ظَهَرَ Has appeared الْفَسَادُ the corruption فِی in الْبَرِّ the land وَ الْبَحْرِ and the sea بِمَا for what كَسَبَتْ have earned اَیْدِی (the) hands النَّاسِ (of) people لِیُذِیْقَهُمْ so that He may let them taste بَعْضَ a part الَّذِیْ (of) that which عَمِلُوْا they have done لَعَلَّهُمْ so that they may یَرْجِعُوْنَ return 30. Ar-Rum Page 409 قُلْ Say سِیْرُوْا Travel فِی in الْاَرْضِ the earth فَانْظُرُوْا and see كَیْفَ how كَانَ was عَاقِبَةُ (the) end الَّذِیْنَ (of) those who مِنْ (were) before قَبْلُ ؕ (were) before كَانَ Most of them were اَكْثَرُهُمْ Most of them were مُّشْرِكِیْنَ polytheists فَاَقِمْ So set وَجْهَكَ your face لِلدِّیْنِ to the religion الْقَیِّمِ right مِنْ before قَبْلِ before اَنْ [that] یَّاْتِیَ comes یَوْمٌ a Day لَّا not مَرَدَّ (can be) averted لَهٗ [it] مِنَ from اللّٰهِ Allah یَوْمَىِٕذٍ That Day یَّصَّدَّعُوْنَ they will be divided مَنْ Whoever كَفَرَ disbelieves فَعَلَیْهِ then against him كُفْرُهٗ ۚ (is) his disbelief وَ مَنْ And whoever عَمِلَ does صَالِحًا righteousness فَلِاَنْفُسِهِمْ then for themselves یَمْهَدُوْنَۙ they are preparing لِیَجْزِیَ That He may reward الَّذِیْنَ those who اٰمَنُوْا believe وَ عَمِلُوا and do الصَّلِحٰتِ righteous deeds مِنْ (out) of فَضْلِهٖ ؕ His Bounty اِنَّهٗ Indeed He لَا (does) not یُحِبُّ like الْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers وَ مِنْ And among اٰیٰتِهٖۤ His Signs اَنْ (is) that یُّرْسِلَ He sends الرِّیَاحَ the winds مُبَشِّرٰتٍ (as) bearers of glad tidings وَّ لِیُذِیْقَكُمْ and to let you taste مِّنْ of رَّحْمَتِهٖ His Mercy وَ لِتَجْرِیَ and that may sail الْفُلْكُ the ships بِاَمْرِهٖ at His Command وَ لِتَبْتَغُوْا and that you may seek مِنْ of فَضْلِهٖ His Bounty وَ لَعَلَّكُمْ and that you may تَشْكُرُوْنَ be grateful وَ لَقَدْ And verily اَرْسَلْنَا We sent مِنْ before you قَبْلِكَ before you رُسُلًا Messengers اِلٰى to قَوْمِهِمْ their people فَجَآءُوْهُمْ and they came to them بِالْبَیِّنٰتِ with clear proofs فَانْتَقَمْنَا then We took retribution مِنَ from الَّذِیْنَ those who اَجْرَمُوْا ؕ committed crimes وَ كَانَ And it was حَقًّا incumbent عَلَیْنَا upon Us نَصْرُ (to) help الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers اَللّٰهُ Allah الَّذِیْ (is) the One Who یُرْسِلُ sends الرِّیٰحَ the winds فَتُثِیْرُ so they raise سَحَابًا (the) clouds فَیَبْسُطُهٗ then He spreads them فِی in السَّمَآءِ the sky كَیْفَ how یَشَآءُ He wills وَ یَجْعَلُهٗ and He makes them كِسَفًا fragments فَتَرَی so you see الْوَدْقَ the rain یَخْرُجُ coming forth مِنْ from خِلٰلِهٖ ۚ their midst فَاِذَاۤ Then when اَصَابَ He causes it to fall on بِهٖ He causes it to fall on مَنْ whom یَّشَآءُ He wills مِنْ of عِبَادِهٖۤ His slaves اِذَا behold هُمْ They یَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَۚ rejoice وَ اِنْ And certainly كَانُوْا they were مِنْ before قَبْلِ before اَنْ [that] یُّنَزَّلَ it was sent down عَلَیْهِمْ upon them مِّنْ [before it] قَبْلِهٖ [before it] لَمُبْلِسِیْنَ surely in despair فَانْظُرْ So look اِلٰۤی at اٰثٰرِ (the) effects رَحْمَتِ (of the) Mercy اللّٰهِ (of) Allah كَیْفَ how یُحْیِ He gives life الْاَرْضَ (to) the earth بَعْدَ after مَوْتِهَا ؕ its death اِنَّ Indeed ذٰلِكَ that لَمُحْیِ surely He (will) give life الْمَوْتٰى ۚ (to) the dead وَ هُوَ And He عَلٰى (is) on كُلِّ every شَیْءٍ thing قَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful 30. Ar-Rum Page 410 وَ لَىِٕنْ But if اَرْسَلْنَا We sent رِیْحًا a wind فَرَاَوْهُ and they see it مُصْفَرًّا turn yellow لَّظَلُّوْا certainly they continue مِنْۢ after it بَعْدِهٖ after it یَكْفُرُوْنَ (in) disbelief فَاِنَّكَ So indeed, you لَا (can) not تُسْمِعُ make the dead hear الْمَوْتٰى make the dead hear وَ لَا and not تُسْمِعُ make the deaf hear الصُّمَّ make the deaf hear الدُّعَآءَ the call اِذَا when وَلَّوْا they turn مُدْبِرِیْنَ retreating وَ مَاۤ And not اَنْتَ you بِهٰدِ can guide الْعُمْیِ the blind عَنْ from ضَلٰلَتِهِمْ ؕ their error اِنْ Not تُسْمِعُ you can make hear اِلَّا except مَنْ (those) who یُّؤْمِنُ believe بِاٰیٰتِنَا in Our Verses فَهُمْ so they مُّسْلِمُوْنَ۠ surrender
