Ar-Ra'd 13:41
The Thunder · Juz 13 · Page 254
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. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 13:40–43
In verse وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ (And if We show you some of what We promise them, or We take you back to Us), it is to comfort and assure the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he has been given the good news that the promises Allah has made to him that Islam will have the final victory and disbelief and disbelievers will be disgraced shall come to pass definitely. But, he is told, 'you should not concern yourself as to when this victory will finally come.' May be, this happens within his life time, and it is also possible that it comes after his departure from this mortal world. ` For your peace of heart, even this much is enough that you are continuously witnessing that We are causing the lands of the dis-believers to keep being sliced off their sides,' that is, these sides pass on under Muslim control whereby the land occupied by them keeps reducing in area. This causes well-being for Muslims and a day will come when the final phase of their victory shall stand completed. The command is in the very hands of Allah Ta` ala. There is no one who can avert this command. And He is the One swift at reckoning.
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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.