Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:32-37 - Quran Translation Commentary

(13:32) Indeed, Messengers were scoffed at before you, but I granted respite to the unbelievers, and then seized them. So (see) how (awesome) was My retribution.

(13:33) Is He then who stands⁶⁵ over every soul for what it earns - while they declare associates to Allah - say, ‘Name them.⁶⁶ Or, will you tell Him what He knows not in the earth? Or, is it (a statement) with apparent words (and no meaning)?’⁶⁷ Rather, decked out fair to the unbelievers is their scheming,⁶⁸ and (so) they are prevented from the Path. And he whom Allah leaves unguided, will not have a guide.

(13:34) For them is a chastisement in the life of this world, but the chastisement of the Hereafter is more severe, and they shall have none to shield them from Allah.

(13:35) The likeness of the Gardens that the godfearing have been promised: beneath which rivers flow.⁶⁹ Its fruits eternal, (and so) its shade. That is the requital of the godfearing. And the requital of the unbelievers is the Fire.

(13:36) Those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been sent down unto you (O Muhammad) while, among the factions there are some who reject a part of it.⁷⁰ Say, ‘I have been ordered that I worship Allah and not associate (aught) with Him. To Him I invite, and to Him is my return.’

(13:37) And, thus We have revealed it as an ordinance⁷¹ in Arabic.⁷² But, if you were to follow their caprices after what has come to you of knowledge,⁷³ then you will have no protector against Allah, nor anyone to shield you.

Commentary

65. The textual word “qa’im” has been explained as, a guard, knowing, watcher, etc. (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

66. Asad remarks: “‘Name them!’ Most of the commentators explain this phrase as an expression of utter contempt for those allegedly ‘divine’ beings, i.e., ‘they are so unreal and meaningless as not to deserve even a name.’”

Further, naming them would immediately demonstrate the hollowness of their claim, since, firstly, they would have to name hundreds, if not thousands, as those “divine” beings to whom they address their prayers and worship, and secondly, the exercise of naming “gods” is so shameful, that they will shy away from the undertaking. Thus, “Name them,” is a pithy, devastating remark (Au.).

67. That is, do you follow and worship other than Allah, by merely following apparent words, without any meaning and substance?

68. Mawdudi renders “makr” as foul contriving and then explains it thus under two notes: “The association of others with God in His divinity by the unbelievers has been branded as a ‘foul contriving.’ For the celestial bodies or angels or spirits or saints which are said to be God’s associates in His attributes, powers and rights, have never made any such claims. They do not ask the unbelievers to worship or bow down before them. It is merely a contriving of some unscrupulous human beings who, in order to establish their own control over ordinary people and usurp their earnings, have invented false gods and have misled people into becoming the devotees of those same false gods. This enables them to exploit the people under the claim that they were authorized representatives of gods.

“Another reason for branding polytheism as a ‘foul contriving’ is that it is an act of self-deception. For it provides one with an opportunity to fully engross oneself in worldliness and in evading moral scruples. It also provides a moral rationale for total permissiveness and licentiousness.

“Such is human nature that when a person prefers a certain course of action, he comes forward with arguments in support of it. He does so in order to satisfy his own conscience as well as to justify his choice to others. He has recourse to a variety of contrived arguments and specious rhetoric with a view to malign and degrade the course he has rejected. It is for this reason that it was pointed out that when the unbelievers made up their minds to deny the truth, in consonance with the law of their nature their ‘foul contriving’ was made attractive to them. It is in this sense that they were barred from finding the right path.”

69. The dwellers of Paradise will be able to make those rivers flow in the direction they wish. The following ahadith may be noted. Said the Prophet:

إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ يَأْكُلُونَ فِيهَا وَيَشْرَبُونَ وَلاَ يَتْفُلُونَ وَلاَ يَبُولُونَ وَلاَ يَتَغَوَّطُونَ وَلاَ يَمْتَخِطُونَ ». قَالُوا فَمَا بَالُ الطَّعَامِ قَالَ: جُشَاءٌ وَرَشْحٌ كَرَشْحِ الْمِسْكِ يُلْهَمُونَ التَّسْبِيحَ وَالتَّحْمِيدَ كَمَا يُلْهَمُونَ النَّفَسَ

“Dwellers of Paradise will eat and drink but will not spit, urinate, relieve themselves, nor will they clear their noses.” They asked him, “So, what would happen to the food?” He said, “Belch and sweating like the exuding of misk. They will be inspired with Allah’s glorification and His praises, like they are inspired with the breathing action (in this life).”

