Indexed OCR Text

207
Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 18 - 24
gathering. It was only by chance that, at the time he was entering the
Masjid, the words: 'Sit down' happened to have been uttered by the Holy
Prophet E as part of his address. Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Masud 4
knew that this never meant that anyone, no matter where, should sit
down on the street, passage way, or a spot not suitable for the purpose.
But, such was his passion for obedience that it did not allow him to take
even one step forward from outside the Masjid gate where he was. Just
as these words of his master struck his ears, he sat down right there.
The third attribute of the obedient servants of Allah Ta'ala stated
here is: ◌َوَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهْ أَنْ يُوُصَل (and those who maintain the relations
Allah has commanded to be maintained). According to the well-known ex-
planation of this verse, it means that these people maintain relation-
ships and keep doing what needs to be done in this matter as com-
manded by Allah Ta'ala. Some commentators have explained it by say-
ing that these people conjoin righteous deeds with faith, or synchronize
their initial faith in the Holy Prophet
and the Qur'an with faith in
past prophets and their books.
The fourth attribute has been identified as:ْوَيَخُشَوُنَ رَبَّهُم (and fear their
Lord). The use of the word: " (khashyah) rather than ~ (khawf) in-
dicates that their 'fear' of Allah is not the kind of fear one naturally has
when facing some beast or dangerous man. Instead of that, this fear is
like the habitual fear children have of their parents, and students of
their teacher, for that is no fear of being harmed or hurt by them. In-
stead, such fear is grounded in love and esteem because of which one ap-
prehends lest something said or done may become displeasing and repug-
nant in the sight of Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, whenever the fear of Allah
finds mention in an occasion of praise and glorification, generally the
word used there is Khashyah because Khashyah is the name of the fear
which emerges out of love and esteem. Therefore, in the next sentence,
where the fear of strict reckoning has been mentioned, the word used is
not Khashyah, instead the word used there is fear as such. It was said:
'and they are frightful of evil reckoning). 'Evil reckoning) وَيَخَافُوُنَ سُوِّءَ الْحِسَابِ
denotes reckoning which is strict and minute. Sayyidah 'A'ishah Ul se,
Que has said: It is Divine Mercy alone which can bring salvation for
human beings when things are forgone and forgiven summarily at the
time the reckoning of deeds takes place. Otherwise, anyone who is made

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 18 - 24
to account for everything said and done, cannot escape from punishment.
It is virtually impossible because who is there to claim that he or she has
never made a mistake or committed a sin? So, this fear of having to face
strict reckoning of deeds is the fifth attribute of righteous and obedient
people.
The sixth attribute has been stated as: ◌ْوَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا اسْتِغَاءَ وَجُهِ رَبّهم (and
those who observe patience in order to seek the pleasure of their Lord).
The meaning of: . (Sabr) in the Arabic language is fairly general as
compared with the sense which has become popular in the Urdu lan-
guage (in which this Commentary was orginally written). There it means
to be patient under distress. (Regretfully, the common counterpart, pa-
tience, used for 'Sabr' in English is also not free of its limitations, and
does not carry the full and rich sense of the original Arabic). The reason
is that the real meaning of Sabr is that one does not become upset under
the stress of what is temperamentally unpalatable and, in fact, keeps
doing what must be done resolutely and steadfastly. Therefore, it is di-
vided into two kinds. One of them is Perseverance with Obedience ("".
that is, being steadfast while observing and implementing the ,(عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ
injunctions of Allah Ta'ala. The other kind is Perseverance againt Dis-
obedience and Sin (ِصَبْرٌ عَنِ الْمَعُصِيَة), that is, being steadfast in refraining
from and staying safe against sins.
The restriction of: إِبْتِغَاءَ وَجُهِ رَبّهم (in order to seek the pleasure of their
Lord) tells us that Sabr or patience, in its general sense, is no matter of
merit by itself because there comes a time when even the most impatient
person somehow gets to become reconciled with his or her lot after all.
So, Sabr or patience which is not willful has no worth or merit, nor does
Allah Ta'ala ever obligate anyone with something which is beyond his
control. Therefore, in Hadith, the Holy Prophet
الصَُّرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدُمَةِ :has said
,ší, that is, 'the real and trustworthy Sabr is none but the one which is
taken to immediately at the initial stage of shock. Otherwise, later on,
sooner or later, one is left with no choice but to become reconciled and pa-
tient. As against this, the Sabr which is worthy of all praise is the Sabr
under which one elects, by choice, to tolerate and be patient about what
is contrary to his or her liking - whether it is the fulfillment of what one
is obligated with, or is the abstinence from what is unlawful or reprehen-
sible.

