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Chapter 13

Thunderal-Raʿd ( الرعد )

43 verses • revealed at Medinan

»The surah that translates into human experience the overpowering meaning of what Thunder says when it resounds through the sky and God sends bolts to the earth. It takes its name from thunder (al-raʿd), mentioned in verse 13. The surah is distinguished by its moving description of God’s power and knowledge. Muḥammad’s place in a long tradition of prophets, none of whom could produce miracles on request, is stressed, and his role emphasized: it is only to deliver the message. God is the One who will call people to account for their deeds, and He is the witness for the truth of the message.«

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Yusuf Ali: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1
المر ۚ تِلكَ آياتُ الكِتابِ ۗ وَالَّذي أُنزِلَ إِلَيكَ مِن رَبِّكَ الحَقُّ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يُؤمِنونَ

Yusuf Ali

A.L.M.R.1 These are the signs (or verses)2 of the Book: that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth; but most men believe not.
  • For Alif, Lam, Mim, see 2:1, n. 25. For Alif, Lam, Ra', see Introduction to S. 10. For abbreviated Letters generally see Appendix 1. Here there seems to be a combination of the groups Alif, Lam, Mim and Alif, Lam, Ra'. We consider here not only the beginning (Alif), the middle (Lam), and the end (Mim), of man’s spiritual history, but also the immediate future of the interior of our organisation, such as it appeared to our Ummah towards the close of the Meccan period. But in trying to determine their meaning, we must not be dogmatic. The befitting attitude is to say: God knows best. (R).
  • Cf. 10:1, n. 1382.