NAME: الرعد, Ar-Ra’d.
Name taken from Verse 13 where there is a mention of “Ar-Ra’d”.
١٣ وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ
13 And the thunder exalts [Allah] with praise of Him – and the angels [as well] from fear of Him – and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allah; and He is severe in assault.
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: Thunder.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 13
SURAH RAD TOTAL VERSES: 43
SURAH RAD TOTAL WORDS: 853
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 511
TOTAL LETTERS: 3,545
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 618 – 622 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, Disbelievers, Guardian Angels, Thunder& Angels, Umm Ul Kitab/Mother Of Books.
SURAH RAD MAIN TOPICS:
Creation, God Knows What Is In The Wombs, Nothing Escape from God, Guardian Angels Over Us, To God Prostrate All & so do Their Shadows, No power to show any miracle without Allah’s sanction.
SURAH RAD KEY VERSES:
٨ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنْثَىٰ وَمَا تَغِيضُ الْأَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ ۖ وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ
8 Allah knows what every female carries and what the wombs lose [prematurely] or exceed. And everything with Him is by due measure.
١٠ سَوَاءٌ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَسَرَّ الْقَوْلَ وَمَنْ جَهَرَ بِهِ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍ بِاللَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌ بِالنَّهَارِ
10 It is the same [to Him] concerning you whether one conceals [his] speech or one publicizes it and whether one is hidden by night or conspicuous [among others] by day.
١١ لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَالٍ
11 For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.
٣١ وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ الْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْتَىٰ ۗ بَلْ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَيْأَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ لَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا تُصِيبُهُمْ بِمَا صَنَعُوا قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِنْ دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ
31 And if there was any qur’an by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur’an], but to Allah belongs the affair entirely. Then have those who believed not accepted that had Allah willed, He would have guided the people, all of them? And those who disbelieve do not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity – or it will descend near their home – until there comes the promise of Allah. Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise.
٤٠ وَإِنْ مَا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ
40 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.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1(What Is Revealed to Muhammad Is From God and Truth), 2(God Erected the Heavens Without Pillars), 3(He Who Spread the Earth and Placed Therein Firmly Set Mountains and From all of the Fruits He Made Therein Two Mates), 5(Disbelievers Saying; When We Are Dust, Will We Indeed Be [Brought] Into a New Creation?) 6-7(Disbelievers Impatiently Urge You To Bring About Evil Before Good, They Say, “Why Has a Sign Not Been Sent Down to Him From his Lord?), 8(God Knows What Is in the Wombs), 10-11( Nothing Escape From God; Whether One Conceals Speech or Publicizes, Guardian Angels Over Us, God Helps Those Who Help Themselves, When God Intends for a People Ill, There Is no Repelling It), 13(Thunder& Angels Exalt God), 15(to God Prostrate All & So Do Their Shadows), 17 (Truth and Falsehood: Swelling Foam On Water Example, as for the Foam, It Vanishes), 18(Those Who Did Not Respond to God if They Had All That Is in the Earth Entirely and the Like of It With It, They Would Not Be Ransomed), 19-29 (Tiding of Reward and Punishment), 31(and if There Was any Quran by Which the Mountains Would Be Removed or the Earth Would Be Broken Apart or the Dead Would Be Made To Speak, [It Would Be This qur’an]), 37-38(Quran in Arabic, Warning to Prophet, no Power To Show any Miracle Without Allah’s Sanction), 39(With God Is the Mother of Books; Umm Ul Kitab), 41(Have They Not Seen That God Is Reducing the Earth From Its Edges), 42(and Those Before Them Had Plotted, but to God Belongs the Plan Entirely)
SURAH RAD BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND
This Surah has 43 verses divided into 6 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca. However, opinion differs as some scholars say that it was revealed in Madina. The theme of Surah itself showing that it belongs to a later stage of Prophet Muhammad preaching in Mecca. Like other Surahs revealed in Mecca, we find the emphasis on monotheism or the Oneness of God. The primary subject of the Surah is divine supervision and guidance and that the message with which Muhammad come is from God.
It also states and emphasizes that God has created this whole universe, God’s majesty reflected in the natural wonders of creation and that nothing Escape from God. Further Revelation came to messengers, and they have no power to show any miracle without God’s sanction. Lastly, it tells the consequences of accepting or rejecting the message of God.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that whoever recites this Surah will be made from among those who fulfil their promise to God and they will be given reward which is 10 times the number of sins they have committed.
