Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-18 [2], 19-26 [3], 27-31 [4], 32-37 [5], 38-43 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 19-2613. Ar-Ra'd Page 252اَفَمَنْThen is (he) whoیَّعْلَمُknowsاَنَّمَاۤthat whichاُنْزِلَhas been revealedاِلَیْكَto youمِنْfromرَّبِّكَyour Lordالْحَقُّ(is) the truthكَمَنْlike (one) whoهُوَ[he]اَعْمٰی ؕ(is) blindاِنَّمَاOnlyیَتَذَكَّرُpay heedاُولُواmenالْاَلْبَابِۙ(of) understanding الَّذِیْنَThose whoیُوْفُوْنَfulfillبِعَهْدِthe covenantاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ لَاand notیَنْقُضُوْنَthey breakالْمِیْثَاقَۙthe contract وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoیَصِلُوْنَjoinمَاۤwhatاَمَرَ(has been) commandedاللّٰهُ(by) Allahبِهٖۤ[for it]اَنْtoیُّوْصَلَbe joinedوَ یَخْشَوْنَand fearرَبَّهُمْtheir Lordوَ یَخَافُوْنَand are afraidسُوْٓءَ(of) the evilالْحِسَابِؕthe account وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoصَبَرُوا(are) patientابْتِغَآءَseekingوَجْهِ(the) Faceرَبِّهِمْ(of) their Lordوَ اَقَامُواand establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اَنْفَقُوْاand spendمِمَّاfrom whatرَزَقْنٰهُمْWe have provided themسِرًّاsecretlyوَّ عَلَانِیَةًand publiclyوَّ یَدْرَءُوْنَand they repelبِالْحَسَنَةِwith the goodالسَّیِّئَةَthe evilاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseلَهُمْfor themعُقْبَی(is) the final attainmentالدَّارِۙ(of) the Home جَنّٰتُGardensعَدْنٍof Edenیَّدْخُلُوْنَهَاthey will enter themوَ مَنْand whoeverصَلَحَ(were) righteousمِنْamongاٰبَآىِٕهِمْtheir fathersوَ اَزْوَاجِهِمْand their spousesوَ ذُرِّیّٰتِهِمْand their offspringsوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُAnd the Angelsیَدْخُلُوْنَwill enterعَلَیْهِمْupon themمِّنْfromكُلِّeveryبَابٍۚgate سَلٰمٌ(Saying) Peaceعَلَیْكُمْ(be) upon youبِمَاfor whatصَبَرْتُمْyou patiently enduredفَنِعْمَAnd excellentعُقْبَی(is) the final attainmentالدَّارِؕ(of) the Home وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoیَنْقُضُوْنَbreakعَهْدَthe covenantاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمِنْۢfromبَعْدِafterمِیْثَاقِهٖcontracting itوَ یَقْطَعُوْنَand severمَاۤwhatاَمَرَ(has been) commandedاللّٰهُ(by) Allahبِهٖۤfor itاَنْtoیُّوْصَلَbe joinedوَ یُفْسِدُوْنَand spread corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِ ۙthe earthاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseلَهُمُfor themاللَّعْنَةُ(is) the curseوَ لَهُمْand for themسُوْٓءُ(is) an evilالدَّارِ home اَللّٰهُAllahیَبْسُطُextendsالرِّزْقَthe provisionلِمَنْfor whomیَّشَآءُHe willsوَ یَقْدِرُ ؕand restrictsوَ فَرِحُوْاAnd they rejoiceبِالْحَیٰوةِin the lifeالدُّنْیَا ؕ(of) the worldوَ مَاand nothingالْحَیٰوةُ(is) the lifeالدُّنْیَاof the worldفِیin (comparison to)الْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterاِلَّاexceptمَتَاعٌ۠an enjoyment

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Translation of Verse 19-26

(13:19) He who knows that the Book which has been sent to you from your Lord is the Truth, is he like him who is blind to that truth?³⁵ It is only people of understanding who take heed:³⁶

(13:20) those who fulfil their covenant with Allah and do not break their compact after firmly confirming it;³⁷

(13:21) who join together the ties which Allah has bidden to be joined;³⁸ who fear their Lord and dread lest they are subjected to severe reckoning;

(13:22) who are steadfast in seeking the good pleasure of their Lord;³⁹ who establish Prayer and spend both secretly and openly out of the wealth We have provided them, and who ward off evil with good. Theirs shall be the ultimate abode⁴⁰

(13:23) - the Ever-lasting Gardens which they shall enter and so shall the righteous from among their fathers, and their spouses, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate, and say:

(13:24) "Peace be upon you.⁴¹ You merit this reward for your steadfastness." How excellent is the ultimate abode!

(13:25) As for those who break the covenant of Allah after firmly confirming it, who cut asunder the ties that Allah has commanded to be joined, and who create corruption in the land: Allah's curse shall be upon them and theirs shall be a wretched abode (in the Hereafter).

