13. Ar-Ra’d/The Thunder

I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah

The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.

13:01
Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra’.
These are the Messages of the Divine Book – The Qur’an.
What is revealed on to you – O The Prophet - from your Rabb - The Lord is the truth.
Yet most people do not believe it to be so.

13:02
It is Allah WHO raised up the celestial realm without any visible support as you can see.
Then, HE established HIMSELF upon the Throne of Almightiness.
And made the sun and the moon subservient to HIS laws, each running its predetermined course until the Last Hour.
Thus, HE directs all matters, distinctly explaining every sign of HIS Almightiness so that you may be convinced of the meeting with your Rabb - The Lord.

13:03
And it is HE WHO spread out the earth, and placed firm mountains upon it, and running
rivers,
and made two of a pair of every fruit/plant-vegetation,
and HE covers up the daytime with the nighttime.
Indeed, these are the wonders of HIS Unique Creative Power for a people who reflect.

13:04
And on the earth, there are tracts of land adjoining one another, and yet different from one another, and
vineyards, and
sown fields, and
date-palms,
growing in clusters from a shared root or not of a shared root,
yet they are all irrigated by the same one water stream.
And yet WE favor some of its fruit in flavor and taste over others.
Surely in that are wonders of HIS Unique Creative Power for a people of understanding.

13:05
And if you wish to be amazed, then even more amazing is the saying of those misguided:
‘Having turned to dust, are we really going to be raised in a new dimension of existence’
upon the Resurrection?

They are the ones who stubbornly disbelieve in their Rabb - The Lord,
so they will be the ones to have the shackles of their own making upon their necks.
And it is they who will be the People of Fire.
They are going to remain therein – never to leave, never to die.

13:06
In sheer mockery, they are asking you to hasten the coming of something evil before the good,
even when there have been examples of punishment before them – so will they not take warning from these?
Indeed your Rabb - The Lord is Full of Forgiveness towards the people, despite their unjust behavior,
just as your Rabb - The Lord is Grievous in Punishment as well.

13:07
And yet those who disbelieve say:
‘If only a miracle was sent down to him by his Rabb - The Lord,’ we would believe!
But you – O The Prophet - are only a warner,
and for every community, there has been a guide and a warner.

13:08
Allah Knows what every female is bearing in her womb,
and in what way the wombs may fall short in gestation, and in what way it may exceed the average period,
for everything with HIM has its precise measure.

13:09
HE is the Knower of whatever is beyond perception, as well as the clearly seen,
HE is the Almighty, HE is the Exalted!

13:10
So it is all the same to HIM whether one of you keeps his thought secret, or makes it public,
and whether he hides his evil in the darkness of night, or goes about it during the broad day
light.

13:11
Every person has angelic-guards following him, both to his front and behind -
watching over him by Allah’s Command.
Indeed, Allah will never change the state of a people unless they change what is within themselves.
And when Allah Wills any evil for a people, there is no turning it back for them -
for they have no one to avert it from them and protect them from HIM.

13:12
It is HE WHO displays before you the lightning flash - arousing fear and hope,
and HE raises up the clouds heavy with rain.

13:13
And thunder glorifies HIM with HIS Praise and so do the angels in awe of HIM.
HE lets loose the thunderbolts to strike through them whoever HE Wills.
Even then it is Allah they stubbornly dispute about -
and HE is Severe in Avenging.

13:14
To call on HIM alone is the true supplication.
As for those who call on other entities apart from HIM, they cannot even respond to them in any way.
Their example is like someone stretching out his palms/hands towards water at the edge of a deep water well hoping that it may reach his mouth, while it would never reach him.
And likewise, the call/prayer of the disbelievers is only going astray.