209
Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 18 - 24
Therefore, if someone entered the house of somebody else with the in-
tention of theft, but did not find the opportunity to do so, thus, having
been left with no other choice but to observe patience, he returned back.
Now, this Sabr or patience, non-voluntary as it is, is no act deserving
praise or reward. It brings Thawab or reward only when one abstains
from sin because of the fear of Allah and the desire to seek His pleasure.
The seventh attribute is: ◌َاقَامُوا الصَّلَوة (establish Salah). The Qur'anicex-
pression for 'establish Salah' means to perform Salah with all its attend-
ing conditions and rules of etiquette and the essential humbleness of
heart. It is not just the 'saying' of prayers as a matter of routine. There-
fore, speaking generally, the command to perform, offer, or make prayers
appearing in the Holy Qur'an has been given with the specific word:
Iqamah, usually rendered as 'establish' in English, though still wanting.
The eighth attribute is: ◌ًوَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقُنُهُمُ سِرَّاوَ عَلَائِيَة (and spend from what
We have given to them secretly and openly). The hint given here is that
the amount of Zakah prescribed by Allah Ta'ala is not something He is
asking of you, in fact, what He is asking for is a certain portion of what
He has given to you, and that too is limited to the insignificant measure
of 21/2 percent. Naturally, giving this much should naturally be no cause
of reluctance for you.
The adverb of: GS . (secretly and openly) with the command to
spend wealth in the way of Allah tells us that concealment is not always
the only Sunnah method in charities - instead, on occasions, doing it
openly is also correct and sound. Therefore, religious scholars have said
that the giving of obligatory Zakah and charities openly is better and
more merit-worthy. Doing it secretly is not appropriate so that other peo-
ple could be pursuaded and prompted to do the same. However, the giv-
ing of voluntary charities (Sadaqat) secretly is certainly better and more
merit-worthy. Ahadith in which giving secretly has been commended are
concerned with such optional and voluntary charities.
The ninth attributes stated here is: ◌َيَدُرَءُوُنَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيّئَة (and repel evil
with good). The sense is that these people repel evil with good, enmity
with friendship and injustice with forgiveness, and do not retaliate by
doing what is evil in return for evil done. Some commentators have ex-
plained the meaning by saying that these people repel sin by acting righ-

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 18 - 24
teously, that is, if some sin gets to be committed by them, they follow it
up by repentance, obedience and worship so punctually and abundantly
that the past sin is obliterated. According to Hadith, the Holy Prophet
advised Sayyidna Mu'adh 4
e: If, after evil, you do good, it will obliter-
ate evil. It means that should a person reflect, feel ashamed of having
committed a sin, repent and make amends by following it up with a good
deed, then, this good deed will wash off his or her past sin. Just going
ahead and doing something good without first having felt ashamed and
having repented after the committment of sin is not sufficient for the for-
giveness of that sin.
After having recounted these nine attributes of the obedient servants
of Allah Ta'ala, the reward promised for them is:أُولَيَكَ لَهُمْ عُقُبَى الدَّار (Those
are the ones for whom there is the ultimate abode). The word: kui
(ad-dar: abode, home) refers to the abode of the 'Akhirah or Hereafter,
that it, the prosperity and success of the 'Akhirah is for them. Some com-
mentators have said that 'abode' at this place means the abode of the
mortal world the sense of which is that good people, though they have to
face hardships too in this mortal world, but, finally, they are the ones
who succeed in this mortal world as well.
Onwards from this point there comes the description of the same 'ul-
timate abode' when it is said that these shall be eternal gardens they
shall enter. The word: Se ('Adn) means to abide, settle down permanent-
ly. The sense is that no one shall ever be expelled from these gardens, in-
stead, they shall be there eternally. Some commentators have said that
'Adn is the name of the midmost of the Paradise which is also the most
superior of its many stations.
After that, mentioned there is yet another reward for these people
and this reward shall not remain restricted to those people in person. In
fact, even their fathers, wives and children shall get their share in it -
subject to the condition that they be good in deeds, the lowest degree of
which is that they be Muslims. It means that the personal conduct of
their fathers and wives was, though not good enough to have enabled
them to arrive at this level of success, yet it would be because of the con-
sideration and barakah of the accepted servants of Allah that they too
shall be admitted to that high station.

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 - 30
After that, the text states the additional honour they shall have in
their 'ultimate abode' of the Hereafter when the angels emerge from
each of its doors greeting them with Salam and telling them that their
Sabr brings to them eternal security from all hardships and that they
can themselves see how good is the ultimate abode of the 'Akhirah.
Verses 25 - 30
وَالَّذِيْنَ يَنْقُضُوْنَ عَهُدَ اللّهِ مِنُ بَعُدٍ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقُطَعُوْنَ مَآ أَمَرَاللهُ بِّ أَنْ
يُّوْصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى الْأَرْضِ « أُولَِّكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمُ سُوَّءُ الدَّارِ
﴿٢٥ ﴾ اَللَّهُ بَيْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُءُ وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَاءِ
وَمَا الْحَيْوةُ الدُّنْيَا فِى الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّ مَتَاعٌ ﴿٢﴾ وَيَقُوُلُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا
لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّنُ رَّبِّهِ ﴿ قُلُ إِنَّ اللهَ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ وَيَهْدِىّ إِلَيْهِ
مَنْ أَنَابَ ﴿٢٦ُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَتَطْمَيِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكُرِ اللهِ ، أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ
اللَّهِ تَطْمَيِّنُّ الْقُلُوُبُ ﴿ٌ﴾ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ طُوُنِى لَهُمُ
وَحُسُنُ مَأْبٍ ﴿٢٩) كَذلِكَ أَرْسَلْتُكَ فِىّ أُمَّةٍ قَدُ خَلَتُ مِنْ قَيْلِهَا أُمَمٌ
لِتَثْلُوَا عَلَيْهِمُ الَّذِىّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُوُنَ بِالرَّحُمْنِ * قُلُ هُوَ
رَبِّىُ لَآ إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ، عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابٍ ﴿٣٠﴾
And those who break their pledge with Allah after it has
been made binding, and cut off the relations Allah has
commanded to be joined, and make mischief in the
earth - those are the ones for whom there is the curse,
and for them there is the evil abode. [25]
Allah expands the provision for whom He wills and nar-
rows it. And they are happy with the worldly life, and
the worldly life, compared to the Hereafter, is nothing
but a little enjoyment. [26]
And the disbelievers say, "Why is it that no sign has been
sent down to him from his Lord?" Say, "Allah lets go
astray whom He wills and gives guidance to the ones

