Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:38-43 - Quran Translation Commentary

38. And verily We had sent messengers before you, and had provided for them wives off spring ,⁸⁵ and it was not (possible) for a messenger to bring forth a sign, except with the permission of Allah. For every period there is a book⁸⁶ (decree).

39. Allah effaces what He wills and confirms⁸⁷ (what He wills) and with Him is the Ummul Kitab⁸⁸ (Mother of the Book).

40. And whether. We let you see some part of what We had promised them, or (before that happening) cause you to die.⁸⁹ Your duty is to convey (the message), and on us is the reckoning.

41. Do they not see how We advance in the land, reducing its borders?⁹⁰ And (when) Allah commands, there is none to put back His command, and He is swift at reckoning.

42.And those who were before them had (also) plotted, but Allah is the master of all planning. He knows what every soul earns, and soon the disbelievers will know for whom is the Home of Hereafter.

43. And the disbelievers say that you are not a messenger (from Allah). Say: “Allah is sufficient witness between me and you, and also those with whom is the knowledge of the Book.”⁹¹

Commentary

85. This is a reply to the objection of the detractors that how can this man, being a Prophet, have wives and children. They thought that a prophet should be above the necessities of manhood or human needs. The reply is that the messengers who were sent earlier were also men and they had all the needs of a man. It is not against the dignity of a prophet to be a man.

86. That is: In the age in which Allah sent down a prophet, He sent down His signs which were suitable to that age, and which were the proofs of the prophet’s being Allah’s messenger. The manifestation of these signs occurred in accordance with the wise decision which He had taken for that age. And all these decisions for every age are significant like a written decree (Book).

It means that the age of Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is different from the past ages, therefore, to demand a perceptible miracle from him as was done in the past is not right. In the times of Moosa (Alaihis-salam) magic was rampant, so he was given the miracle of converting his staff into a python, so that it may be victorious over the magic and may prove his prophethood.

Similarly, in the times of Prophet Eesa, medical practice had taken large strides, therefore, he was given the miracle of curing the blind and the leper. The age of Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) was the age of elegant speech and literary excellence, therefore, he was given such an excellent literary masterpiece that the great poets and the literary giants of the period had to admit its superiority. Besides, the Arabian Prophet’s age extends to the end of the world, therefore, only a miracle which could remain permanent would only have been suitable. Such a miracle should be able to be seen by the people of the subsequent ages also. Accordingly, Qur’an is a miracle that will last forever. For this period this only is the decision of Allah, which has the authority of a written decree.

87. In view of what has been stated in the foregoing ayah in connection with the sign (miracle), the meaning of this ayah is: Allah makes a sign (miracle) temporary, if He pleases, and He makes it permanent as and if He pleases. The miracles which were given to the earlier prophets, were time-bound and temporary, but the miracle in the form of Qur’an which has been given to Prophet Muhammad is a miracle which is living and will abide till the end of the world.

88. That is: He has that Book in which all the decisions of Allah are written. What prophet should be given which miracle in which age is a decided thing, which is written in the Ummul Kitab. It means that there is a decided scheme of Allah about sending down of the messengers and about the performance of miracles by them, which is with Him in an orderly way, and events occur as mentioned therein. Therefore, instead of demanding absurd things, contemplate over this scheme and the wisdom according to which the Prophet has been sent down.

89. This has been explained in Note No.75, Surah Yunus.

90. The influence of Islam is increasing in places around Makkah, Madina, etc., and the number of persons embracing Islam in various tribes is increasing. It is a sign of the fact that Islam is advancing towards victory, and the land of Makkah is becoming more and more harrow day by day for the disbelievers and the polytheists, This prophecy of Qur’an proved to be true, and within a few years Islam not only came to power in Madina but also conquered Makkah and spread over the whole of Arabia.

91. Means those persons from the people of the Book who had the knowledge of the Divine Scripture, and were truth loving. Their witness in support of the prophethood of Muhammad has been presented because the prophecies which were made in the earlier divine scriptures about the coming of a prophet were seen to be most appropriately fitting to him, and his dawah was exactly the same which the earlier prophets had been making. Therefore, from amongst the Christians, the embracing of Islam by the king of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), Najashi (Negus) was quite significant. Since the polytheists of Makkah were ignorant of what prophet hood is and the people of the Book knew that, the polytheists of Makkah were asked to find out from the people of the Book that previously also Divine messengers had been coming or not and whether they were men or something else.