13:16
Ask them O The Prophet:
‘Who is the Rabb – The Lord Creator and Sustainer of the celestial realm and the terrestrial world?’
They will say:
‘Allah!’
Then ask:
‘Is it even then you take protectors apart from HIM,
such as are powerless even to benefit themselves or harm.’
Also ask:
‘Can a blind man and one who can see be equal?
Or, can the darkness and the light be the same?
Or, have those they ascribe to Allah created a creation like HIS so that the two creations look alike to them?’
Say:
‘Allah is the Creator of everything, all things.
And HE is The One and Only, and The All-Overpowering!’

13:17
HE sends down water from the sky-clouds, which flows through riverbeds/channels according to their capacity, and the flood carries a scum that swells on its surface.
Likewise, a similar kind of scum arises when they smelt metal ores in the fire for making
ornaments, tools, or household utensils.
The scum is all impurities, so it passes away as useless refuse.
This is how Allah sets forth a parable of the truth and the falsehood, i.e., belief and disbelief.
As for the scum, it becomes useless, but as for what benefits the people by way of water and metals remains on the ground.
Likewise, even if falsehood may prevail at certain times, it will eventually vanish. Truth, on the other hand, is established and enduring.
That is how Allah sets forth the parables/precepts of wisdom.

13:18
As for those who respond to the call of their Rabb - The Lord, there will be the good reward for them – Paradise,
but those who do not respond to HIM - even if they were to possess and give as ransom all that is on the earth, and as much more to redeem themselves against the punishment, it would be of no use.

Those – for them will be an awful reckoning.
And their ultimate home will be Hell -
and that is going to be a terrible place!

13:19
Is the one who knows what is being sent down on to you from your Rabb - The Lord is the truth, and so believes in it, like the one who is blind and does not believe it to be so?
No!
It is only those with intellect who take heed,

13:20
a. it is those who fulfill their agreements they make in Allah’s Name, and do not violate
their pledges or religious obligations,

13:21
and it is also those who hold together the ties of kinship that Allah has commanded to
be held together,
and are in awe of their Rabb - The Lord,
and dread the hardship of the awful reckoning,

13:22
and those who persevere, seeking the pleasure of their Rabb - The Lord,
and establish the Salat/Prayers,
and spend on others of whatever WE give them, both secretly and openly,
and they also ward off an evil deed with a good one.
Those - for them will be an awesome end at the heavenly home:

13:23
Gardens of Perpetual Bliss which they will enter together with the righteous from among
their forefathers, and
their spouses, and
their descendants,
with the angels entering upon them through every gate of Gardens of Perpetual Bliss in order to honor them ….

13:24
saying:
‘Peace be upon you for you persevered!’
How marvelous is the reward of the Home of Perpetual Bliss!

13:25
As for those who violate agreements made in Allah’s Name after validating it,
and sever the ties of kinship which Allah has commanded to be joined,
and spread religious, social, and moral corruption and chaos in the land,
those – upon them will be the curse, and
for them is going to be an Awful Home - the Hell.

13:26
Allah enlarges HIS Grace to whoever HE Wills and restricts it to whoever HE Wills.
And they - who are given abundance – find joy in the life of this world -

even though the life of this world is nothing but a brief enjoyment as compared to the Hereafter.

13:27
And those who disbelieve say:
‘Why has no a miracle been sent down on him – The Prophet - by his Rabb - The Lord!’
Say:
‘Allah lets go astray whoever wills to go astray, and
HE guides HIMSELF whoever turns to HIM for guidance.

13:28
Those are the ones who believe, and whose hearts feel peace at the Remembrance of Allah:
surely, there is peace of hearts at the Remembrance of Allah!’

13:29
Those who believe and whose hearts feel peace at the Remembrance of Allah
and practice righteousness –
for them will be a good news - joy and happiness in this life,
and an excellent place to return to Paradise.

13:30
And so WE have assigned you O The Prophet as OUR Messenger to a community of disbelievers - before whom other communities have passed away,
so that you may recite to them of what WE are revealing on to you of The Qur’an.
Whereas in their ignorance they disbelieve in The Immensely Merciful.
Tell them:
The Immensely Merciful is my Rabb - The Lord.
There is no entity of worship apart from HIM.
In HIM I trust, and to HIM is my return.’

