Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:27-31 - Quran Translation Commentary

27. Those who disbelieved say: “Why was not a sign sent down to him from his Lord !⁶⁰ Say: “Verily Allah lets stray whom He will, and guides to Himself who turns to Him in repentance.⁶¹

28. “Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. Lo! In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction!⁶²

²⁹. “Those who believed and performed good acts, for them are greetings⁶³ and an excellent end!”

30. Thus We have sent you amongst a nation, before whom many nations have passed away, so that you might recite to them what We have revealed to you⁶⁴ while they disbelieve in Rahman (Most Gracious).⁶⁵ Say: “He is my Lord, there is no God but He. In Him I put my trust and to Him I turn.

31. And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved, (from their places) or the earth could be torn asunder, or the dead could be speak⁶⁶ (even then they would not have believed, nor is it in your power to do this); nay, but the command of all things is with Allah only⁶⁷ Have not those who believe, knowing that if Allah willed He would have guided all mankind, been disappointed ?⁶⁸ As for those who disbelieve, disaster will not cease to strike them because of what they do, or to descend close to their homes, until the promise of Allah comes to pass.⁶⁹ Verily, Allah never fails in His promise.

Commentary

60. Means perceptible sign, that is a miracle. For further explanation, see Note No.64 and No.65 of Surah An’am.

61. There has been such a collection of signs of being a prophet in the person of Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) that there remained no need of any perceptible miracle. If even after seeing all these signs, those people who still reject him as a prophet and do not accept his message, how can they be guided to find the path of truth. Allah guides only those to the path of truth who turn towards Him and who pray to Him to show the right path.

62. That is: Those who turn to Allah only embrace faith. And when they accept faith, remembrance of Allah brings satisfaction to their hearts, for accepting faith is finding God. When a Momin finds God, he is relieved of all mental tensions and his desires and feelings get aligned to Allah, which creates a state of tranquility and satisfaction in his heart.

This ayat lavishly enriches the people of faith with the spiritual riches. The more a Momin remembers Allah the greater is his spiritual satisfaction and contentment, and this wealth is so enormously satisfying that all the wealth of the world is nothing before it.

63. In this greeting is a world of happiness and fulfilled desires, because this greeting is from Allah, and when a Momin realises this, lie is restless to meet his Creator even before his death.

64. In this ayat a command is given to make the polytheists hear the recitation of Qur’an, which proves that Qur’an is meant to be understood by both Muslims and Non-Muslims. If they do not know Arabic, then they should be made to understand it with the help of its translations.

65. Rejectors of prophethood are in reality deniers of godhood of the Most Gracious (Allah), for if they believe in Allah to be the Most Gracious and the Most Kind, then they should have no wonder or reservation at the coming of the Prophet or the revelation of the Qur’an, thinking that Allah is kind towards His slaves and therefore, has sent down His messenger and message for them, as His blessings.

The description of the Paradise which has been promised to the God-fearing. Underneath it rivers flow, its provision (fruits) are everlasting, so also its shades. This is the end (final destination) of those who fear Allah, and the end of the disbelievers is Fire. (Al- Quran)

66. The answer to this conditional sentence has been omitted, as it is quite obvious. It is a style in Arabic that on such occasions the answer is Omitted and the reader understands the sense of the omitted part. We have put the answer into bracket.

67. It means that if such a Qur’an had been sent down to them as would have caused the movements of the mountains, tearing asunder of the earth and the dead to talk, even these miracles would not have influenced these obstinate people to accept the faith, nay, they would have termed it as magic, etc. Secondly performance of miracles is not within the power of a Prophet, but it is only Allah who has the power to manifest it through His messengers. If He wills He will manifest it through them, if He does not, then no miracle can be shown.

68. On account of the persistent demand of the idolaters for a miracle, some Muslims were thinking that perhaps after the manifestation of a miracle they would embrace Islam. Their wrong impression is being corrected here. They are being told that faith is not dependent on miracle. It depends on intelligence and the inner light (basirat), and those who use their intelligence and inner light, for them Qu’ran is a great miracle by itself. But those who do not use their intelligence and have no inner light, for them even the showing of a miracle would not result in acceptance of faith. Certainly, if Allah wanted, He could have made everyone follow the right path, and since He has not done so and has given men the authority to choose guidance or otherwise. Therefore, how can we expect those who have taken the path of obstinacy to follow the right path after seeing a perceptible miracle?

69. That is: Until the Day of Resurrection one adversity or other would be befalling the disbelievers: sometimes on one nation and at other times on another nation, one time on one township at another time on another township, sometimes in one country and other times in another country , so that they may taste the fruits of their misdeeds in the world itself, and so that they may get a warning. These adversities or disasters can be from natural causes like earthquakes, etc., or inflicted by men, like wars, etc.

In the modern times these disasters are taking place with such rapid regularities that there is not a single day when the news of some small or big disaster is not reported in the papers. Storms, floods, famines, and earthquakes and other such natural disasters and calamities besides them like riots. accidents and warfare have taken a very tragic turn.