An Introduction to Surat Ar-Ra`d (The Thunder)
Name of the Surah
Ar-Ra`d (the Thunder):
It was named after the word ‘thunder’ that is mentioned in the following verse:
And the
thunder exalts [Allah] with praise of Him – and the angels [as well]
from fear of Him – and He sends thunderbolts and strikes there with whom
He wills… (Ar-Ra`d 13:13)
Period of Revelation
This Surah was revealed in the last stage of the Mission of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) at Makkah and during the same period in
which the chapters of Yunus, Hud and Al- Al-`Araf were sent down.
Theme of the Surah
The main theme of the surah, like all Makkan revelations, is faith
and the main issues which surround it; God’s oneness and Lordship,
submission to Him in this world and in the life to come, revelation,
resurrection and its correlatives. Yet this single issue with its
multiple strands is never presented in the same way in any two surahs,
whether revealed in Makkah or Madinah. Every time we find it presented
in a new way and new light, generating a different impact and
inspiration.
Topics of the Surah
1- The surah takes the human heart on a grand tour, showing it the
universe in a variety of spectacular images: the heavens raised without
support; the sun and the moon pursuing their courses for a definite
time; the night covered by day; the spread of the earth with its firm
mountains and running rivers; gardens, plants and date trees with
different shapes, tastes and colors yet growing in adjacent land
irrigated with the same water.
2- The Surah also shows the spectacular image of the lightning
generating fear and hope; the thunder glorifying and praising God; the
angels standing in awe; the thunderbolt God hurls against whomever He
wishes; the clouds heavy with rain that pours over riverbeds; and the
foam that disappears into nothing to allow what is of benefit to stay.
3- The surah pursues the human heart wherever it tries to go. This
pursuit is based on God’s absolute knowledge which encompasses every
little detail, including what is concealed or moving openly in broad
daylight. It is the knowledge that records every fleeting thought
occurring to any living thing.
4- The surah gives an impression of the nature of God’s power that
encompasses the entire universe: the hidden and the apparent, large and
small, present and removed. The part of the universe that human
faculties can imagine is great and awesome indeed.
5- The surah includes some parables that are presented in vivid,
moving scenes and images. It also adds a scene of the Day of Judgment,
with its happiness for some and suffering for others, and people’s
reactions to both. There are also brief references to the fate of
earlier generations and how they conducted themselves, and were
subjected to God’s law and its operation.
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Sources:
Sayyed Abu A`la Maududi’s Tafhim Al-Qur’an.
Sayyid Qutb’s Fi Zhilal Al-Qur’an.
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