13:31
If only it had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved or the earth could be split open, or the dead could be spoken to!
It would have been this one – but they would still not believe it.
It is not in your domain to bring to them miracles.
Instead, the authority to make these miracles belongs to Allah alone.
Is that those who believe have still not given up the expectation of faith of the disbelievers even after knowing that if Allah had so willed, HE could have guided all mankind aright without the need for any miracle?
And yet those who disbelieve calamities and catastrophes continue to befall them endlessly for what they keep doing,
or descend close to their homes till Allah’s Promise is fulfilled.
Surely Allah does not break HIS Promise.

13:32
And, indeed, Messengers were mocked at before you, O The Prophet, in the same way, that you are being mocked,
but initially, I gave time to those who disbelieved and mocked,
and then I seized them with a terrible punishment.
So how awful was MY Punishment then!?

13:33
Is HE, then, WHO watches every person, noting all that he earns the same as those who have control over nothing?
No!
And yet they ascribe other entities to Allah.
Say:
‘Name them - list the entities you worship – for HIM!
Or will you inform HIM of these names that HE does not Know already on the earth, or you
just play with words that have no real significance?’
Rather, their own cunning is made to look good to those who disbelieve,
so that they are held back from the Path of Righteousness.
And whoever Allah lets go astray and deprives him of guidance – for him there can be no guide.

13:34
For them is going to be suffering in this world;
yet their suffering of the Hereafter is going to be far more severe and painful.
And they will have no one to save or defend them from Allah’s Judgment/Punishment.

13:35
The likeness of the Paradise promised to the pious and devout, is of a garden:
through which rivers flow,
with never perishing provisions, and
its everlasting shade.
This will be the reward of those who are pious and devout,
just as the reward of the disbelievers will be the Fire.

13:36
And those to whom WE have given this Book are happy in what has been revealed on to you O The Prophet,
yet some groups from other creeds – Jews, Christians, and pagans - deny parts of it.
Tell them:
‘I am commanded to submit to Allah in worship,
and never to ascribe any entity to HIM in worship.
And to HIM I call for guidance, and to HIM is my return.’

13:37
Thus WE have sent it - The Qur’an - as a Code of Law in Arabic.
But if you were to follow their desires after what has now come to you of the Knowledge
- the Qur’an,
then you will not have any protector or defender against Allah to ward off His Punishment.

13:38
And, indeed, WE assigned Messengers before you – O The Prophet,
and like every other man WE gave them wives and children – as you are given too,
but it was never for any Messenger to bring a miracle as a sign of his being a Messenger
except by Allah’s authorization.
For every matter there is a Divine Decree.

13:39
Allah erases what HE Wills, and HE ratifies whatever HE Wills.
And with HIM is the Mother of the Book.

13:40
And whether WE let you – O The Prophet - see the fulfillment of some of what WE have promised them,
or WE make you die before its fulfillment;
in any case, you are not accountable for them.
Your mission is only to convey the Message.
And it is for US to call them to account.

13:41
Do they not see how WE gradually reduce the land over which they hold influence from all sides?
It is for Allah to decide who will prevail ultimately,
and there is no one to reverse HIS Decision.
And HE is Swift at settling accounts.

13:42
It is a fact that those before them had also plotted against their Prophets just as their descendants do now,
but all scheming is Allah’s - WHO brings them to nothing and enforces HIS own Will.
HE knows what every person earns by his motives and deeds.
And soon the disbelievers will know in whose favor will the decision of the final abode be.

13:43
And those who disbelieve say to you:
‘You are not a Messenger’ assigned by Allah.
Tell them:
‘Allah is Sufficient as a Witness between me and you to the truthfulness of my Mission,
and so is the one who has knowledge of the Book.