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 -30
who turn to Him, [27] the ones who believe and their
hearts are peaceful with the remembrance of Allah. Lis-
ten, the hearts find peace only with the remembrance of
Allah." [28]
Those who believe and do good deeds, for them there is
the bliss and a good place to return. [29]
Thus We have sent you, amidst a community before
which many communities have passed away, so that you
may recite to them what We have revealed to you, and
they disbelieve in Al-Rahman (the Most-Merciful Allah).
Say, "He is my Lord. There is no god but He. In Him I
place my trust, and to Him is my return." [30]
Commentary
At the beginning of the section, human beings were divided into two
kinds - those who are obedient to Allah Ta'ala and those who are disobe-
dient to Him. Then, enumerated there were some attributes and signs of
the obedient servants of Allah and mention was made of the best of re-
wards for them in the Hereafter.
Now, in the present verses, stated there are the attributes and signs,
and punishments, of the other kind of people. One trait of character
these disobedient and contumacious people have been reported to have
is : ◌ٍالَّذِيْنَ يَنْقُضُوُنَ عَهُدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعُدٍ مِيْثَاقِه (And those who break [their] pledge with
Allah after it has been made binding). Included here is the pledge out of
the pledges given to Allah concerning His unshared Lordship and One-
ness by all spirits created by Him. The disbelievers and polytheists
broke this pledge when they came into this world and consequently took
to hundreds and thousands of lords and objects of worship all joined up
with the pristine divinity of Allah Ta'ala.
And also included here are all pledges faithfulness to which becomes
binding on human beings as part of the great pledge of: wy d'y (There
is no deity worthy of worship except Allah). The reason is that the Kali-
mah Tayyibah, that is : ◌ِلاَ إِلهَ الأَّ اللّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّه (La' llaha Illallahu Muham-
madur Rasulullah 5 : There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah -
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah) is, indeed, the symbol of a great
pledge under which fall the obedience to all injunctions and rules of con-
duct taught by Allah Ta'ala and His Messenger, and it also covers the

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 - 30
pledge to abstain from things which have been prohibited. Therefore,
when a human being deviates from any injunction made binding by
Allah or deviates from the command given by His Messenger, he or she
commits a breach of trust by breaking this pledge to have faith.
The second trait of these disobedient people has been identified as:
and cut off relations Allah has commanded to be) وَيَقُطَّعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهَ أَنُ يُوُصَلَ
joined). Included here is the relationship human beings have with Allah
Ta'ala and His Messenger, may peace be upon him, and the blessings of
Allah. The cutting of this relationship simply means the contravention of
their commands. And, of course, included here are connections based on
relationships the maintainenance of which and the fulfillment of whose
rights has been stressed upon time and again in the Holy Qur'an.
Those who disobey Allah Ta'ala would not hesitate in sundering even
these relations and rights built around them - for instance, they would
not fulfill the rights of their mother, father, brother, sister, neighbour,
and others in that category while they are rights which must be fulfilled
by all human beings as commanded by Allah Ta'ala and His Messenger.
The third trait of such people has been stated as: وَيُفُسِدُونَ فِى الْأَرْض (and
make mischief on the earth). This third trait is actually the outcome of
the first two, that is, they disregard pledges given, whether given to
Allah or to His servants, just have no consideration of anyone's rights or
relationships. It is obvious that such deeds of these people will cause
pain and loss to others, even become the cause of mutul fighting and kill-
ing. This is the worst 'Fasad' or disorder or mischief they inflict on this
earth.
After having described these three traits of the disobedient and con-
أُولَئِكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَّهُمْ :tumacious people, the punishment identified for them is
FUI yen (those are the ones for whom there is the curse, and for them
there is the evil abode). The word: &J (al-la'nah: translated here as
'curse') means to be removed far away from the mercy of Allah, and be-
come deprived of it. And it goes without saying that being far removed
from His mercy is the most punishing of all punishments and certainly
the hardest of all hardships.
Injunctions and Rules of Guidance
Special injunctions and rules of guidance concerning many depart-

