surah.translation .

Ar-Ra'd


(13:1) Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra'. These are the verses of the Divine Book. Whatever
has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, and yet most (of your)
people do not believe.1

(13:2) It is Allah Who has raised the heavens without any supports that you
could see,2 and then He established Himself on the Throne3
(of Dominion). And He it is Who has made the sun and the moon subservient4
(to a law), each running its course till an appointed term.5 He governs
the entire order of the universe and clearly explains6 the signs
that you may be firmly convinced about meeting your Lord.7

(13:3) He it is Who has stretched out the earth and has placed in it firm
mountains and has caused the rivers to flow. He has made every fruit in pairs,
two and two, and He it is Who causes the night to cover the day.8
Surely there are signs in these for those who reflect.

(13:4) And on the earth there are many tracts of land neighbouring each other.9
There are on it vineyards, and sown fields, and date palms: some growing in
clusters from one root, some standing alone.0 They are irrigated
by the same water, and yet We make some excel others in taste. Surely there
are signs in these for a people who use their reason.1

(13:5) And were you to wonder, then wondrous indeed is the saying of those
who say: "What! After we have been reduced to dust, shall we be created afresh?"
They are the ones who disbelieved in their Lord;2 they are the ones
who shall have shackles around their necks.3 They shall be the inmates
of the Fire, wherein they will abide for ever.

(13:6) They challenge you to hasten the coming of evil upon them before the
coming of any good,4 although people who followed a like course
before had met with exemplary punishment (from Allah). Verily your Lord is forgiving
to mankind despite all their wrong-doing. Verily your Lord is also severe in
retribution.

(13:7) Those who refused to believe in you say: "Why has no (miraculous)
sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?"5 You are only a warner,
and every people has its guide.6

(13:8) Allah knows what every female bears; and what the wombs fall short
of (in gestation), and what they may add.7 With Him everything is
in a fixed measure.

(13:9) He knows both what is hidden and what is manifest. He is the Supreme
One, the Most High.

(13:10) It is all the same for Him whether any of you says a thing secretly,
or says it loudly, and whether one hides oneself in the darkness of night, or
struts about in broad daylight.

(13:11) There are guardians over everyone, both before him and behind him,
who guard him by Allah's command.8 Verily Allah does not change
a people's condition unless they change their inner selves. And when Allah decides
to make a people suffer punishment, no one can avert it. Nor can any be of help
to such a people against Allah.9

(13:12) He it is Who causes you to see lightning that inspires you with both
fear and hope, and He it is Who whips up heavy clouds.

(13:13) The thunder celebrates His praise and holiness,0 and
the angels, too, celebrate His praise for awe of Him.1 He hurls
thunderbolts, striking with them whom He wills while they are engaged in disputation
concerning Allah. He is Mighty in His contriving.2

(13:14) To Him alone should all prayer be addressed,3 for those
to whom they do address their prayers beside Him are altogether powerless to
respond to them. The example of praying to any other than Allah is that of a
man who stretches out his hands to water, asking it to reach his mouth, although
water has no power to reach his mouth. The prayers of the unbelievers are a
sheer waste.

(13:15) All that is in the heavens and the earth prostrates itself, whether
willingly or by force,4 before Allah; and so do their shadows in
the morning and in the evening.5

(13:16) Ask them: "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "Allah."6
Tell them: "Have you taken beside Him as your patrons those who do not have
the power to benefit or to hurt even themselves?" Say: "Can the blind and the
seeing be deemed equals?7 Or can light and darkness be deemed equals?"8
If that is not so, then have those whom they associate with Allah in His Divinity
ever created anything like what Allah did so that the question of creation has
become dubious to them?9 Say: "Allah is the creator of everything.
He is the One, the Irresistible."0

(13:17) Allah sends down water from the heavens and the river-beds flow,
each according to its measure, and the torrent carries along a swelling scum.1
In like manner, from that metal which they smelt in the fire to make ornaments
and utensils,2 there arises scum like it. Thus does Allah depict
truth and falsehood. As for the scum, it passes away as dross; but that which
benefits mankind abides on the earth. Thus does Allah explain (the truth) through
examples.

(13:18) There is good reward for those who respond to the call of their Lord.
And those who do not respond to their Lord, (a time will come when) they shall
offer all they have - even if they have all the riches of the world and the
like of it besides to redeem themselves (from the chastisement of Allah).3
They will be subjected to a severe reckoning4 and Hell shall be
their refuge. What a wretched resting place it is!

