Ar-Ra'd 13:36
The Thunder · Juz 13 · Page 254
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَفۡرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعۡضَهُۥۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَعۡبُدَ ٱللَّهَ وَلَآ أُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦٓۚ إِلَيۡهِ أَدۡعُواْ وَإِلَيۡهِ مَـَٔابِ ٣٦
And [the believers among] those to whom We have given the [previous] Scripture rejoice at what has been revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], but among the [opposing] factions are those who deny part of it [i.e., the Qur’ān]. Say, "I have only been commanded to worship Allāh and not associate [anything] with Him. To Him I invite, and to Him is my return."
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Commentary on 13:36–37
The Truthful Ones from among the People of the Scriptures rejoice at what Allah has revealed to Muhammad ﷺ
Allah said,
وَالَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَهُمُ الْكِتَبَ
(Those to whom We have given the Book,) and they adhere by it,
يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
(rejoice at what has been revealed unto you,) i.e. the Qur'an, because they have evidence in their Books affirming the truth of the Qur'an and conveying the good news of its imminent revelation, just as Allah said in another Ayah,
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَهُمُ الْكِتَبَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ
(Those to whom We gave the Book recite it as it should be recited.) 2:121 Allah said,
قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ
(Say: "Believe in it (the Qur'an) or do not believe.") 17:107, until,
إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً
(Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.) 17:109 meaning, Allah's promise to us in our Books to send Muhammad ﷺ is true. It is certain and will surely come to pass and be fulfilled, so all praise to our Lord, how truthful is His promise, all the thanks are due to Him,
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا
(And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility.) 17:109 Allah said next,
وَمِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُ
(but there are among the Ahzab (Confederates) those who reject a part thereof.) meaning, `There are those among the sects who disbelieve in some of what was revealed to you (O Muhammad).' Mujahid said that,
وَمِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ
(but there are among the Ahzab (Confederates)), refers to Jews and Christians,
مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُ
(those who reject a part thereof), meaning, `They reject a part of the truth that came down to you - O Muhammad.' Similar was reported from Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Allah said in similar Ayat,
وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ
(And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah.) 3:199 Allah said next,
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلا أُشْرِكَ بِهِ
(Say: "I am commanded only to worship Allah and not to join partners with Him...") meaning, `I (Muhammad) was sent with the religion of worshipping Allah alone without partners, just as the Messengers before me,
إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُو
(To Him (alone) I call), I call the people to His path,
وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبِ
(and to Him is my return.) final destination and destiny.' Allah said,
وَكَذلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا
(And thus have We sent it (the Qur'an) down to be a judgement of authority in Arabic.) Allah says, `Just as We sent Messengers before you and revealed to them Divine Books from heaven, We sent down to you the Qur'an, a judgement of authority in Arabic, as an honor for you, and We preferred you among all people with this clear, plain and unequivocal Book that,
لاَّ يَأْتِيهِ الْبَطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلاَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
(Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it: (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise.)' 41:42 Allah's statement,
وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم
(Were you to follow their (vain) desires), means, their opinions,
بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ
(after the knowledge which has come to you) from Allah, all praise to Him,
مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ وَاقٍ
(then you will not have any Wali (protector) or defender against Allah.) This part of the Ayah warns people of know- ledge against following the paths of misguid- ance after they had gained knowledge in (and abided by) the Prophetic Sunnah and the path of Muhammad ﷺ, may Allah's best peace and blessings be on him.
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13:35
۞ مَّثَلُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِي وُعِدَ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَۖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ أُكُلُهَا دَآئِمٞ وَظِلُّهَاۚ تِلۡكَ عُقۡبَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَواْۚ وَّعُقۡبَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٱلنَّارُ ٣٥
The example [i.e., description] of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade. That is the consequence for the righteous, and the consequence for the disbelievers is the Fire.
13:36
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَفۡرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعۡضَهُۥۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَعۡبُدَ ٱللَّهَ وَلَآ أُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦٓۚ إِلَيۡهِ أَدۡعُواْ وَإِلَيۡهِ مَـَٔابِ ٣٦
And [the believers among] those to whom We have given the [previous] Scripture rejoice at what has been revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], but among the [opposing] factions are those who deny part of it [i.e., the Qur’ān]. Say, "I have only been commanded to worship Allāh and not associate [anything] with Him. To Him I invite, and to Him is my return."
13:37
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ حُكۡمًا عَرَبِيّٗاۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَآءَهُم بَعۡدَ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا وَاقٖ ٣٧
And thus We have revealed it as an Arabic legislation.1 And if you should follow their inclinations after what has come to you of knowledge, you would not have against Allāh any ally or any protector.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., revealed in the Arabic language. ↩
13:38
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلٗا مِّن قَبۡلِكَ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا وَذُرِّيَّةٗۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأۡتِيَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٖ كِتَابٞ ٣٨
And We have already sent messengers before you and assigned to them wives and descendants. And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allāh. For every term is a decree.
13:39
يَمۡحُواْ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيُثۡبِتُۖ وَعِندَهُۥٓ أُمُّ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ ٣٩
Allāh eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.1
1 translator’s note
- The Preserved Slate (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), in which is inscribed the original of every scripture revealed by Allāh. ↩
13:40
وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِي نَعِدُهُمۡ أَوۡ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ وَعَلَيۡنَا ٱلۡحِسَابُ ٤٠
And whether We show you part of what We promise them or take you in death, upon you is only the [duty of] notification, and upon Us is the account.
13:41
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّا نَأۡتِي ٱلۡأَرۡضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنۡ أَطۡرَافِهَاۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَحۡكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكۡمِهِۦۚ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ٤١
Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders?1 And Allāh decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.
1 translator’s note
- Referring to the spread of Islām through Allāh's Prophet (ﷺ) and the diminishing of those areas controlled by the polytheists. ↩
13:42
وَقَدۡ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَكۡرُ جَمِيعٗاۖ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَكۡسِبُ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖۗ وَسَيَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡكُفَّٰرُ لِمَنۡ عُقۡبَى ٱلدَّارِ ٤٢
And those before them had plotted, but to Allāh belongs the plan entirely. He knows what every soul earns, and the disbelievers will know for whom is the final home.