Surah Ar-Rum 30:41-53 - Quran Translation Commentary

41. Disorder has appeared on land and sea as a result of (the evil) which men’s hands have done, so that He may make them taste (the fruit) of some of their actions that they may return⁷³ (to Him).

42. Say: “Travel in the land and see what was the fate of those who were before them⁷⁴. Most of them were polytheists” ⁷⁵.

43. So set your face towards the right religion before that day arrives that cannot be put off as willed by Allah. On that day mankind will be sundered⁷⁶.

44. Whoever disbelieves on him will be his disbelief, and those who perform righteous acts, are making provision for them selves⁷⁷,

45. That He may reward out of His grace those who believed and perform good acts. Verily He does not like disbelievers⁷⁸.

46. And of His signs is that he sends the winds as bearers of good tidings, so that you may taste of His mercy⁷⁹, and ships may sail at His command, so that you may seek His bounty and render thanks to Him.

47. Verily We sent before you messengers to their own people. They brought them clear signs. Then We punished them who were guilty, and it was incumbent upon Us to help believers⁸⁰.

48. It is Allah who sends the winds and they raise the clouds; then does he spread them in the sky as He wills and break them into fragments until thou you see rain-drops issue from the mid midst thereof; then when He has made them reach such of His servants as He wills be hold they do rejoice.

49. Though before that⁸¹, prior to its being sent down on them, they were despairing⁸².

50. Behold then the signs of Allah’s mercy: how He revives the earth after its death. Verily, He is the reviver of the dead⁸³. And He has power over all things.

51. And if We send a wind (unpropitious), and if they see (their farms) yellow, verily they would still continue in their disbelief ⁸⁴.

52. Verily you cannot make the dead hear you, nor can you make the deaf hear your call, if they have turned their backs⁸⁵ and go away.

53. Nor can you guide the blind out of their error. You cannot make anyone hear except those who believe in Our revelations and are submissive (Muslims)⁸⁶.

Commentary

73. Here ‘Fasad’ means disturbed conditions, which were prevalent in the land and sea. In the region of Arabia the atmosphere was ripe for murder and loot, and between the nearby countries, Iran and Rome, a war was going on. Because of these unsettled conditions, travelling by land or sea was dangerous. Such a situation has been described as there was disorder in the land and sea, and this is declared to be the result of the evil acts of the people, It means that when people disobeyed Allah and adopted a path disobeying him, then there developed a corruption in their morals and conduct. And owing to this corruption people indulged in killing and looting and were ever ready to fight with one another, which resulted in disturbed conditions everywhere, It has thus become clear that on account of the wrong conduct of the people human society is deprived of peace, and Allah makes them suffer punishment at their own hands in the world itself so that after such shocks they may follow the right path and may turn towards Allah.

In the present times disturbed conditions in the world is a common thing. Killings, lootings, riotings and wars have made the world a model of Hell, In the event of war, the seas are also unsafe, and huge steamers are sunk. The fighting does not take place in the land and sea only, but in the air and space also. Hijacking of the airplanes has become an every day affair. Bombings of innocent people is a common occurrence. In other words man has progressed so much that space has also become dangerous, Thus for humanity there is no place of peace either in the land, sea or in the air or space, Everywhere people are tasting the bitter fruit of their own doing.

74. For explanation, please see Surah An’am Note No.20.

75. Means those communities who were subjected to Divine punishment, most of whom were polytheists. Those who believe in monotheism (tawheed) were few and they were saved.

76. That is: People will be separated in various groups according to their creeds.

77. In this way Quran makes every one realise his own responsibility, and this is the most significant characteristic of the Quranic message and the prophetic dawah.

In the present time such a system of presenting the Islamic message has become common that invites the individual to his social responsibility instead of his individual responsibility or rather his responsibility towards himself, and makes him a seeker of salvation of his worldly problems instead of the other-worldly salvation.

78.The most important and the positive aspect of the Day of Resurrection is that Allah should shower His blessings on His good slaves. As for the disbelievers and transgressors, He does not at all like them, and when He does not like them, then why would He bless them with this favours. As they have sown, so they shall reap.

79. That is: of the rain of His mercy, the fruits of His mercy.

80. If people do not recognise their Creator and Master by the signs of winds and such other things, Allah has sent His messengers for the purpose in order to convince them. Then after the manifestation of the Truth fully, those who denied Him and adopted the guilty attitude, were ultimately punished. And when the time of giving them punishment came and they were about to be destroyed, Allah saved the people of faith. It was His help which in the final run appeared in favour of the people of truth. And it was a preplanned decision of Allah that the punishment which would befall the community owing to their denial of the messenger, He will save the people of faith from that punishment, and success will be theirs ultimately.

81. That is: Before the sending of these winds and the raising of these clouds.

82: The system of rainfall invites men to ponder over this phenomenon, and also changes their despair into hope, but the condition of the people is that they neither consider who has created this wonderful system, nor do they thank their Lord for the joy that is theirs after their despair changes into hope.

83. That is: Revival of the dead earth after the rainfall is the manifestation of Allah’s mercy, similarly revival of mankind after their death will be the manifestation of His mercy. This is a hint at the fact that the positive aspect of the second life is in favour of His righteous slaves. Those who had shown their real worth in the worldly life, they will be placed at a higher rank in the second life, and Allah will bless them with His mercy to their hearts’ content. As for the false thing, disbelief, it deserves to be burnt in the fire.

84. In the foregoing the winds bringing mercy was mentioned, here the winds bringing disaster is referred to. If God causes such winds to blow as would be detrimental to the farms and the green plants would wither and become yellow and the whole farm would become a wasteland, then these people would be complaining and would become disbelievers. Their attitude with their Lord is very strange. They do not thank Him for His favours, but for their adversity they deny Him.

85. This has been explained in Surah Naml, Note No.118.

It may be noted that this hadith which is quoted in support of the dead people hearing-that the Prophet had addressed the dead bodies, of the disbelievers lying in the battle field of Badr:

“Did you find the promise of your Lord true? Then said that they are hearing what I am saying.” -(Bukhari-Kitab-ul- Mughazi).

However, the meaning of this hadith is not that which is commonly understood. Accordingly it is narrated in Bukhari itself that Ayesha (R) refuted this and stated:

“The Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, stated: Now they have known what I was saying that it is true Then Ayesha (R) recited this ayah till the last: ................(You cannot make the dead hear)”.

And when the Quran very clearly is stating that you cannot make the dead hear, then every concerned hadith will have to be taken to mean what conforms with the statement of Quran.

86. For explanation, please see Surah Naml, Note No.119.