(13:19) He who knows that the Book which has been sent to you from your Lord
is the Truth, is he like him who is blind to that truth?5 It is
only people of understanding who take heed:6

(13:20) those who fulfil their covenant with Allah and do not break their
compact after firmly confirming it;7

(13:21) who join together the ties which Allah has bidden to be joined;8
who fear their Lord and dread lest they are subjected to severe reckoning;

(13:22) who are steadfast in seeking the good pleasure of their Lord;9
who establish Prayer and spend both secretly and openly out of the wealth We
have provided them, and who ward off evil with good. Theirs shall be the ultimate
abode0

(13:23) - the Ever-lasting Gardens which they shall enter and so shall the
righteous from among their fathers, and their spouses, and their offspring.
And angels shall enter unto them from every gate, and say:

(13:24) "Peace be upon you.1 You merit this reward for your steadfastness."
How excellent is the ultimate abode!

(13:25) As for those who break the covenant of Allah after firmly confirming
it, who cut asunder the ties that Allah has commanded to be joined, and who
create corruption in the land: Allah's curse shall be upon them and theirs shall
be a wretched abode (in the Hereafter).

(13:26) Allah grants the provision to whomsoever He wills abundantly and
grants others in strict measure.2 They exult in the life of the
world, although compared with the Hereafter, the life of the world is no more
than temporary enjoyment.

(13:27) Those who have rejected (the message of Muhammad) say: "Why has no
sign been sent down upon him from his Lord?"3 Tell them: "Allah
lets go astray those whom He wills, and guides to Himself those who turn to
Him."4

(13:28) Such are the ones who believe (in the message of the Prophet) and
whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in Allah's remembrance
do hearts find rest.

(13:29) So those who believe (in the message of the Truth) and do good are
destined for happiness and a blissful end.

(13:30) Thus have We sent you as a Messenger5 to a community
before which many other communities have passed away that you may recite to
them whatever We have revealed to you. And yet they deny the Lord of Mercy.6
Say to them: "He is my Lord, there is no god but Him. In Him I have placed all
my trust and to Him I shall return."

(13:31) And what would have happened were a Qur'an to be revealed wherewith
mountains could be set in motion, or the earth cleft, or the dead made to speak?7
(To show such signs is not at all difficult for) everything rests entirely with
Allah.8 So, do not the people of faith (still look forward to such
a sign in response to the demand of the unbelievers and) despair as a result
of knowing that had Allah so willed, He could have guided all to the Truth.9
Misfortune continues to afflict the unbelievers on account of their misdeeds,
or to befall on locations close to their habitation. This will continue until
Allah's promise (of chastisement) is fulfilled. Indeed Allah does not go back
upon His promise.

(13:32) Surely the Messengers before you were ridiculed, but I always initially
granted respite to those who disbelieved, and then I seized them (with chastisement).
Then, how awesome was My chastisement!

(13:33) Is it, then, in regard to Him Who watches over the deeds of every
person50,51 that they are acting blasphemously by setting up His
associates? Tell them: "Name those associates (if Allah Himself has made them
His associates)! Or are you informing Allah of something the existence of which
He does not even know?" Or do people arbitrarily utter empty words?2
Indeed, their foul contriving3 has been made to seem fair to the
unbelievers and they have been barred from finding the Right Way.4
Whomsoever Allah lets go astray will have none to guide him.

(13:34) They shall suffer chastisement in the life of the world, and surely
the chastisement of the Hereafter is even more grievous. None has the power
to shield them from (the chastisement of) Allah.

(13:35) And such will be the Paradise promised to the God-fearing: rivers
will flow beneath it, its fruits will be eternal, and so will be its blissful
shade. That is the ultimate destiny of the God-fearing while Fire is the destiny
of the unbelievers.

(13:36) Those upon whom We bestowed the Scriptures earlier rejoice at the
Book revealed to you, while there are also some among different groups that
reject part of it. Tell them: "I have only been commanded to serve Allah and
not to associate anyone with Him. To Him do I call, and to Him is my return."5

(13:37) And it is with the same directive that We revealed to you this Arabic
Writ. Were you indeed to follow the vain desires of people after the true knowledge
has come to you, none will be your supporter against Allah, and none will have
the power to shield you from His punishment.

(13:38) We indeed sent many Messengers before you and We gave them wives
and children;6 and no Messenger had the power to produce a miraculous
sign except by the command of Allah.7 Every age has its own (revealed)
Book.

(13:39) Allah effaces whatever He wills and retains whatever He wills. With
Him is the Mother of the Book.8

(13:40) (O Prophet), whether We make you see a part of the punishment that
We have threatened them with come to pass during your life-time, or We take
you away before that happens, your duty is no more than to convey the Message,
and it is for Us to make a reckoning.9

(13:41) Do they not see that We are advancing in the land, diminishing it
by its borders on all sides?0 Allah judges, and no one has the power
to reverse His judgement. He is swift in reckoning.

(13:42) Those who lived before them also devised many a plot,1
but the master plot rests with Allah. He knows what everyone does. The deniers
of the truth will soon come to know whose end is good.

(13:43) The unbelievers claim that you have not been sent by Allah. Tell
them: "Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you; and so also do those
who know the Scriptures."2