracts of land; and vineyards, and fields of grains and date palms, growing in clusters or non-clustered. [All] are irrigated by the same water; yet some of them are favoured above others with regard to the food [they provide]. In all this there are signs for people who use their reason.” (Verse 4) Many of us pass by these scenes not looking carefully at what we see, until our souls go back to their nature and re-establish contact with the universe of which they constitute a part. We stand aside to contemplate it before reuniting with it. “And there are on earth adjoining tracts of land,” with different characteristics. Had they been the same, they would have constituted a single piece or tract. But they are ‘tracts’, some of which are fertile and some which are not; some are rocky and some barren. In each type there are grades and colours. Some are built up, while others have subsided; some are cultivated while others abandoned; some are well-watered and others arid, etc. Yet they are all next to each other. Then we are given yet further detail: vineyards, fields of grains and palm trees. They represent three different types of plant: the creeping grape tree, and the high, upright date-palm and the ordinary grain plants, shrubs of beans, roses, etc. The picture is one of immense variety and colour. The date-palms may grow in clusters or stand alone. Some date trees have one stem and others have two or more shooting from a single tree. All these are “irrigated by the same water,” and have the same soil, but the fruits they give taste differently: “Yet some of them are favoured above others with regard to the food they provide.” (Verse 4) Who other than the Creator, the wise planner, can do all this? Who of us has not found different tastes in fruits from the same piece of land? Yet how many have looked at this aspect to which the Qur’ān draws our attention? It is with touches like these that the Qur’ān remains ever new, because it enhances our feelings and the way these are influenced by what we see around us. These are too numerous to be fully contemplated within the lifetime of any one person. In fact they are too many for all mankind to fathom. Hence the Qur’ānic comment: “In all this there are signs for people who use their reason.” (Verse 4) Once more the sūrah draws a contrast between the adjoining tracts of land that differ from one another. The date trees can be single or clustered. Moreover, tastes, plants and fruit are all of a rich variety. The sūrah starts with such panoramic scenes from the vast universe, but then speaks of people who remain uninspired by all these signs around them, visible in every aspect of creation. Their hearts and minds remain oblivious to the fact that behind all these marvels lies the great power of the Creator. This is because their minds are in chains and their hearts bound. They cannot contemplate the vast universal scenes around them: “But if you are amazed, amazing, too, is their saying: ‘What! After we have become dust, shall we be raised [to life] in a new act of creation?’ These are the ones who deny their Lord. They are the ones who carry their own shackles around their necks; and they are the ones who are destined for the fire wherein they will abide.” (Verse 5) It is quite amazing that after all these signs people should wonder: ‘What! After we have become dust, shall we be raised to life in a new act of creation?’ (Verse 5) The One who has created the great universe and manages its affairs in meticulous fashion is certainly able to resurrect human beings in a new act of creation. But such people refuse to believe this, lacking faith in their Lord who created them. What holds them back are the chains and shackles that restrain their hearts and minds. Just as they are shackled in this life, so will they be in the life to come. Their punishment will only be completed when they are thrown in the fire of hell where they will abide for a very long time. They have switched off all the faculties God has given to people and honoured them on their account. They have also accepted a low position in this life. This earns them an even lower life in the hereafter, simply because they have lived their first life making no use of their faculties, feelings and emotions. |
- Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UalAv_P_A84&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN&index=13
- Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWkT1zeGtGk&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=13
- Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh4wCMHP3Ho&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe&index=13
- Surah Ar-Ra'd Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxzEEvalXQU
- Surah 13.Ar-Ra'd muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V30R2Aqwu8&index=13&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
- Dr Israr Ahmed Tafsir Surah Ra'd (34) to Surah Al Hijr1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roa5zvw4PkA&index=59&list=PLB4B8D1654A8BD263
- Surah Ra'd (34) to Surah Al Hijr2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMg52JQcE5c&index=60&list=PLB4B8D1654A8BD263
