Oath of God
- Alif. Laam. Meem. Reh. That is of signs (Quranic initials) of the scripture. And that which has been sent down to you (Muhammad) is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe (13:1).
Note: Alif. Laam. Meem. Reh is a set of quranic initials, which is an oath of God being at the beginning of the surah affirms that what has been revealed to Muhammad is the truth from his Lord, but most of the people do not believe; while Alif. Laam. Meem. Reh as a set of quranic initials provides a lower level physical proofs of the numerical structure of Quran occurring at certain frequencies in the Arabic text of the surah being the sum of them is a multiple of 19 => 605 (Alif) + 480 (Laam) + 260 (Meem) + Reh (137) = 1482 = 19 x 78 shown details below:
Note: Count obtained from https://submission.org/verify_updated_count_ALMR_ALMS.html.
God has given many signs for a people to reflect on His sovereignty
- God is the One who has raised the heavens without pillars, you see them; then He has established on the Throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each running for an appointed term. He manages all the matter; He details the revelations that you may believe with certainty in the meeting of your Lord (13:2). And He is the One who has expanded the earth and has placed in it mountains and rivers. And from every kind of the fruits, He has made pairs of two in it. He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that there are signs for a people who can reflect (13:3). And in the earth, there are different tracts, and gardens of grapevines, and crops, and date-palms – tress from single root and not from single root watered with water of the same, while we cause to exceed one of them over other among the fruits. Indeed, in that surely, there are signs for a people who understand (13:4).
Note: God has established His kingship over His dominion creating the heavens without pillars and has given many signs that we can reflect to understand His existence and sovereignty.
The disbelievers want to see the punishment before the good
- If you wonder, then wondering is their saying: “When have we been dust, will we surely, be among a new creation?” These are the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord. These are the ones who have incurred shackles around their necks. Those are those who have disbelieved in their Lord and those will have the shackles in their necks, and those are companions of the Fire – they are in it as dwellers (13:5). And they ask you (prophet) to bring with the evil before the good, and certainly, has occurred the similar punishments of their before. And indeed, your Lord has abundance of forgiveness for the people for their wrongdoing, and indeed, your Lord is severe in the penalty (13:6). And say those who have disbelieved, “Why not has been sent down a miracle to him from his Lord.” You are only a warner and for every community there is a guide (13:7).
Note: There is not only wonder in the saying of the disbelievers in their Lord about the resurrection but they also want to see the punishment before the good and the miracle what has been sent down with the prophet like the people in the past while the prophet has been a warner, and it is thus that every community is given a guide.
Nothing is hidden from God being the Knower, the Great and the High
- God knows what every female carries, and what falls short of the wombs and what goes beyond. And everything with Him is in proper measure (13:8). Knower of the secret and the declaration, the Great, the High (13:9). It is same from you whoever has concealed the saying, and whoever has declared of it, and whoever – he is hidden by the night, and is going by the daylight (13:10).
Note: God knows women’s pregnancy period including its miscarriage while He is Knower of the unseen and the seen whether it is in the darkness of the night or visible in light in the day time.
God does not change the evil what is with the people
- For him are the successive ones before him and after him guard him by God’s command. Indeed, God does not change what is with a people until they change what is with themselves. And when God has willed a misfortune for a people, then there is no turning away of it, nor is there any protector for them other than Him (13:11).
Note: God has made us responsible for our own souls. Unless we do not take initiatives to change our evil behavior, God will not change it while when He has willed a misfortune, there is none who can prevent it from its occurring. Thus there is no protector for us other than Him.
What the disbelievers invoke is misguidance
- He is the One who shows you the lightning as a fear and a hope, while He brings up the heavy clouds (13:12). And the thunder glorifies with his praises and the angels for fear of Him. And He sends the thunderbolts that strike with them whomever He wills. And they dispute about God, while He is mighty in the punishing (13:13). To Him is supplication of the truth, and those whom they invoke other than Him, cannot respond to them with a thing, except like one who stretches his hands towards the water to reach his mouth, but it does not reach of it. And supplication of the disbelievers is not but in misguidance (13:14).
Note: Even the thunder glories God and the angels fear Him but the disbelievers dispute about Him and whom they invoke cannot respond being their invocation like an analogy of their hands towards the water but cannot reach their mouths.
