Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (31) Surah: Ar-Ra‘d
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ قُرۡءَانٗا سُيِّرَتۡ بِهِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ أَوۡ قُطِّعَتۡ بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ أَوۡ كُلِّمَ بِهِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۗ بَل لِّلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ جَمِيعًاۗ أَفَلَمۡ يَاْيۡـَٔسِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَن لَّوۡ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَى ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعٗاۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُواْ قَارِعَةٌ أَوۡ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبٗا مِّن دَارِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡتِيَ وَعۡدُ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ
(31) [2927]Had there ˹ever˺ been a Recitation ˹Qur’ān˺[2928] with which mountains are removed[2929] or the ground rent asunder or the dead talked to ˹it would have surely been this Qur’an!˺; nay, but all affairs pertain to Allah[2930]. [2931]Did not the Believers give up hope ˹yet˺ that had Allah wished, He would have guided all people! [2932]For what they made, the Deniers would all the time be hit with a clamorous clout[2933], or would it strike nearby their home[2934], until Allah’s appointment[2935] comes—verily Allah does not break His appointment.
[2927] This is how significant the Qur’an (recitation) of which they are heedless is. No other miracle can match it, or even come close to it! (cf. Abū Ḥayyān)
[2928] That is, amongst all of the Divine Books that were ever sent down that was more than a mere source of guidance and through which tangible miracles could have been realized, it would truly have been this Qur’an (recitation). How then could they, when there has never been a Divine Book like it, ask for other Signs! (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Zamakhsharī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[2929] “If We had sent this Quran down to a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and split apart in its awe of Allah!” (59: 21).
[2930] No miracle can be realized without God Almighty willing it so (cf. Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “Had We sent down the angels ˹successively˺ to them, made the dead talk to them and congregated everything right before them, they would not have Believed unless that Allah wills it so; but indeed most of them are ignorant” (6: 111).
[2931] This shows the agony the Believers, and the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) at their head, felt that their people would not see Truth for what it is and subscribe to it.
[2932] This is to draw attention and open eyes that the hardships and disasters they are constantly inflicted with, are from God Almighty to forewarn them against their intransigence and seeking to hasten Divine Punishment (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2933] Qāriʿah, calamitous clout or sudden disaster, derives from the root q-r-ʿ which denotes hitting something with something (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān); as knocking on the door (qarʿ al-bāb) produces a sudden disturbing sound, qarʿ (hitting, knocking) is used figuratively to denote suddenness and surprise (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). It is also called so because it ‘knocks down’ people (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah).
This tacitly brings to mind the hard side of the cloud (thunder claps which are loud, sudden and mighty, as opposed to the good side, i.e. rain) that thunder (after which this sura is titled) heralds.
[2934] That such a sudden, mighty disaster hitting close by is reason enough for people to feel startled that they had such a narrow escape and should take heed (cf. al-Shawkānī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2935] Their lives would thus be restless all the time for their Denying until the coming of God’s appointed time for what they are being promised and forewarned against. This could be: their demise or the coming of the Hour upon which they will taste severe Punishment (cf. al-Zamakhsharī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Shawkānī); the fall of Makkah into the hands of the Believers (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Qāsimī); or their defeat and herding into Hellfire (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “Say to the Deniers: “You shall be overpowered and herded to Hellfire—indeed it is the worst of beds”” (3: 12).
[2928] That is, amongst all of the Divine Books that were ever sent down that was more than a mere source of guidance and through which tangible miracles could have been realized, it would truly have been this Qur’an (recitation). How then could they, when there has never been a Divine Book like it, ask for other Signs! (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Zamakhsharī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[2929] “If We had sent this Quran down to a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and split apart in its awe of Allah!” (59: 21).
[2930] No miracle can be realized without God Almighty willing it so (cf. Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “Had We sent down the angels ˹successively˺ to them, made the dead talk to them and congregated everything right before them, they would not have Believed unless that Allah wills it so; but indeed most of them are ignorant” (6: 111).
[2931] This shows the agony the Believers, and the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) at their head, felt that their people would not see Truth for what it is and subscribe to it.
[2932] This is to draw attention and open eyes that the hardships and disasters they are constantly inflicted with, are from God Almighty to forewarn them against their intransigence and seeking to hasten Divine Punishment (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2933] Qāriʿah, calamitous clout or sudden disaster, derives from the root q-r-ʿ which denotes hitting something with something (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān); as knocking on the door (qarʿ al-bāb) produces a sudden disturbing sound, qarʿ (hitting, knocking) is used figuratively to denote suddenness and surprise (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). It is also called so because it ‘knocks down’ people (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah).
This tacitly brings to mind the hard side of the cloud (thunder claps which are loud, sudden and mighty, as opposed to the good side, i.e. rain) that thunder (after which this sura is titled) heralds.
[2934] That such a sudden, mighty disaster hitting close by is reason enough for people to feel startled that they had such a narrow escape and should take heed (cf. al-Shawkānī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2935] Their lives would thus be restless all the time for their Denying until the coming of God’s appointed time for what they are being promised and forewarned against. This could be: their demise or the coming of the Hour upon which they will taste severe Punishment (cf. al-Zamakhsharī, Abū Ḥayyān, al-Shawkānī); the fall of Makkah into the hands of the Believers (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, al-Qāsimī); or their defeat and herding into Hellfire (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “Say to the Deniers: “You shall be overpowered and herded to Hellfire—indeed it is the worst of beds”” (3: 12).
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (31) Surah: Ar-Ra‘d
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.