AL RA’D (The Thunder)
In the Name of God,1 the Gracious, the Merciful 2
1 A. L. M. R.3 Those4 are verses of Al-Kitab: that which has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth; but most men believe not.
2 God is he who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see; is firmly established on the throne; he has subjected the sun and the moon. Each one runs for a term appointed. He regulates all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that you may believe with certainly in the meeting with your Lord.
3 And it is he who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and rivers: and fruit of every kind he made in pairs, two and two: he draws the night as a veil over the day. Behold, truly in these things there are signs for those who consider.
4 And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn, and palm trees, growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water, yet some of them we make more excellent than others to eat. Behold, truly in these things there are signs for those who understand!
5 If you marvel, strange is their saying: when we are dust, shall we indeed then be in a creation renewed? They are those who deny their Lord they are those round whose necks will be yokes: they will be companions of the fire, to dwell in it.
6 They ask you to hasten on the evil in preference to the good: yet have come to pass, before them, exemplary punishments, but truly your Lord is full of forgiveness for mankind for their wrong doing. And truly your Lord is strict in punishment.
7 And the unbelievers say: why is a sign not sent down to him from his Lord? But you are truly a warner, and to every people a guide.
8 God knows what every female bears, by how much the wombs fall short or exceed. Every single thing is before his sight in proportion.
9 He knows the unseen and that which is open: he is the great, the most high.
10 It is the same whether any of you conceal his speech or declare it openly; whether he lie hid by night or walk forth freely by day.
11 For each one there are angels in succession, before and behind him: they guard him by command of God. Truly never will God change the condition of a people until they change it themselves. But when God wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find, besides him, any to protect.
12 It is he who shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope: it is he who raises up the clouds, heavy with rain.
13 No, thunder repeats his praises, and so do the angels, with awe: he flings the loud-voiced thunderbolts, and therewith he strikes whomever he will, yet they dispute about God, with the strength of his power.
14 For him is true prayer: any others that they call upon besides him hear them no more than if they were to stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but it reaches them not: for the prayer of those without faith is nothing but wandering.
15 Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth prostrate themselves to God, with good will or in spite of themselves; so do their shadows in the mornings and evenings.
16 Say: Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: God. Say: Do you then take protectors other than him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves? Say: Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light? Or do they assign to God partners who have created as he has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: God is the creator of all things: he is the one, the supreme and irresistible.
17 He sends down water from the skies, and the channels flow, each according to its measure: but the torrent bears away the foam that mounts up to the surface. Even so, from that which they heat in the fire, to make ornaments or utensils therewith, there is a scum likewise. Thus does God show forth truth and vanity. For the scum dISAppears like froth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus does God set forth parables.
18 For those who respond to their Lord, are good things. But those who respond not to him, even if they had all that is in the heavens and on earth, and as much more, would they offer it for ransom. For them will the reckoning be terrible: their abode will be hell, what a bed of misery!
19 Is then one who knows that which has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, like one who is blind? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.
20 Those who fulfil the covenant of God and fail not in their pledged word;
21 Those who join together those things which God has commanded to be joined, hold their Lord in awe, and fear the terrible reckoning;
22 Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord; establish regular prayers; spend out of what we have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly; and turn off evil with good: for such as these is the final attainment of the eternal home,
23 Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter to them from every gate.
24 Peace to you for that you persevered in patience now how excellent is the final home.
25 But those who break the covenant of God, after having pledged their word to it, and cut apart those things which God has commanded to be joined, and work mischief in the land; on them is the curse; for them is the terrible home.
26 God enlarges, or grants by measure, the sustenance to whom he pleases. They rejoice in the life of this world: but the life of this world is but little comfort in the hereafter.
27 The unbelievers say: why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord? Say: Truly God leaves to stray, whom he will; but he guides to himself those who turn to him in penitence,
28 Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God: for without doubt in the remembrance of God do hearts find satisfaction.
