Ar-Ra'd 13:40
The Thunder · Juz 13 · Page 254
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.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 13:40–41
Punishment is by Allah, and the Messenger's Job is only to convey the Message
Allah said to His Messenger ,
وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ
`(Whether We show you) O Muhammad, part of the disgrace and humiliation We have promised your enemies in this life,
أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ
(or cause you to die) before that,
فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَغُ
(your duty is only to convey We have only sent you to convey to them Allah's Message, and by doing so, you will have fulfilled the mission that was ordained on you,
وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ
(and on Us is the reckoning), their reckoning and recompense is on Us.' Allah said in similar Ayat,
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُسَيْطِرٍ - إِلاَّ مَن تَوَلَّى وَكَفَرَ - فَيْعَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّكْبَرَ - إِنَّ إِلَيْنَآ إِيَابَهُمْ - ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُمْ
(So remind them - you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them - Save the one who turns away and disbelieves. Then Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment. Verily, to Us will be their return, Then verily, for Us will be their reckoning.)88:21-26 Allah said next,
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّا نَأْتِى الاٌّرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا
(See they not that We gradually reduce the land from its outlying borders.) Ibn `Abbas commented, "See they not that We are granting land after land to Muhammad ﷺ" Al-Hasan and Ad-Dahhak commented that this Ayah refers to Muslims gaining the upper hand over idolators, just as Allah said in another Ayah,
وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِّنَ الْقُرَى
(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you.) 46:27
Page 254
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.