(30:41) Evil has become rife on the land and at sea because of men's deeds; this in order that He may cause them to have a taste of some of their deeds; perhaps they will turn back (from evil).64
(30:42) (O Prophet), say: “Traverse in the earth and see what was the end of those who went before you: most of them associated others with Allah in His Divinity.”65
(30:43) So turn your face exclusively towards the True Faith before there comes the Day whose coming from Allah cannot be averted,66 the Day when people will split into groups.
(30:44) He who disbelieves will suffer the consequence of it67 and he who acts righteously, they will pave the way for their own good
(30:45) so that Allah may, out of His Bounty, reward those who believe and act righteously. Verily He does not love the unbelievers.
(30:46) And of His Signs is that He sends winds to herald good tidings68 and that He may give you a taste of His Mercy, and that ships may sail at His bidding,69 and you may seek His Bounty70 and give thanks to Him.
(30:47) We sent Messengers before you to their respective nations, and they brought Clear Signs71 to them. Then We took vengeance upon those who acted wickedly.72 It was incumbent on Us to come to the aid of the believers.
(30:48) Allah sends the winds that stir up clouds and then He spreads them in the sky as He pleases and splits them into different fragments, whereafter you see drops of rain pouring down from them. He then causes the rain to fall on whomsoever of His servants He pleases, and lo, they rejoice at it,
(30:49) although before that they were given to despair.
(30:50) See, then, the tokens of Allah's Mercy: how He revives the earth after it is dead.73 Verily He is the One Who will revive the dead. He has power over everything.
(30:51) But if We were to send a wind and then their tilth has become yellow,74 they would never cease to disbelieve.75
(30:52) (O Prophet), you cannot make the dead hear,76 nor can you make the deaf hear your call when they turn back in retreat,77
(30:53) nor can you guide the blind out of their error.78 You can make none hear (your call) except those who believe in Our Signs and have surrendered themselves (to Him).
64. This again refers to the war then raging between the Romans and the Persians which had enveloped the whole of the Middle East region.
The word “deeds” in this verse signifies the wickedness and profligacy, and the injustice and tyranny which necessarily characterize the conduct of those who succumb to polytheism or atheism and who disregard the Hereafter. The verse says that “perhaps they will turn back (from evil)”. The reason for so saying is that God makes people see the evil consequences of some, though not of all their deeds before they are face to face with the chastisement of the Hereafter. God does so in order that they might perceive the Truth, realize the falsity of their erroneous notions, and turn to true beliefs. It is to these beliefs that God’s Prophets have always summoned mankind and they alone provide the right foundation for-human character and conduct. This theme occurs in the Qur’an at several places. See, for instance, al-Tawbah 9:126; al-Ra‘d 13:21; al-Sajdah 32:21 and al-Tar 52:47.