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 - 30
ments of human life appear in the verses 20 to 24. Either explicit or im-
plied, they are as follows:
1.From :َالَّذِينَ يُؤُفُونَ بِعَهُدِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ يَنْقَضُونَ الْمِيثَاق (those who fulfill [their] pledge
with Allah and do not break the covenant - 20) it stands established that
abiding by a pledge given or contract made with someone is a binding ob-
ligation which must be fulfilled, and any contravention of which is
Haram (forbidden, unlawful) - whether that pledge be related to Allah
and His Messenger, as the pledge of Faith and the pledge to maintain re-
lationships with those created by Allah, or it may be a pledge related to
any Muslim or Kafir. Pledge-Breaking is Haram under all conditions.
2.From: ◌َوَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ آَمَرَاللَّهُ بِهَ اَنْ يُوُصَل (and those who maintain the rela-
tions Allah has commanded to be maintained - 21) we learn that Islam
does not teach abandonment of relationships in some monastic manner.
Instead of that, maintaining necessary relations and fulfilling their due
rights has been made necessary in Islam. As for the rights of parents,
children, wife, sisters, brothers and the rights of other relatives and
neighbours, these have been made obligatory by Allah Ta'ala on every
human being. They cannot be ignored in favour of voluntary acts of wor-
ship, not even to devote time for some religious service needed by the
community. This is not permissible. How could it become permissible to
forget them and get busy doing other things?
As for maintaining the bonds of family relationships, taking care of
them, and fulfilling their due rights, these have been stressed upon in
many verses of the Holy Qur'an.
In a Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim based on a narration of Sayy-
idna Anas 40, it has been reported that the Holy Prophet
¿ said: A per-
son who hopes to have extended means of living and barakah in things
done must maintain relations (Şilatur-Rahim). It simply means that one
should take care of those he is closely related with and help and support
them within personal capability.
And Sayyidna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari 4
e says that a rustic Arab villag-
er called upon the Holy Prophet;
at his home and asked him: 'Just tell
me what should I do to come closer to Paradise and stay away from
Hell.' He said: 'Worship Allah. Take no partners with Him. Establish
Şalah. Give Zakah. And maintain relations.' (Al-Baghawi)

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 - 30
According to a narration of Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
appear-
ing in the Sahih of al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet
has been reported to
have said: 'Șilatur-Rahim' (maintaining relations) does not simply mean
that you return the favour done by a relative, that is, if he has done a fa-
vour to you, you do a favour to him. Instead, real Șilatur-Rahim (the
ideal form of maintaining relations) is that even if your relative fails to
maintain relations with you, yet you, on your part, only for the sake of
Allah, maintain relations with him, and do favours to him.'
It was due to the importance of fulfilling the rights of relatives and
maintaining relations with them that the Holy Prophet
said: 'Pre-
serve your family trees through which you would preserve your family
ties and you would be able to fulfill their rights.' Then he said: 'This rule
of maintaining relations has its advantages. It generates mutual love,
puts barakah in wealth which increases, and puts barakah in years of
life too.' (Tirmidhi)
It appears in a Hadith of Sahih Muslim that the Holy Prophet
said: 'Most commendable is the act of maintaining relations when a per-
son maintains the same relations with the friends of his dead father, as
they were during his lifetime.
3. The statement : ◌ْوَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا اسْتِغَاءَ وَجُهِ رَبّهم (in order to seek the pleasure
of their Lord - 22) makes us realize that the merits of Sabr (patience)
which have appeared in the Qur'an and Hadith and which tell us that
the patient person has the good fortune of having Allah Ta'ala with him,
and of His help and support, and that countless returns and rewards
wait for him or her. But, all this happens only when one observes pa-
tience for the good pleasure of Allah Ta'ala - otherwise, everyone reaches
a point in time when, sooner or later, one gets to become reconciled to
his or her lot.
As explained earlier, the real meaning of Sabr (translated here as 'to
observe patience') is to control one's self and remain steadfast which can
take different forms. First of all, one should observe patience, not be-
come upset under the stress of hardship and pain, not become disap-
pointed, rather keep Allah Ta'ala in sight and keep hoping. Secondly,
one should observe patience in carrying out acts of obedience to Allah in
a way that one remains sure of staying on that track steadfastly, even if

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 25 - 30
the adherence to Divine injunctions appears to be hard on one's self.
Thirdly, one should observe patience against what is evil and sinful -
even if the desiring self demands that the road to evil be taken, but one
should resist and refuse to take the road to evil because of the fear of Al-
lah.
4. From :ًوَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقُنُهُمُ سِرًّا وَّ عَلَائِيَة (and spend from what We have given
to them secretly and openly - 22), we learn that spending in the way of
Allah secretly and openly is correct whichever way it is done. However, it
is better that obligatory charities (wajib sadaqat) such as Zakah and
Sadaqatul-Fitr etc., be paid openly so that other Muslim are also
prompted to do the same. As for voluntary charities (nafl sadaqat) which
are not obligatory should be paid secretly so that one can stay safe from
scruples of hypocricy and pulls of recognition.
5. The statement: ◌َيَدُرَءُوْنَ بالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيّئَة (and repel evil with good) tells us
that getting rid of evil is certainly a rational and physical imperative,
but evil for evil is not the method practiced in Islam. Instead, the teach-
ing of Islam is: Repel evil with good. Whoever has inflicted injustice
upon you, on your part you deal with him justly. Whoever has not ful-
filled your due right, on your part you fulfill his right. Whoever releases
his anger on you, on your part you respond to him with forbearance and
tolerance. The inevitable result of this pattern of response would be that
enemies would turn into friends and the wicked into the righteous before
you.
Another sense of this sentence is that one should make amends for a
sin by performing an act of obedience, that is, if you ever get to commit
some sin, repent immediately and then get busy with the 'Ibadah of
Allah Ta'ala. This will cause your past sin to be forgiven.
As reported by Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari 4ge, the Holy Prophet
said: When a sin happens to have been committed by you, follow it up
with a good deed. This will wash that sin off (narrated by Ahmad with sound
authority, Mazhari). The condition attached to this good deed is that one
must first repent from the past sin and then do the good deed.
جَنْتُ عَدُن يَّدُخُلُوْنَهَا وَمَنُ صَلَحَ مِنْ أَبَابِهِمُ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمُ :Said in the next verse (23) is
(43, It means that servants of Allah who are righteous and accepted
will certainly have the honour of being in Jannah, and it will be in con-