God is Creator of all things being the One, the Supreme
- To God prostrates what is in the heavens and the earth in willingness and unwillingness, and their shadows in the mornings and the evenings (13:15). Say, “Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say, “God.” Say, “Have you then taken other than Him as protectors, they do not have power neither for benefit nor harm for themselves?” Say, “Does equal the blind and the seer? Does equal the darknesses and the light?” Or have they made partners to God, who have created like His creation that it has appeared alike the creation to them? Say, “God is Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.” (13:16). He has sent down water from the sky, so has flowed the valleys with their measure, then the inundation has carried a rising foam. And from what they heat it in the fire for making ornaments and utensils, a foam like of it. Thus that God sets forth the truth and the falsehood. Then as for the foam that it passes away as scum, and as for what benefits the people that it remains in the earth. Thus that God sets forth the analogies (13:17).
Note: God has created all things and has set examples for the people to reflect but still the disbelievers have taken protectors other than Him being the blind, who cannot benefit or harm them.
A terrible reckoning for those who do not respond to God
- The best for those who have responded to their Lord, and those who do not respond to Him, if that they had all whatever is in the earth and like of it with it, surely, they would have offered ransom with it – those for them there is a terrible of the reckoning, and their abode is Hell and it has been miserable the resting place (13:18). Then does he whoever know that what has been sent down to you (prophet) from your Lord is the truth like whoever he is a blind? Only possessors of the understanding pay heed (13:19).
Note: Those who do not respond to God are the blind and their terrible reckoning without accepting any ransom from them is Hell, which is a miserable resting place while what has been revealed to prophet is the truth from his Lord and the possessors of the understanding pay heed to it.
Recompense to fulfill of pledge to God and to break of it
- Those who fulfill of pledge to God, and they do not break the covenant (13:20). And those who join what God has commanded with it that it is joined, and fear their Lord, and are afraid of an evil of the reckoning (13:21). And those who have been patient seeking their Lord’s pleasure, and have observed the contact prayer and have spent from what we have provided them in secret and public, and they repel the evil with the good; those for them is an achievement of the Home (13:22). Gardens of Eden they enter them and whoever has been righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their children. And the angels will enter upon them through every gate (13:23). “Peace upon you for what you have endured, so has been an excellent end of the abode.” (13:24). And those who break of pledge to God after its covenant, and sever what God has commanded for it that it is joined, and spread corruption in the earth; those for them is the curse in the earth and is an evil of the abode (13:25).
Note: For those who have fulfilled of pledge to God, and have established the salat prayer and have spent from what has been provided to them while have been patient seeking their Lord’s pleasure are Gardens of Eden but for those who have broken of pledge to God and have severed His commandment and have spread corruption in the earth are the curse in the earth and an evil of the abode in the Hereafter.
God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whoever turns to Him
- God increases the provision for whomever He wills, and restricts. And they have rejoiced in the life of the world, and the life of the world is not but an enjoyment in regard to the Hereafter (13:26). And say those who have disbelieved, “Why has not been sent down a miracle to him (prophet) from his Lord?” Say, “Indeed, God lets go astray whomever He wills, and He guides to Himself whoever has turned.” (13:27).
Note: The life of the world is an enjoyment for the disbelievers while they claim that they would be the believers if the miracle has been sent down to the prophet.
The hearts of the believers rejoice in remembering of God
- Those who have believed while rejoices their hearts in remembering of God. No doubt, in remembering God rejoices the hearts (13:28). Those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, there is a blessing for them and a beautiful place of return (13:29).
Note: The hearts of the believers rejoice in remembering of God while there is a blessing and a beautiful place of return for them for doing the righteous deeds.
Prophet has recited what has been inspired to him
- Thus that we have sent you (prophet) to a community, certainly there has passed communities before of it to recite to them what we have inspired to you, while they disbelieve in the Gracious. Say, “He is my Lord, there is no god except He. Upon Him I have put trust and to Him is my return.” (13:30).
Note: Prophet has recited what has been revealed to him but those who disbelieve, they disbelieve in the Gracious while he has informed them that God is his Lord, there is no god except He and upon Him he has put his trust and to Him is his return. This is one of many proofs in the Quran that he has not stated any hadiths or sunnahs to disobey God.