(13:26) Allah grants the provision to whomsoever He wills abundantly and grants others in strict measure.⁴² They exult in the life of the world, although compared with the Hereafter, the life of the world is no more than temporary enjoyment.

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Commentary

35. Obviously the two cannot be alike. Their attitudes in this world were different, and so will be their end in the Hereafter.

36. Those who accept the teachings of God and respond positively to the call of His Messenger are not mentally blind. On the contrary, they are a group of intelligent and perceptive people. As a result, they are characterized by certain outstanding qualities in the life of the world and theirs will be a blissful end in the Next Life. (For this see verses 20-4 below — Ed.)

37. Here reference is made to the primordial covenant which God asked man to make — that he will serve only Him. (For further elaboration of this covenant see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. Ml, al-A‘raf 7, nn. 134-5, pp. 97-101.) Every human being is bound by this covenant. The message of this covenant is innate in human nature. The covenant binds man as soon as he is born both as a result of God’s act of creation and the nurturing and sustenance provided by Him. It cannot be denied that man’s sustenance comes from God. Nor can it be denied that man avails himself of the faculties bestowed upon and the resources granted to him by God. These very facts automatically bind man to the covenant mentioned above, and bind him in a life-long commitment. No sensible person who has any sense of gratitude for all the good done to him by God will willfully break this covenant. All that can happen is an occasional lapse here or another there, and that too undeliberately.

38. The word ‘ties’ here refers to all social and cultural relationships between human beings. As we know, it is only when these relationships are sound and healthy that man’s social life can be truly successful.

39. These are the people who restrain their desires and control their passions and predilections. Such people are not lured by the prospect of material benefits and of the pleasures attendant upon disobedience of God.

Instead, they obey God and cheerfully bear all losses and sufferings resulting from it. Thus, steadfastness or patience is the very core of a true believer's life.

With his eyes focused on God’s good pleasure and the abiding reward of the Hereafter, the believer exercises self-restraint, resolutely encountering the temptation to commit sins.

40. Instead of engaging in evil, the believers ward off evil with good. If they are wronged by others, they do not subject the latter to wrong in return. Even when others lie against them, they still tell the truth about them. No matter how dishonest others might have been in their dealings with them, they remain honest. The conduct of the believers has been aptly portrayed in the following saying of the Prophet (peace be on him): ‘Do not follow the ways of others, saying: ‘‘If others do good, we will also do good to them; but if others wrong us, we will also wrong them.”’ Discipline yourself to a principle. If people do good to you, do good to them; and if they mistreat you, [still] refrain from being unjust (see Al Tirmidhi Abwab al-Birr wa al-Silah, ‘Bab Ma Ja’ fi al-Ihsan wal afw –ED) - - Of similar import is the tradition in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentions that his Lord had enjoined nine commands. Pour of those command, are as follows: ‘That I should speak with justice in anger and happiness; that I should render the right of him who deprives me; that I should give him who denies me; that I should forgive him who wrongs me.’* Another tradition expresses the same idea in another saying of the Prophet (peace be on him): Do not betray him who betrays you.’ (Al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Buya', ‘Bab Ma Ja’ fi al-Nahy li al-Muslim an yadfa‘ ild al-khamr yabi‘uh lah’ — Ed.) ‘Umar has also said something to the same effect: ‘The best way to punish someone who has not behaved towards you in a God-fearing manner is that you behave with him in a God-fearing way.’

41. This does not simply mean that angels will come from all directions to greet them, wishing them peace. It also means that angels will convey the glad tidings to the believers that they had come to an abode where they shall forever enjoy peace. They will be secure against every calamity and suffering, against every toil, fear and danger. (For details see al-Hijr 15, n. 29 below.) *The tradition is not traceable in the major collections of authentic traditions. For the text of the tradition see Ibn al-Athir, Jami‘al-Usul, 12 vols., Cairo, 1949-1955, vol. 12, p. 31 i Ed

42. The background of the verse is that steeped in ignorance, the Makkan unbelievers did not determine the worth of people in consideration of their belief and action. Instead, they judged the excellence of people on the basis of their richness or poverty. They entertained the delusion that anyone who receives means of worldly well-being in abundance is in God’s favor, no matter how deeply immersed he may be in doctrinal error or moral corruption.

On the contrary, anyone who is subjected to miserable conditions of living is disliked by God no matter how righteous he may be. It is for this reason that the unbelievers considered the chiefs of. the Quraysh superior to the poverty stricken Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him). They held up the prosperity of the chiefs as evidence of God’s support of them. In order to remove the misunderstanding, the law governing the distribution of worldly provisions is explained. It is clarified that God’s decision to grant worldly riches is based on a whole host of considerations and the extent of a person’s material fortune is not necessarily the basic indicator of a person’s moral worth in the sight of God. The true basis on which one should judge who is a better person than another is whether he embraces the true world-view and acts righteously or not. As for the utterly ignorant, they use a very simple criterion by which they judge people —- who is rich and who is poor.