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
sideration of them that their parents, wives and children will also share
the honour with them. However, the condition is that these people
should be righteous, that is, believers and Muslims - not Kafir, though
not at par with such pious elder in their good deeds. But, because of the
barakah of this pious elder, Allah Ta'ala shall make these people reach
the same station in Paradise which is the station of this pious elder as
said in another verse: ◌ْالحَقَنَابهمُ ذُريَّتَهُم that is, 'We shall make the progeny of
Our righteous servants be with them - 52:21'
This tells us that relationship with pious elders, whether of lineage,
kinship or friendship, shall be of benefit in the Hereafter as well - of
course, subject to the condition of 'Īman (Faith).
6. From verse 24 : ◌ِسَلْمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ بِمَا صَبَرُتُمُ فَنِعُمَ عُقْبَى الدَّار (Peace be upon you for
the patience you observed. So, good is the ultimate abode) we find out
that the salvation of the Hereafter and the high ranks of the Paradise
are all the outcome of man's patient handling of the trials of life in this
mortal world where he keeps insisting on fulfilling all rights of Allah
Ta'ala and His servants due on him or her and keeps compelling one's de-
siring self to abstain from acting disobediently to Him.
Finally, if we consider the statement in verse 25, that is: tafel,
tur. 4, (those are the ones for whom there is the curse, and for them
there is the evil abode), we would recall that verses previous to it told us
about the reward of His obedient servants - that their home will be in
Paradise, angels would greet them with Salam, and tell them that the
eternal blessings of Paradise are the direct result of their patience, forti-
tude and obedience. Similarly, in the verse cited above, announced is the
end of the disobedient and the contumacious - that they are under the
curse of Allah, that is, they are far removed from His mercy and that
they have waiting for them an evil abode in Hell. This helps us realize
that the breaking of pledges given and the severence of the bonds of kin-
ship is the cause of Divine curse and consignment to Hell. May Allah
keep all of us protected from such a fate.
Verses 31 - 33
وَلَوُ اَنَّ قُرَانًا سُيّرَتُ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتُ بِهِ الْأَرْضُ أَوْكُلِّمَ بِهِ

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
الْمَوْتِى ﴿ بَلُ لِلْهِ الْآَمُرُ حَمِيعًا ﴿ أَفَلَمُ يَايْئَسِ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا أَنْ لَّوْيَشَاءُ
اللّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ﴿ وَلاَ يَزَالُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيِّبُهُمُ بِمَا
صَنَعُوا فَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ فَرِيًَّا مِنْ دَارِهِمُ حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ وَعُدُ اللّهِ* إِنَّاللّهُ
لاَ يُخُلِفُ الْمِيْعَادَ ﴿٩)﴾ وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهُزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنُ قَيْلِكَ فَأَمْلَيْتُ
لِلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ اَخَذْتُهُمُ تَ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ ﴿٢٣﴾ أَفَمَنُ هُوَ قَائِمٌ
عَلَى كُلّ نَفُسُ بِمَا كَسَبَتٌُ وَجَعَلُوا لِلّهِ شُرَكَآءَ ﴿ قُلُ سَمُّوُهُمُ + آَمُ
تُنبِئُوْنَهُ بِمَا لاَيَعْلَمُ فِى الْأَرْضِ آَمُ بِظَاهِرٍ مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ * بَلُ زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْ مَكْرُهُمُ وَصُدُّوا عَنِ السَِّيْلِ * وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللّهُ فَمَالَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ
And even if there were a Qur'an wherewith the moun-
tains could be moved, or the earth could be split apart,
or wherewith the dead are spoken to, (they would not
believe). But all the judgements are of Allah. Are the be-
lievers not aware that, if Allah wills, He would bring all
the people to the right path? And the disbelievers shall
keep receiving disaster for what they did, or it will visit
somewhere close to their homes, until Allah's promise
comes to pass. Surely, Allah does not back out on His
promise. [31]
And Messengers have been mocked at before you, so I
let the disbelievers go on for a while. Then I seized
them. So, how was My punishment? [32]
Is then He, who is watchful over everyone and over
whatever he earns (not present?) while they have made
partners with Allah. Say, "Give their names. Is it that
you are informing Him of something on earth He does
not know, or of just empty words?" But, their ill- designs
have been made alluring for the disbelievers, and they
have been barred from the Path. And the one whom
Allah deprives of guidance, for him there is no one to
guide. [33]
Commentary
Clear proofs of Islam being the true religion and the Holy Prophet

