Ar-Ra'd 13:7 · The Thunder · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"The disbelievers say, ‘Why has no miracle been sent down to him from his Lord?’ But you are only there to give warning: [earlier] communities each had their guide."

Pickthall (classic)+

"Those who disbelieve say: If only some portent were sent down upon him from his Lord! Thou art a warner only, and for every folk a guide."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"And the Unbelievers say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

The Idolators ask for a Miracle

Allah states that out of their disbelief and stubbornness, the idolators asked why is not a miracle sent down to the Messenger from his Lord, just like the earlier Messengers For instance, the disbelievers were being stubborn when they asked the Prophet to turn As-Safa into gold, to remove the mountains from around them, and to replace them with green fields and rivers. Allah said,

وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالاٌّيَـتِ إِلاَّ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ

(And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them.)17:59 Allah said here,

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ

(You are only a warner), and your duty is only to convey Allah's Message which He has ordered you,

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ

(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills.)2:272 Allah said;

وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ

(And to every people there is a guide.) meaning that for every people there has been a caller, according to Ibn `Abbas and as narrated from him by Ali bin Abi Talhah. Allah said in a similar Ayah, a

وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلاَ فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ

(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.)35:24 Similar has reported from Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd.

اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى وَمَا تَغِيضُ الاٌّرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَىْءٍ عِندَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ - عَـلِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Неверующие требовали от Пророка Мухаммада, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, явить им знамения, которые были угодны их душам. Они оправдывали свое неверие тем, что затребованное ими знамение не было показано. Но ведь Пророк Мухаммад, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, был всего лишь увещевателем и не распоряжался делами во Вселенной. Только Аллах решает, какое знамение следует ниспосылать людям. Он подтвердил правоту Своего посланника, да благословит его Аллах и приветствует, ясными доказательствами, которые не остались незамеченными благоразумными мужами. Благодаря этим доказательствам люди, которые стремились найти истину, встали на прямой путь. Что же касается неверующих, которые по причине своего невежества и своей несправедливости требовали от Аллаха все новых и новых чудес, то их требования были лживыми, порочными и безосновательными. Какое бы знамение не было ниспослано им, они все равно отказались бы уверовать и покориться истине, поскольку они не обращались в правую веру не потому, что не могли убедиться в правильности этого пути, а потому, что потакали своим низменным и порочным желаниям. Ничто иное не мешало им стать мусульманами, потому что у каждого народа есть наставник, который призывает своих соплеменников встать на прямой путь. Это - посланники и их верные последователи, которые подтверждают свою правоту многочисленными доводами и доказательствами.

(that is, in order to raise an objection against the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ ، they say) 'Why has the specific miracle they demand has not been shown by him?' The answer is clear. The showing of a miracle is not within the control of a prophet or messenger. Instead, that is directly an act of God. It is He who elects to show a miracle, of whatever kind, at any time, and in His wisdom - all as deter-mined by Him alone. He is not restricted by or burdened with anyone's demand or desire. Therefore, it was said: إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ (You are but a warner), that is, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is there only to warn disbelievers against Divine punishment - showing miracles is not his mission.

Said in the last sentence of the verse was: وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ ۔ It means that there have been guides for every people among past communities. You are not the lone prophet. The standard mission of all prophets was to guide their people, warn them of the punishment of Allah, but none of them were given the power and control to show miracles. It is Allah who shows miracles of His choice whenever He chooses to do so.

Is it Necessary that a Prophet appears among every People and in every Country?

The statement: 'And for every people there is a guide' proves that no people and no region can remain unvisited by those who call towards Allah Ta ala and guide people to the straight path. It may be some prophet himself, or could be someone propagating the call of his deputy - as it appears in Surah Y’ Sin where the initial sending of two persons as de-puties to the prophet of the time to a certain people has been mentioned. Sent to carry the call and give guidance, these two persons were prophets in their own right. Then, also mentioned there is the sending of a third person to help and support them in their mission.

Therefore, this verse does not make it necessary that some prophet or messenger of Allah has also appeared in India. However, it stands proved that learned people who carried the call of the prophet and told people about his teachings came to this part of the world as well. Then, it is already common knowledge that many such 'guides' have also appeared here.

Upto this point, in the first three verses cited above, there was the answer of the doubts expressed by the deniers of prophethood. In the fourth verse (8), we see a return to the principal theme of Tauhid (The Oneness of Allah) which started appearing since the beginning of the Surah.