Tafseer 3

Al Salam Alaikum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatoh

(له دعوة الحق والذين يدعون من دونه لا يستجيبون لهم بشيء إلا كباسط كفيه إلى الماء ليبلغ فاه وما هو ببالغه وما دعاء الكافرين إلا في ضلال)

Meaning:  For Him (Allah, Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).  And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke besides Him, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use).

(ولله يسجد من في السماوات والأرض طوعًا وكرهًا وظلالهم بالغدو والآصال)

And to Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and  the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons.

(قل من رب السماوات والأرض قل الله قل أفاتخذتم من دونه أولياء لا يملكون لأنفسهم نفعًا ولا ضرًا قل هل يستوي الأعمى والبصير أم هل تستوي الظلمات والنور أم جعلوا لله شركاء خلقوا كخلقه فتشابه الخلق عليهم قل الله خالق كل شيء وهو الواحد القهار)

Say (O Muhammad -Salla Allah alaihi wa Sallam-):  "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?"  Say:  "(It is) Allah."  Say:  "Have you then taken (for worship) Auliya' (protectors) other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves?"  Say:  "Is the blind equal to the one who sees?  Or darkness equal to light?  Or do they assign to Allah partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation)seemed alike to them?"  Say:  "Allah is the Creator of all things; and He is the One, the Irresistible."

(أنزل من السماء ماء فسالت أودية بقدرها فاحتمل السيل زبدًا رابيًا ومما يوقدون عليه في النار ابتغاء حلية أو متاع زبد مثله كذلك يضرب الله الحق والباطل فأما الزبد فيذهب جفاءً وأما ما ينفع الناس فيمكث في الأرض كذلك يضرب الله الأمثال)

He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and the valleys flow according to their measure, but the flood bears away the foam that mounts up to the surface - and (also) from that (ore) which they heat in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, rises a foam like it, thus does Allah (by parables) show forth truth and falsehood.  Then, as for the foam it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is for the good of mankind remains in the earth. Thus Allah sets forth parables (for the truth and falsehood, i.e. Belief and disbelief).

(للذين أحسنوا لربهم الحسنى والذين لم يستجيبوا له لو أن لهم ما في الأرض جميعًا ومثله معه لافتدوا به أولئك لهم سوء الحساب ومأواهم جهنم وبئس المهاد)

For those who answered their Lord's Call (believed in the Oneness of Allah and followed His Messenger Muhammad Salla Allah alaihi wa Sallam. i.e.  Islamic Monotheism) is AlHusna (i.e.  Paradise).  But those who answered not His Call (disbelieved in the Oneness of Allah and followed not His Messenger Muhammad Salla Allah alaihi wa Sallam), if they had all that is in the earth together with its like, they would offer in tin order to save themselves (from the torment, but it will be in vain).  For them there will be the terrible reckoning.  Their dwelling place will be Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.

سورة الرعد 14- 18

The Source:

Interpretation of the Meanings of The Noble Qur'an In The English Language, a Summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with comments from Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali

DARUSSALAM