29 For those who believe and work righteousness, is blessedness, and a beautiful place of return.
30 Thus have we sent you among a people before whom peoples have passed away; in order that you might rehearse to them what we send down to you by inspiration; yet they reject the most gracious. Say: He is my Lord; there is no god but he. On him is my trust, and to him do I turn.
31 If only there were a reading by which mountains were moved, or the earth were torn apart, or the dead were made to speak. But, truly, the command is with God. In all things do not the believers know, that, had God willed, he could have guided all mankind? But the unbelievers, never will disaster cease to seize them for their deeds, or to settle close to their homes, until the promise of God come to pass, for, truly, God will not fail in his promise.
32 Messengers were mocked before you: but I granted respite to the unbelievers, and finally I punished them: then how terrible was my reward!
33 Is then he who stands over every soul and all that it does, like any others? And yet they ascribe partners to God. Say: But name them! Is it that you will inform him of something he knows not on earth, or is it a show of words? No! To those who believe not, their pretence seems pleasing, but they are kept back from the path. And those whom God leaves to stray, no one can guide.
34 For them is a penalty in the life of this world, but harder, truly, is the penalty of the hereafter: and defender have they none against God.
35 The parable of the garden which the righteous are promised — beneath it flow rivers. Perpetual is the enjoyment of it and the shade in it: such is the end of the righteous; and the end of unbelievers is the fire.
36 Those to whom we have given Al-Kitab rejoice at what has been revealed to you, but there are among the clans those who reject a part of it. Say: I am commanded to worship God, and not to join partners with him. To him do I call, and to him is my return.
37 Thus have we revealed it to be a judgment of authority in Arabic. Were you to follow their desire after the knowledge which has reached you, then you would find neither protector nor defender against God.
38 We sent messengers before you, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a messenger to bring a sign except as God permitted. For each period is a book.
39 God blots out or confirms what he pleases:5 with him is the essence of Al-Kitab.
40 Whether we shall show you part of what we promised them, or take to ourselves your soul, your duty is to make it reach them: it is our part to call them to account.
41 Do they not see that we gradually reduce the land from its outlying borders? God commands, there is none to put back his command: and he is swift in calling account.
42 Those before them devised plots; but in all things the master planning is God’s. He knows the doings of every soul: and soon will the unbelievers know who gets home in the end.
43 The unbelievers say: “You are no messenger.” Say: “Enough for a witness between me and you is God, and such as have knowledge of Al-Kitab.”
- God, in Arabic allah, referring to the one true God, as opposed to an idol or “god.” It is the Arabic equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew), alaha (Syriac), and theos (Greek), all of which accurately translate into English as “God.” This translation choice is consistent with respected English Quran translations including those of A. Yusuf Ali (original edition), S.H. Nasr (Study Quran), T.B. Irving, and T. Itani (Clear Quran). ↩︎
- the Gracious, the Merciful, the highlighting of God’s grace and mercy predates the Quran, coming down from the many hundreds of references in the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil. A few samples follow:
Taurat, Exodus 34:6 — …YAHWEH, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
Zabur 145:8 — YAHWEH is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
Taurat, Joel 2:13 — Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to YAHWEH your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
Taurat, Yunus 4:2 — …I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.”
Injil, 1 Timothy 1:2 — …Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and AL-MASIH ‘ISA our Lord.
Injil, Hebrews 4:16 — Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. ↩︎ - 13:1 meaning unknown. ↩︎
- 13:1 Those, not these, possibly referring to the previous scriptures. ↩︎
- 13:39 It is a common belief that some ancient scriptures are either abrogated or have not survived to this day. However, this should never be said of the Taurat or Injil. The Quran repeatedly says that it “confirms” the previous books. This means that it “witnesses to the truthfulness” of the Taurat and Injil which are still with us today, unchanged since they were given. For more information, see the study course “The Eternal Word.” ↩︎