Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd

Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra.¹ THESE ARE MESSAGES of revelation:² and what has been bestowed upon thee from on high by thy Sustainer is the truth - yet most people will not believe [in it].³

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II.

Although some commentators are of the opinion that the term kitab ("divine writ" or "revelation") refers here to this particular surah, Ibn'Abbas states emphatically that it denotes the Qur'an as a whole (Baghawi).

This passage connects with the concluding verses (102-111) of the preceding surah, and particularly with verse {103}, all of which stress the divine origin of the Qur'an.

Alif L'am M'im Ra. These are the Verses of the Book; that have been revealed to you, O Muhammad, from your Rabb are the very Truth, but most of the people do not believe in this.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Alif-Lãm-Mĩm-Ra. These are the verses of the Book. What has been revealed to you 'O Prophet' from your Lord is the truth, but most people do not believe.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture. That which is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth, but most of mankind believe not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Alif Lam Mim Ra. These are the Signs (or Verses) of the Book: that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth; but most men believe not. ^{1798 1799}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For abbreviated Letters generally see Appendix 1.

Cf. x. 1, n. 1382.

It is God who has raised the heavens without any supports that you could see, and is established on the throne of His almightiness;⁴ and He [it is who] has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws], each running its course for a term set [by Him].⁵ He governs all that exists. Clearly does He spell out these messages, so that you might be certain in your innermost that you are destined to meet your Sustainer [on Judgment Day].⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation of this phrase, see surah {7}, note [43]. As regards the "raising of the heavens without any supports" visible to man, it should be borne in mind that the noun sama' denotes, primarily, "something that is above [another thing]", and is used - mostly in its plural form samawat - to describe (a) the visible skies (as well as, occasionally, the clouds), (b) the cosmic space in which the stars, the solar systems (including our own) and the galaxies pursue their course. and (c) the abstract concept of the forces emanating from God (since He is, in the metonymical sense of this word, "above" all that exists]. To my mind, it is the second of these three meanings of samawat to which the above verse refers: namely, to the spatial universe in which all aggregations of matter - be they planets, stars, nebulae or galaxies - are, as it were, "suspended" in space within a system of unceasing motion determined by centrifugal forces and mutual, gravitational attraction.

This may refer either to the end of the world as we know it - thus indicating the finality of all creation - or, according to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Baghawi and Razi), to the "mansions" or stages through which the sun and the moon, like all other celestial bodies, move in time as well as in space.

I.e., "so that you might realize that He who has created the universe and governs all that exists is equally able to resurrect the dead, and to judge you in the life to come in accordance with what you did when you were alive on earth".

Allah is the One Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see, then firmly established Himself on the throne of authority and subjected the sun and the moon to His law - each one pursuing its course for an appointed time. He regulates all affairs. He has spelled out His revelations so that you may believe in meeting your Rabb.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is Allah Who has raised the heavens without pillars- as you can see- then established Himself on the Throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting for an appointed term. He conducts the whole affair. He makes the signs clear so that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah it is who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term; He ordereth the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law)! each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate affairs explaining the Signs in detail that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. ^{1800 1801 1802 1803}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Should we construe the clause "that ye can see" to refer to "pillars" or "to the heavens"? Either is admissible, but I prefer the former. The heavens are supported on no pillars that we can see. What we see is the blue vault of heaven, but there are invisible forces or conditions created by Allah, which should impress us with His power and glory.

Cf. x. 3, and n. 1386. We must not think that anything came into being by itself or carries out its functions by itself. Allah is the Creator from Whom everything has its life and being and through Whom everything is maintained and supported, even though fixed laws are established for its regulation and government. The "term appointed" limits the duration of their functioning: its ultimate return is to Allah, as its beginning proceeded from Allah.

Cf. x. 31, n. 1425. Where the laws of nature are fixed, and everything runs according to its appointed course, the government and regulation behind it is still that of Allah. Where there is limited free will as in man, yet the ultimate source of man's faculties is Allah. Allah cares for His creatures. He does not, as in the idea of polytheistic Greece, sit apart on Olympus, careless of His creatures.

One manifestation of His caring for His creatures, even where a limited amount of free-will is granted for their development, is that He is careful to explain His Signs both in nature and in express and detailed revelation through His Messengers, lest man should have any doubts whether he has to return ultimately to his Lord and account for all his actions during the "term appointed," when he was given some initiative by way of trial and preparation. If man attends carefully to the Signs, he should have no doubt whatever.

And it is He who has spread the earth wide and placed on it firm mountains and running waters, and created thereon two sexes of every [kind of] plant;⁷ [and it is He who] causes the night to cover the day. Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who think!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "and out of all [kinds of] fruits He made thereon [i.e., on earth] pairs (zawjayn ithnayn)". The term zawj denotes, according to the context, either "a pair" or "one of a pair". Whenever the dual form zawjan is followed by the additional numerical definition ithnan ("two"), it invariably signifies "a pair comprising both sexes". Thus, the above phrase states that there are two sexes to every kind of plant: a statement fully in accord with botanical science. (Usually. the male and female organs of reproduction exist together in one and the same flower of a particular plant, e.g., cotton; alternatively, they are placed in separate flowers of one and the same plant, e.g., in most of the cucurbitaceae; and, in some rare cases, e.g., the date-palm, in entirely separate, uni-sexual plants of the same species.)

He is the One Who spread out the earth and placed thereon mountains and rivers, created fruits of every kind in pairs, two and two and makes the night cover the day. Certainly in these things there are signs for those who use their common sense.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And He is the One Who spread out the earth and placed firm mountains and rivers upon it, and created fruits of every kind in pairs.¹ He covers the day with night. Surely in this are signs for those who reflect.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Males and females, sweet and bitter, etc.