Quran is a wonder from God
- And if that there had been a Quran, the mountains would have been moved by it, or the earth would have been cloven asunder by it, or the dead would have been made to speak by it. Nay, to God is all the matter. Does it then not know those who have believed that if God had willed, surely, He would have guided all the people? And it will not cease those who have disbelieved to strike them a disaster for what they have done, or it settles close to their homes, until God’s promise comes. Indeed, God does not break the promise (13:31). And there has certainly been mocked messengers before yourself; so I have given respite to those who have disbelieved, then I have seized them. How has been My retribution! (13:32).
Note: A Quran has been recited by prophet to his community is a wonder that the mountains, the earth and the dead would respond for fear of God if it had been revealed on them, but a disaster will strike the disbelievers for what they have done while God has given a respite to them, then He seized them, which He has done with a people of the previous generations for mocking of His messengers.
The end is the Paradise for the believers and the Fire for the disbelievers
- Is then He whoever a Maintainer of every soul for what it has earned, while they have made partners to God. Say, “You shall name them or you may inform Him of what He does not know in the earth, or of being apparent of the words?” Nay, it has been made fair-seeming their plotting to those who have disbelieved, while they have been hindered from the path. And whomever God lets go astray, then there is no guide for him (13:33). For them there is a punishment in the life of the world, while the punishment of the Hereafter is harder. And for them there is no defender against God (13:34). An allegory of the Paradise, which has been promised for the righteous flows the rivers of its underneath. Its food is everlasting and its shade. That is an end of those who have feared (God) and an end of the disbelievers is the Fire (13:35).
Note: God is a Maintainer of every soul while He has made fair-seeming the deeds of the disbelievers. Thus He lets go astray whomever He wills and guides whoever turns to Him. The punishment of the disbelievers will be harder in the Hereafter while both the Paradise and the Hell have been mentioned allegorically
God has sent down Quran in Arabic as an authority to be followed by all
- And those whom we have given the scripture to rejoice with what has been sent down to you (prophet); while of the parties there is whoever denies a part of it. Say, “I have only been commanded that I worship God, and I do not associate partners with Him. To Him I call and to Him is my return.” (13:36). And thus that we have sent down it an Arabic directive; and surely, if you have followed their desires after what has come to you of the knowledge, there is no protector for you against God nor is there any advocate (13:37). And certainly, we have sent messengers before yourself (prophet) and we have made for them wives and children. And it has not been for a messenger that he comes with a miracle except by permission of God. For every time it is a decree (13:38). God eliminates what He wills and establishes, and with Him is the Mother Book (13:39).
Note: What God has revealed to prophet in Arabic is an authority with a commandment of worshiping Him without associating partners with Him and of following it disregarding the desires of the idol worshipers while the people of scripture should rejoice in it being it in a Master scripture.
Prophet has been responsible for the conveyance of the message
- And if whatever we show you (prophet) a part of what we promise them, or we cause you to die, then only upon you is the conveyance (of message), and upon us is the reckoning (13:40). Do they not see that we bring he earth reducing it of its ends? And God judges; there is no adjuster of His judgment. And He is swift in the reckoning (13:41). And certainly, has plotted those who were before themselves, then to God belongs all the plot. He knows what earns every soul and will know the disbelievers for whom is the final abode (13:42). Those who have disbelieved say, “You have not been a sent one.” Say, “It has sufficed with God as a Witness between me and you, and whoever with him is a knowledge of the scripture.” (13:43).
Note: Prophet has no responsibility other than the conveyance what has been revealed to him while upon God is the reckoning. God is bringing the earth closer to the end, and He will judge and there is no adjuster of His judgment as He knows what has earned every soul while there is master record with Him and those who are knowledgeable of the scripture are aware that prophet has been sent one being God Himself is a Witness of it.
Surah Al-Ra`d (Surah 13 – The Thunder) can be reviewed reflecting that: (1) God has given us Quran in Arabic as an authority to be followed by all being it in a Master scripture with the commandment of worshiping Him without associating partners with Him, (2) Quran is a wonder that the mountains, the earth and the dead would respond for fear of God if He had revealed it on them, and a disaster will strike the disbelievers for what they have done, (3) prophet has been responsible for the conveyance what has been revealed to him, and (4) upon God is the reckoning, and there is no adjuster of His judgment as He knows what every soul has earned being in a master record with Him.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (12/03/2021).