219
Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
being the true prophet were there before the disbelievers of Makkah.
They could see the signs from every department of his life, and from his
many miracles, openly and comprehensively. The chief of the disbeliev-
ers, Abu Jahl had already declared that they stood in competition with
the tribe of Banu Hashim. How could they ever accept their superiority
in a matter so crucial - that the Messenger of Allah had to rise from
among them? So, let them say what they have to say, and let them show
whatever signs they must show. As for them, they were not going to be-
lieve in him under any condition whatsoever. Therefore, bent on confron-
tation, they lost no opportunity to display their obstinacy asking absurd
questions and making unreasonable demands. The present verses too
have been revealed in response to a question asked by Abu Jahl and his
accomplices.
According to Tafsir al-Baghawi, once the disbelievers of Makkah,
Abu Jahl ibn Hisham and 'Abdullah ibn Umaiyyah among them, came to
the Baytullah and sat down on its rear side. They sent the later to the
Holy Prophet & with some demands. He said to him: If you want that
your people and all of us accept you as a Messenger of Allah and follow
you, then we have some demands. Fulfill them through your Qur'an and
we all shall embrace Islam.
One of the demands was that the land of Makkah was too short on
space. What they have is a long stretch of land surrounded by mountains
on all sides in which there is no room for cultivation and farming and no
place to grow fruits or provide other needs. So, they asked him: You
move these mountains farther away through your miracle so that the
land area of Makkah becomes more extensive. Reminding him of his own
saying they said that mountains were subjugated for Sayyidna Dawud
- when he recited the praises of Allah, the mountains did the same
with him. And they reminded him again that he was no less a person
than Sayyidna Dawud & 9 in the sight of Allah.
The second demand they put forward was that the way Allah Ta'ala
had subjugated the wind for Sayyidna Sulayman & - as he himself
had told them - and had thereby reduced great distances on the earth
into brief spans, so, they demanded that he too should do the same for
them so that their travels to Syria and Yaman become easy on them.

220
Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
Their third demand was that the way Sayyidna 'Isa Seal made the
dead come alive, he too should do that for them. Since he was for them
no less than him, let him bring their forefather, Qusayy, back to life so
that they could ask him whether or not this religion brought by the Arab
prophet was true. (Mazhar with reference to al-Baghawi and Ibn Abi Hatim and
Ibn Marduwayh)
The hostile demands mentioned in the verses cited above were an-
swered in the following words:
وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرَانًا سُيّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتُ بِهِ اْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْنِى ﴿ بَلُ لِلّهِ الْأَمْرُ
جَمِيعًا
And even if there were a Qur'an wherewith mountains could be
moved, or the earth could be split apart, or wherewith the dead
are spoken to (they would not believe). But all the judgements
are of Allah - 31.
Lexically, the expression: ◌ُسُيَرَتُ بهِ الْجبَال refers to the moving of moun-
tains from their place, and: ◌ُقُطِعتُ بهِ الأَرُض signifies the traversing of long
distances in a short time, and: كُلِمَ بِهِ الْمُؤتى denotes talking to the dead
after they have been brought back to life. As for the principal clause of
the conditional clause beginning with the word 3 (if), it stands under-
stood under the necessity of the textual situation, that is: (i ÚJ (they
would not believe). The nature of this complement is the same as specifi-
cally mentioned at another place in the Holy Qur'an while dealing with a
وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَئِكَةَ وَكُلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتِى وَحَشَرْنَا) :similar subject. There it was said
.(6:111 - عَلَيْهِمُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلاً مَّا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا
It means that, even if these demands were to be met through the
Qur'an, as a miracle, they were still not going to believe because they
have already seen such miracles before their present demands, miracles
which are far more impressive than what they want now. The splitting
of the moon in two at the hands of the Holy Prophet
is far more mirac-
ulous than mountains moving away from their place, or the subjugation
of the wind. Similarly, the talking of inert pebbles in his blessed hands
and their recitation of praises for Allah is certainly far greater a miracle
than the talking of a dead person brought back to life. During the Night
of the Ascent (al-Mi'raj), the journey to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (Jerusalem),
and then onwards from there, the journey through the heavens, and

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
then the return back to Makkah in a very short span of time is indeed
far more striking than the miraculous subjugation of the wind and the
throne of Sulayman &Well. But these arrogant people, despite having seen
all this with their own eyes, did not believe. And when they acted in that
unreasonable manner, it is obvious that their demands tell on their in-
tention which is no more than a device to gain time. They have to accept
nothing and they have to do nothing. Since the objective behind these de-
mands made by the disbelievers was to reach a stage when their de-
mands will not be fulfilled whereupon they will have a good occasion to
say that, Ma'adh Allah, these are things Allah Ta'ala Himself has no con-
trol over. Or, may be the request made by the Holy Prophet
has no ef-
fect and that it is either not heard by Allah or is not accepted by Him -
which gives the impression that he is no Messenger of Allah. After that,
it was said: بَلُ لِلْهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا (But all the judgements are of Allah). It means
that power, choice and control, all of it, belongs to Allah which strongly
suggests that not fulfilling the demands made is not because they are
beyond the power and control of Allah Ta'ala. Instead, the truth of the
matter is that He alone is the One who knows the considerations and ex-
pediencies which go into the working of this universe. It was in His ulti-
mate wisdom that He did not consider it appropriate to fulfill these de-
mands - because He knows the doggedness and ill-intention of the
makers of the demands. He knows that, should all demands made by
them were to be fulfilled, they would still not believe.
أَفَلَمُ يَايْتَسِ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا أَنْ لَوْيَشَآءُ :Now said in the third sentence of verse 31 was
Are the believers not aware that if Allah wills, He) اللّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
would bring all the people to the right Path?).
Commenting on this statement, Imam al-Baghawi has reported that
the noble Sahabah, when they heard these demands of the disbelievers,
started nursing the thought that it would be better if these demands
were fulfilled for, by doing so, all Makkans will become Muslims and
Islam itself would move to a position of greater strength. Thereupon, the
present verse was revealed. It means: Is it that believing Muslims, de-
spite seeing and knowing the habit of excuse-seeking and hostile argu-
mentations practiced by the disbelievers, have not yet lost hope in their
potential to enter the fold of faith? If not, why would they start indulging
in such wishes and hopes while they also know that, had Allah Ta'ala so