And He it is who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits be placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And it is He Who spread out the earth and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs two and two: He draweth the Night as a veil o'er the Day. Behold verily in these things there are Signs for those who consider! ^{1804 1805}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I think that this refers to sex in plants, and I see M.P. has translated accordingly. Plants like animals have their reproductive apparatus,-male stamens and female pistils. In most cases the same flower combines both stamens and pistils, but in some cases these organs are specialised in separate flowers, and in some cases, even in separate trees. The date-palm of Arabia and the Papaiya of India, are instances of fruit trees which are uni-sexual.

Cf. vii. 54 and n. 1032. The whole passage there may be compared with the whole passage here. Both their similarity and their variation show how closely reasoned each argument is, with expressions exactly appropriate to each occasion.

And there are on earth [many] tracts of land close by one another [and yet widely differing from one another⁸ ]; and [there are on it] vinyards, end fields of grain, and date-palms growing in clusters from one root or standing alone,⁹ [all] watered with the same water: and yet, some of them have We favoured above others by way of the food [which they provide for man and beast].¹⁰ Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who use their reason!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., regarding the nature of the soil, fertility and kind of vegetation. The necessity of this interpolation - which, in the consensus of all commentators, conveys the meaning of the above phrase - becomes apparent from the subsequent clauses.

Lit., "non-clustered" (ghayr sinwan) - i.e., each tree having separate roots.

Cf. 6:99 and {141}, where a similar stress is laid on the multiformity of plants - and their varying beneficence to man and animal - as some of the signs of God's purposeful, creative activity.

In the earth there are tracts side by side: gardens of grapes, cornfields and palm trees with single and double trunks - they are all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them excel others in taste. Surely in this, there are signs for people who use their common sense.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And on the earth there are 'different' neighbouring tracts, gardens of grapevines, 'various' crops, palm trees- some stemming from the same root, others standing alone. They are all irrigated with the same water, yet We make some taste better than others. Surely in this are signs for those who understand.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And in the Earth are neighboring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And We have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighboring and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn and palm trees growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold verily in these things there are Signs for those who understand! ^{1806 1807}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Does "growing out of single roots or otherwise" qualify "palm trees" or "vines" and "corn" as well? The former construction is adopted by the classical Commentators: in which case the reference is to the fact either that two or more palm trees occasionally grow out of a single root, or that palm trees grow sometimes as odd trees and sometimes in great thick clusters. If the latter construction is adopted, the reference would be to the fact that date-palm (and palms generally) and some other plants arise out of a single tap-root, while the majority of trees arise out of a net-work of roots that spread out extensively. Here is adaptation to soil and water conditions,-another Sign or wonder of Creation.

The date-palm, the crops of food-grains, and the grape-vine are all fed by the same kind of water, yet how different the harvests which they yield! And that applies to all vegetation. The fruit or eatable produce may vary in shape, size, colour, flavour, etc., in endless variety.

BUT IF thou art amazed [at the marvels of God's creation], amazing, too, is their saying, "What! After we have become dust, shall we indeed be [restored to life] in a new act of creation?"¹¹ It is they who [thus show that they] are bent on denying their Sustainer;¹² and it is they who carry the shackles [of their own making] around their necks;¹³ and it is they who are destined for the fire, therein to abide.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., while it is amazing that one can refuse to believe in God despite all the evidence, accessible to human observation, of the existence of a definite purpose in all life-phenomena, and thus of the existence of a conscious Creative Power, it is no less amazing to see people who, while vaguely believing in God, can yet refuse to believe in individual resurrection: for, if God has created the universe and the phenomenon of life as such, He obviously has the power to re-create life - and its requisite physical vehicle - in a new act of creation.

By denying the possibility of resurrection, they implicitly deny God's almightiness, and thus, in effect, His reality.

A metaphor of man's wilful self-abandonment to false values and evil ways, and of the resulting enslavement of the spirit (cf. Zamakhshari, Razi, Baydawi). See also surah {34}, note [44].

Now, if there is anything that feels strange, then strange is their saying: "What! When we will become dust, could we then be raised to a new life again?" They are the people who have denied their Rabb, they are the ones who will have yokes around their necks and they are the ones who will be the inmates of hellfire to live therein forever.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Now,' if anything should amaze you 'O Prophet', then it is their question: 'When we are reduced to dust, will we really be raised as a new creation?' It is they who have disbelieved in their Lord. It is they who will have shackles around their necks. And it is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And if thou wonderest, then wondrous is their saying: When we are dust, are we then forsooth (to be raised) in a new creation? Such are they who disbelieve in their Lord; such have carcans on their necks; such are rightful owners of the Fire, they will abide therein.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If thou dost marvel (at their want of faith) strange is their saying: "When we are (actually) dust shall we indeed then be in a creation renewed?" They are those who deny their Lord! They are those round whose necks will be yokes (of servitude): they will be Companions of the Fire who dwell therein (for aye)! ^{1808 1809}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

After seeing the Signs in nature and the Signs in revelation, it is indeed strange that people should deny their Creator. But if they admit the Signs of the Creator, Who works marvels before their very eyes every day, why should they doubt that when they are reduced to dust, they can be raised up again? If one creation is possible, what difficulty can there be in accepting a renewed creation? It becomes then a question of an obstinate and rebellious will, for which the punishment is described.

Aglal: yokes (of servitude): Cf. vii. 157 and n. 1128. The punishment may be conceived of in two stages: immediately, yokes of servitude to superstition, falsehood, etc., as against the freedom in Faith; and finally, the Fire which burns the very soul.