According to a report in the Sahihayn,

خَسَفَتْ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَلَّى قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ رَأَيْنَاكَ تَنَاوَلُ شَيْئًا فِي مَقَامِكَ ثُمَّ رَأَيْنَاكَ تَكَعْكَعْتَ قَالَ إِنِّي أُرِيتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَتَنَاوَلْتُ مِنْهَا عُنْقُودًا وَلَوْ أَخَذْتُهُ لَأَكَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ مَا بَقِيَتْ الدُّنْيَا

During one of those solar eclipses, the Prophet led in Prayers. Those behind him said, “We saw you trying to reach out to something but then you retreated!” He answered, “I was shown Paradise and sought to take a bunch of grapes. Had I taken it, you would have eaten from it the rest of the life of this world.”

And a hadith in Nasa’i and Ahmad says:

عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ أَلَسْتَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ يَأْكُلُونِ فِيهَا وَيَشْرَبُونَ وَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ إِنْ أَقَرَّ لِي بِهَذِهِ خَصَمْتُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَلَى وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ لَيُعْطَى قُوَّةَ مِائَةِ رَجُلٍ فِي الْمَطْعَمِ وَالْمَشْرَبِ وَالشَّهْوَةِ وَالْجِمَاعِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْيَهُودِيُّ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَيَشْرَبُ تَكُونُ لَهُ الْحَاجَةُ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَاجَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ عَرَقٌ يَفِيضُ مِنْ جُلُودِهِمْ مِثْلُ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ فَإِذَا الْبَطْنُ قَدْ ضَمُرَ

A Jew came to the Prophet and said, “O Abul Qasim. Do you claim that the people of Paradise will eat and drink?” (He told his companions, “If he says yes, I will argue him out”). The Prophet replied, “Yes, by Him in whose hand is my life; someone there will be given the strength of a hundred men in matters of food, drink and sex.” The man questioned, “Someone who eats and drinks will obviously need to relieve himself?” He answered, “The relief of one of them will be from a fragrance that will exude from their skins; and lo, the stomach will be relieved” (Ibn Kathir).

Shu`ayb al-Arna’ut declared it as worthy of trust (Au.).

70. There have been two interpretations. One, the allusion by “those who were given the Book,” is to the Companions of the Prophet, and by “the factions who rejected a part of it,” it is the Jews and Christians. This opinion is attributed to Qatadah and Mujahid. A second opinion, attributed to Ibn Zayd is that the allusion by “those who were given the Book” is to the early converts from among the Jews and Christians, while the allusion by “the factions who rejected a part of it” is to those among them who rejected it (Ibn Jarir).

71. The textual word “hukman”, literally meaning “judgment”, has been understood by Zamakhshari as “hikmah” (wisdom). The current translation, “ordinance”, picked up from Asad, seemed more appropriate to this author.

72. Asad explains the connection with the previous verses, “i.e., by compromising with the followers of other creeds who, while accepting some of the fundamental verities of the Qur’an, are unwilling to accept the whole of it.”

73. Arabic, being capable of such rhetoric, richness, subtleties, eloquence and internal organization, deserves to be called the Mother of the Languages, or the Queen of Languages (Shabbir). And, therefore, if it cannot be the universal language, it should be, in the least, the language of the elite of the world, the position once held by Latin. But who will tell them what they miss by not knowing Arabic? (Au.)

Asad writes: “(The Qur’an has been revealed as an Arabic ordinance) .. so as to enable the Arabian Prophet to propound it to the people of his immediate environment and, through them, to the whole world.”