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
willed, He would have Himself given to all human beings such guidance
as would have left for them no choice but to become Muslims. But, His
wisdom did not stipulate that everyone should be compelled to enter the
fold of Islam and 'Iman (faith). In fact, the very wisdom was to let every-
one have his or her choice, and opt for Islam or Kufr (disbelief) on the
basis of that personal choice.
وَلاَ يَزَالُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيُّبُهُمُ بمَا :Said in the fourth sentence of verse 31 was
-And the disbelievers shall keep receiving disast) صَنَعُوا قَارِعَةٌ أَوْتَحُلُّ قَرِئْبًا مِّنُ دَارِهِمْ
er for what they did, or it will visit somewhere close to their homes). Ac-
cording to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee, the word: "6 (Qari'ah) means dis-
aster, hardship or calamity. The sense of the verse is that the demands
of these disbelievers were not acceeded to as their ill-intention and dog-
gedness were already known, that is, even if these demands were ful-
filled, they would still not believe. In the sight of Allah, these people de-
serve nothing less than that disasters keep coming upon them in this
mortal world as well, as it happened with the people of Makkah who
were either hit by famine, or had the misfortune of being killed or caught
during the Islamic battles of Badr and Uhud, or had someone struck by
lightening, or yet another became a victim of some calamity. Then, the
statement: اوتَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّنُ دَارهم (or it will visit somewhere close to their
homes) means that there will be times and occasions when the disaster
will not hit them directly. Rather, it would come upon habitations close
to them. The purpose would be to teach them a lesson and help them see
their own evil end in the backdrop of a vicinity close by.
حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ وَعُدُ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُخُلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ :Verse 31 concludes with the statement
(until Allah's promise comes to pass. Surely, Allah does not back out on
His promise). It means that this cycle of disasters will continue until
such time that the promise of Allah stands fulfilled, because the promise
of Allah can never go unfulfilled. The promise referred to here is the pro-
mise of the conquest of Makkah. The sense is that different kinds of dis-
asters will keep visiting these people until comes the time when Makkah
al-Mukarramah will be finally conquered and all antagonists will stand
subdued.
Before we part with the subject, let us go back to the statement: J-3,1
po,6 ; C's (or it will visit somewhere close to their homes - 31) which
tells us that a disaster or calamity or punishment which visits the envi-

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 31 - 33
rons of a people has a concealed wise consideration of Allah Ta'ala be-
hind it. The message it delivers is that people living nearby should stand
warned, learn from what happened to others and thereby correct their
own doings. If taken seriously, what came as punishment for others
could become a message of mercy for them. Otherwise, a day will come
when they too will end up the way others did under their eyes.
Today, in our countries and in areas close to them, we keep hearing
of different kinds of calamities hitting some community or locality al-
most every day. There are floods, cyclones, earthquakes or some other
punishing disasters. According to this statement of the Qur'an, these are
not simply punishments meted out to such localities and communities,
in fact they also serve as warnings to people living in surrounding areas.
In old days, though awarenes through the arts and sciences was not so
spick and span, but people did have the fear of Allah in their hearts. If
some disaster of this nature struck a place, the people who lived there
and even those who lived in adjoining areas would get alarmed and
frightened. In that state, they would turn to Allah Ta'ala, repent from
their sins, seek forgiveness from Him and take the giving of charity (sa-
daqah) at a time like this a source of salvation. And they could see with
their own eyes that their difficulties stood removed very easily by doing
so. Here we are in our day, so heedless that, even at a time so terrible,
we seem to remember everything except Allah. When we do that, we be-
come very much like the general run of non-Muslims - our eyes get fixed
on material means only. Turning for help to the Causer of all Causes
(the Musabbibul-Asbab), even at such a crucial time, is something very
few people have the Taufiq of doing. It is the direct result of this failing
that the world always keeps experiencing unwelcome happenings of this
nature.
Given below are some additional comments on the last sentence of
حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ وَعُدُ اللَّهِ ﴿ إِنَّ اللّهَ :verse 31, explained a little earlier. There it was said
SUJI Ley (until Allah's promise comes to pass. Surely, Allah does not
back out on His promise).
As explained earlier, 'wa'dah' or 'promise' at this place means the
Conquest of Makkah, a promise Allah Ta'ala had made to the Holy
Prophet 5. The sense of the verse thus comes to be that Makkah will be
conquered ultimately, and the disbelievers will be destroyed, subdued

