Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd, Ayah 31
| وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ الْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۗ بَلْ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَيْأَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ لَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيبُهُمْ بِمَا صَنَعُوا قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِنْ دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- law 'anna qur'aan(an) suyyirat bi- -hi al- jibaal 'aw qut.t.icat bi- -hi al- 'ard. 'aw kullima bi- -hi al- mawtaa bal li- 'allaah al- 'amr jamec(an) 'a- fa- lam yay'as 'alladhena 'aamano 'an law yashaa' 'allaah la- hadaa an- naas jamec(an) wa- laa yazaal 'alladhena kafaro tus.eb -hum bi- maa s.anaco qaaricah 'aw tah.ull qareb(an) min daar -him h.attaa ya'tiya wacd 'allaah 'inna 'allaah laa yukhlif al- mecaad |
| Pickthall | : | Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move, or the earth to be torn asunder, or the dead to speak, (this Quran would have done so). Nay, but Allah's is the whole command. Do not those who believe know that, had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? As for those who disbelieve, disaster ceaseth not to strike them because of what they do, or it dwelleth near their home until the threat of Allah come to pass. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst. |
| Asad | : | Yet even if [they should listen to] a [divine] discourse by which mountains could be moved, or the earth cleft asunder, or the dead made to speak - [they who are bent on denying the truth would still refuse to believe in it]!54 Nay, but God alone has the power to decide what shall be.55 Have, then, they who have attained to faith not yet come to know that, had God so willed, He would indeed have guided all mankind aright?56 But as for those who are bent on denying the truth - in result of their [evil] deeds, sudden calamities will always befall them or will alight close to their homes;57 [and this will continue] until God's promise [of resurrection] is fulfilled: verily, God never fails to fulfil His promise! |
| Malik | : | Even if there were a Qur'an that could move mountains, cleft the earth asunder or make the dead speak (do you think the result would have been different?) Surely all things are subject to Allah's command. Have not yet the believers been satisfied that if Allah wanted, He would have certainly guided the whole of mankind? As for the unbelievers, the disaster will not cease to afflict them every now and then or to crouch at their very doorsteps because of their misdeeds, until the promise of Allah is fulfilled; surely Allah will not fail His promise. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | If there were a Qur'an with which mountains were moved or the earth were cloven asunder or the dead were made to speak (this would be the one!) But truly the Command is with Allah in things! Do not the Believers know that had Allah (so) willed He could have guided all mankind (to the Right)? But the Unbelievers never will disaster cease to seize them for their (ill) deeds or to settle close to their homes until the Promise of Allah come to pass for verily Allah will not fail in His promise. 1847 1848 |
Note - 54The sentence added by me between brackets corresponds to
the interpretation given to the above passage by Tabari
and also by Az-Zajjaj (as quoted by Razi and - without
the mention of Az-Zajjaj by name - by Baghawi and
Zamakhshari as well); cf. {6:109-111}.
|
Note - 55Lit., "God's alone is all [power of] command": i.e., no
"miraculous sign" can ever convince those whose hearts
God has "sealed" in consequence of their "breaking their
bond with Him" (see surah {2}, notes [7] and [19]).
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Note - 56The meaning is that God grants man the freedom to choose
between right and wrong: "He guides unto Himself all who
turn unto Him" (verse {27} above) and "are true to their
bond with God" (verse {20}); on the other hand, He
withholds His guidance from "the iniquitous, who break
their bond with God" ({2:26-27}). See also the last
sentence of 6:149 and the corresponding note [143].
|
Note - 57Lit., "a sudden calamity (qari'ah) will not cease (la
yazal) to befall them or to alight close to their home".
However, since this phrase connotes repetition and
continuity, the singular form of the noun qari'ah has
here obviously a cumulative sense - namely, an unceasing
succession of social catastrophes, fratricidal wars and
mutual deprivations which, in consequence of their
deliberate disregard of all spiritual values, will
directly befall "those who are bent on denying the truth"
(alladhina kafaru), or will, indirectly, cause them to
suffer by affecting their whole organic environment: and
this, to my mind, is the meaning of the phrase "or will
alight close to their homes". (Cf. in this connection
5:33 and the corresponding notes, especially note
[45].)
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Note - 1847Everything is possible and in Allah's power. His Plan is
beneficient and all-embracing. But it is not for His
creatures to dictate to Him, or demand what He should do,
or how He should do it. The Command is with Allah in all
things. The Believers know His omnipotence, and they also
know that He will order His world for the best.
|
Note - 1848Let not the Unbelievers think that if they seem to
prosper for a time, that is the end of the matter. They
are warned about three things. (1) their ill deeds must
carry evil consequences for them all the time, though
they may not perceive them for a certain time. (2) Their
homes, their places of resort, the circles in which they
move, will also be haunted by their ill deeds and their
consequences. For evil makes a complex of its
environment. The walls of Jericho, when they fall, must
bring down all Jericho in its ruins. (3) The ultimate
Disaster, the final Reckoning, must come, for Allah never
fails in His promise. True values must eventually be
restored: the good to the good, and the evil to the evil,
The Commentators draw illustrations from the life of the
Prophet, his exile from Makkah, and his restoration. A
similar miracle works in all history. But the Command is
with Allah.
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The sentence added by me between brackets corresponds to the interpretation given to the above passage by Tabari and also by Az-Zajjaj (as quoted by Razi and - without the mention of Az-Zajjaj by name - by Baghawi and Zamakhshari as well); cf. {6:109-111}. |
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Lit., "God's alone is all [power of] command": i.e., no "miraculous sign" can ever convince those whose hearts God has "sealed" in consequence of their "breaking their bond with Him" (see surah {2}, notes [7] and [19]). |
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The meaning is that God grants man the freedom to choose between right and wrong: "He guides unto Himself all who turn unto Him" (verse {27} above) and "are true to their bond with God" (verse {20}); on the other hand, He withholds His guidance from "the iniquitous, who break their bond with God" ({2:26-27}). See also the last sentence of 6:149 and the corresponding note [143]. |
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Lit., "a sudden calamity (qari'ah) will not cease (la yazal) to befall them or to alight close to their home". However, since this phrase connotes repetition and continuity, the singular form of the noun qari'ah has here obviously a cumulative sense - namely, an unceasing succession of social catastrophes, fratricidal wars and mutual deprivations which, in consequence of their deliberate disregard of all spiritual values, will directly befall "those who are bent on denying the truth" (alladhina kafaru), or will, indirectly, cause them to suffer by affecting their whole organic environment: and this, to my mind, is the meaning of the phrase "or will alight close to their homes". (Cf. in this connection 5:33 and the corresponding notes, especially note [45].) |
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Everything is possible and in Allah's power. His Plan is beneficient and all-embracing. But it is not for His creatures to dictate to Him, or demand what He should do, or how He should do it. The Command is with Allah in all things. The Believers know His omnipotence, and they also know that He will order His world for the best. |
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Let not the Unbelievers think that if they seem to prosper for a time, that is the end of the matter. They are warned about three things. (1) their ill deeds must carry evil consequences for them all the time, though they may not perceive them for a certain time. (2) Their homes, their places of resort, the circles in which they move, will also be haunted by their ill deeds and their consequences. For evil makes a complex of its environment. The walls of Jericho, when they fall, must bring down all Jericho in its ruins. (3) The ultimate Disaster, the final Reckoning, must come, for Allah never fails in His promise. True values must eventually be restored: the good to the good, and the evil to the evil, The Commentators draw illustrations from the life of the Prophet, his exile from Makkah, and his restoration. A similar miracle works in all history. But the Command is with Allah. |