65. There was nothing unusual about the devastating war that was then raging between the Romans and the Persians. The history of ancient nations is replete with wars that left behind a tragic trail of devastation.
The root of the evils that destroyed these earlier nations was polytheism and it is precisely this evil that people were being asked to abandon.
66. There is no way to avert the Day of Judgement: neither God Himself will avert it nor has He left any possibility for anyone else to do so.
67. This pithy observation encompasses all the harms that the unbelievers incur owing to their unbelief. No list of such harms, howsoever elaborate, can be as comprehensive as that embodied here in these few words.
68. That is, to herald the good tidings of rainfall.
69. Mention is made here of other kinds of winds, those that make it’ possible for vessels to sail on water. In the past, the sailing of boats and ships depended largely on favorable winds. As for unfavorable winds, they could be precursors of doom. After mentioning God’s bounty of rainfall, reference is made here to the winds that help vessels to sail on water as a special favor from God.
70. To “seek His Bounty” here signifies undertaking trade voyages.
71. There is a wide variety of God’s Signs. One of these Signs is that which is interspersed throughout the Universe and which man witnesses during his life; namely the movement of winds mentioned in the preceding verse. There are also other kinds of Signs that pertain to the Prophets: the miracles they performed, the Scriptures they brought, the excellence which characterized their character and conduct, and the wholesome, life-giving impact that they had on human life and society.
Signs of both kinds emphasize the truth of monotheism which the Prophets taught mankind. Each of the two kinds of Signs reinforces the other. The Signs visible in the Universe testify, on the one hand, to the truth of the teachings of the Prophets. On the other hand, the Signs brought along by the Prophets further elucidate the truth indicated by God's Signs in the Universe.
72. The unbelievers are blind to both sets of Signs. They adamantly persist in rejecting monotheism and continue their insurgence against God.
73. Significantly, Prophets and rainfall are mentioned here together.
This subtly alludes to the fact that the advent of Prophets is a blessing - for man’s moral life in much the same way that rainfall is a blessing for his material life. Rainfall instantly revives dead land, causing luxuriant vegetation. In like manner, the revelation sent down from on high revives man’s moral and spiritual life as a result of which new life begins to blossom. This manifests itself in the new heights of moral and spiritual excellence that human beings achieve. It is unfortunate that the unbelievers do not give thanks to God for this great favor of His. Rather than look upon revelation as a blessing, they consider it a message of doom.
74. That is, after the cultivated fields become green in the wake. of rainfall, it is possible that fiery or frosty winds might begin to blow, devastating the entire harvest.
75. When faced with adversity, the unbelievers tend to curse God, blaming Him for inflicting a host of sufferings upon them. This, despite the fact that when God lavished. His favors upon them, they scarcely appreciated those favors and failed to give thanks to Him. Here again there is a subtle allusion to the fact that when God’s Messengers bring His message of mercy, people tend to spurn it. Thereupon God punishes these ungrateful people for their unbelief by imposing tyrants and oppressors upon them who crush and violate their dignity. Strangely, those people react to this by blasphemously reviling God for creating a world so full of wrong and injustice.
76. The word “dead” in this context signifies those whose conscience and moral sense have become totally extinct. These are the ones whose all-out immersion in carnal desires and whose adamancy and obstinacy have altogether deprived them of the capacity to comprehend and accept the Truth.
77. The word “deaf” here signifies those who have sealed their hearts as a result of which they are deaf to the call of the Truth even though their physical faculty of hearing might be fully intact. No sooner do such people hear the Truth than they, clog their ears, and no sooner do they spot any exponent of the Truth than they flee. How can anyone make such people heed the Truth?
78. Itis none of a Prophet's responsibility to take hold of the blind by their hands and guide them throughout their life along the right way. All he can do is to direct such people to the right way. But how can they be of any help to those who have become altogether blind to the way that the Prophets seek to direct them to?