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 34 - 37
and overpowered. Now before that comes to be, let them taste a little
punishment as well for their crimes before that happens. And it is also
possible that the expression: sur de, (the promise of Allah) refers to the
day of Judgement at this place, a promise which has been made to all
prophets and has been made since ever. So, on that day particularly,
every disbelieving criminal will receive the full punishment for his or
her doings.
The hostile questions asked by the disbelievers and the obstinacy
shown by them as described in the event mentioned above posed the pro-
blem that these may cause pain to the Holy Prophet 40%, therefore, in the
وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهُزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا : next verse, it was said to comfort him
And Messengers have been mocked at before you, so) ثُمَّ آَخَذُتُهُمْ فَكَيُفَ كَانَ عِقَابٍ
I let the disbelievers go on for a while. Then I seized them. So, how was
My punishment?) In other words, it means that conditions faced by the
Holy Prophet
were not faced by him alone. There were prophets be-
fore him who had been facing similar conditions when their deniers were
not seized immediately upon the committment of their crime and they
continued to make fun of the prophets. When they reached the limit,
they were seized by Divine punishment and what a seizure that was
which left none of them active enough to go on with their confrontation.
In the verse: أَفَمَنُ هُوَ قَائِمٌ عَلَى كُلِّ نَفُس (Is then He, who is watchful over
everyone ... 33), the ignorance and irrationality of the disbelievers has
been exposed by saying that these people are certainly short on sense
when they equate inert idols with His pure Being, a Being that watches
everyone and is the ultimate reckoner of everyone's deeds. Then, it was
said that the real reason behind their unreasonable attitude is that
Shaytan has made their very ignorance look good in their sight and,
therefore, this they take to be 'achievement' and 'success.'
Verses 34 - 37
لَهُمُ عَذَابٌ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَعَذَابُ الْأُخِرَةِ أَشَقٌُّ وَمَا لَهُمُ مِّنَ
اللَّهِ مِنْ وَّاق ﴿٤﴾ مَثَلُ الْحَنَّةِ الَّتِىُ وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ، تَجُرِىُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا
الْأَنْهُرُ ، أَكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَّظِلُهَا * تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْامُّ وَّعُقْبَى

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Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 38 - 43
الْكُفِرِيْنَ النَّارُ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ أَتَيْئُهُمُ الْكِتُبَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَآ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
وَمِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنُكِرُ بَعُضَه؛ ﴿ قُلُ إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللّهَ وَلَا
أُشْرِكَ بِهِ ﴿ إِلَيْهِ اَدُعُوا وَإِلَيْهِ مَأْبٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَكَذَلِكَ أَنْزَلْنُهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبًّا ط
وَلَيْنِ اتَّبَعُتَ أَهُوَآءَ هُمْ بَعُدَ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ " مَالَكَ مِنَ اللهِ مِنْ
وليٍ وَلاً واقٍ ﴿3﴾
For them there is punishment in the worldly life and, in-
deed, the punishment of the Hereafter is even harder,
and for them there is none to save them from Allah. [34]
Here is the description of the Paradise promised to the
God-fearing: underneath it the rivers flow; its food is
everlasting and (so is) its shade. This is the ultimate
abode of the God-fearing while the ultimate abode of the
disbeliever is Fire. [35]
And those We have given the Book are happy with what
has been sent down to you. And among the groups there
are those who deny some of it. Say, "I am commanded
only to worship Allah and not to ascribe partners to
Him. To Him I call and to Him is my return." [36]
And thus We have sent it down, being a command in
Arabic. And if you follow their desires, after the knowl-
edge that has come to you, there shall be no friend for
you against Allah, nor a saviour. [37]
Verses 38 - 43
وَلَقَدُ اَرُسَلْنَا رُسُلاً مِّنُ قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَّذُرِّيَّةً ، وَمَا كَانَ
لِرَسُوْلِ أَنْ يَّأْتِىَ بِيَةٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذُنِ اللهِ ، لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ ﴿٢٨﴾ يَمُحُوا
اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ◌ِوَ عِنْدَةٌ أُمُّ الْكِتْبِ ﴿٢٩﴾ وَإِنُ مَّا تُرِيَنَّكَ بَعُضَ
الَّذِىُ نَعِدُهُمُ أَوْنَتَوَ فَيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلْغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ ﴿٤﴾
أَوَلَمُ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِى الْأَرْضَ نَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا ، وَاللهُ يَحُكُمُ لاَ
مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ * وَهُوَ سَرِيُعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٤﴾ وَقَدُ مَكَرَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ

226
Surah Al-Ra'd : 13 : 38 - 43
قَبْلِهِمْ فَلِلْهِ الْمَكُرُ حَمِيُعًا يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ * وَسَيَعْلَمُ
الْكُفْرُ لِمَنْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ﴿٢﴾ وَيَقُوُلُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرُسَلاً،
قُلُ كَفَى بِاللهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِىُ وَبَيْنَكُمُ " وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتْبِ ﴿٤﴾
And We have sent messengers before you, and gave
them wives and children. And it is not for a messenger
to bring a sign without the will of Allah. For every time
there is something prescribed. [38] Allah wipes off what
He wills and affirms (what He wills). And with Him is
the Mother Book. [39]
And if We show you some of what We promise them, or
We take you back to Us (you are not accountable), you
are only to convey the message and We are to reckon.
[40]
Have they not seen that We are coming to the land nar-
rowing it down from all its sides? And Allah judges;
there is none to repel His judgement. And He is swift at
reckoning. [41]
And those before them did devise plans, but Allah's are
the plans altogether. He knows what every soul earns.
And the disbelievers will soon know for whom is the ulti-
mate abode. [42]
And the disbelievers say, "You are not a messenger." Say,
"Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and
whoever with whom is the knowledge of the Book." [43]
Commentary
The common thinking of disbelievers and polytheists about a prophet
and messenger was that he should be from a species other than human,
such as a creation like angels so that their supremacy over the general
run of human beings becomes clearly pronounced. The Holy Qur'an has
refuted this false idea of theirs in many verses by saying that they had
simply failed to realize the reality and wisdom behind the sending of
prophets and messengers, therefore, they went about pursuing such id-
eas. The reason is that a messenger is sent by Allah Ta'ala as a model in
order that communities of human beings follow them and learn deeds
and morals similar to theirs. And it is obvious that whoever is human
can only follow a fellow human being. For him to follow someone who