Surat Ar-Ra`d (The Thunder; Verse 27) - سورة الرعد

سورة الرعد

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ۝

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ ۝

[Shakir 13:27] And those who disbelieve say: Why is not a sign sent down upon him by his Lord? Say: Surely Allah makes him who will go astray, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 13:27]

 

Refer to the commentary of verse 7* of this surah.

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۗ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ ۝

*[Shakir 13:7] And those who disbelieve say: Why has not a sign been sent down upon him from his Lord? You are only a warner and (there is) a guide for every people.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 13:7]

 

The Quran treats the miracles as subordinate to the moral and spiritual evidences and signs demonstrated by the Holy Prophet, who was sent as a warner. 

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 118*. "And for every people there is a guide." 

Thalabi in his Tafsir relates on the authority of Ibn Abbas that when this verse was revealed the Holy Prophet said: "I am the warner and Ali is the guide. O Ali, through you those who are guided will receive true guidance." 

This tradition has also been reported and confirmed by Ibn Marduwayh, Ibn Hatim, Tabarani, Ibn Asakir, Suyuti, Ahmad bin Hambal, Fakhruddin Razi and Abu Nu-aym. 

Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir also said that "the warner" means the Holy Prophet and "the guide" means Ali and added "the authority to guide continues among us". This verse also points to the continued existence of a "guide", namely al Mahdi al Qa-im (refer to the commentary of al Bara-at: 32 and 33); and for "the true guides" refer to the commentary of Yunus: 35. The Holy Prophet is a warner for all people in all times, so the Imam (guide) in his progeny is also for all people in every age. 

The enemies of the Ahl ul Bayt try to conceal their merits, and deny their divine rights, but Allah's plan is always executed and His will invariably takes effect:

They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah wills to perfect His light, however the unbelievers may dislike it. (Saff: 8)

Allah had willed and thoroughly purified the Ahl ul Bayt (Ahzab: 33) and established them as the only truthfuls at the time of mubahilah (Ali Imran: 61). 

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

There are three interpretations of the last passage of this verse:

(i) The Holy Prophet is a warner and a guide for every nation.

(ii) The Holy Prophet is a warner and every nation had a guide.

(iii) The Holy Prophet is a warner and every nation has a guide.

In view of the above-noted tradition reported by a large number of Muslim scholars the last interpretation must be accepted. 

*Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow; Verse 2) - سورة البقرة

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ لَوْلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا اللَّهُ أَوْ تَأْتِينَا آيَةٌ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۘ تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ ۝

[Shakir 2:118] And those who have no knowledge say: Why does not Allah speak to us or a sign come to us? Even thus said those before them, the like of what they say; their hearts are all alike. Indeed We have made the communications clear for a people who are sure.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 2:118]

It is wrong to use this verse to prove that the Holy Prophet did not have the power to perform miracles. The Quran bears witness that he had rent asunder the moon, yet the infidels said:

"This is the same magic continuing".

(Qamar: 1 and 2).

Besides those mentioned in the Quran, a large number of miracles, performed by him, have been recorded in the books of history reported on the authentic and unbreakable evidence of the traditions. Not only the Holy Prophet, but also the divinely chosen holy Imams had performed miracles whenever they deemed it necessary and thought that it could serve a definite purpose but refused to put them to use as an answer to the challenge of any antagonistic individual or group, who even after witnessing a miracle would not accept the truth. It is also true that the belief, generated by a miracle, deprives the individual of the possibility of enjoying the real value of the faith acquired through reason and conviction. The demand for miracles (as stated in verses 90 to 93 of Bani Israil) was made to satisfy the lust for witnessing wonders. It was not the true mission of the last prophet of Allah to satisfy the vain desires of the people who merely wanted to watch and enjoy miracles, The signs of Allah are enough for those who are sure. Likewise when prophet Isa was brought before Herod to perform a miracle, he, who had already performed a large number of miracles and whose very birth was the greatest miracle ever witnessed, refused to comply with the request. At another place he said to the Pharisees:

"It is a wicked, godless generation that asks for a sign;"

(Matthew 12: 39) 

Every messenger of Allah was put under pressure by the people either to persuade Allah to speak to them directly or make clear through some heavenly signs that whatever revealed was from Him.