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Ar-Ra`d (Thunder)
Name
This Surah takes its name from the word (ar-Ra'ad) (thunder) that occurs
in v. 13. It is merely the symbolic name of the Surah and does not in
any way mean that the Surah deals with the scientific problems connected
with thunder.
Period of Revelation
The internal evidence (vv. 27-31 and vv. 34-48) shows that this Surah
was revealed in the last stage of the Mission of the Holy Prophet at Makkah
and during the same period in which Surahs Yunus, Hud and Al- A'araf were
sent down. The manner of speech indicates that a long time had passed
since the Holy Prophet had been conveying the Message. On the one hand,
his opponents had been contriving different devices to defeat him and
his Mission, and, on the other, his followers had been expressing a desire
that by showing a miracle the disbelievers might be brought to the Right
Way. In answer, Allah impressed on the Believers that it is not His way
to convert people by this method and that they should not lose heart,
if He is giving the enemies of the Truth a rope long enough to hang themselves.
Otherwise, He is able to show such signs as may bring the dead out of
their graves and make them speak (v. 31), but even then these obdurate
people will invent an excuse to explain this away. All this decisive evidence
clearly proves that this Surah was revealed during the last stage of the
Prophet's Mission at Makkah.
Central Theme
The first verse enunciates the main theme of this Surah, that is, "The
Message of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) is the very Truth, but
it is the fault of the people that they are rejecting it." This is the
pivot on which the whole Surah turns. This is why it has been shown over
and over again in different ways that the basic components of the Message
-- Tauhid, Resurrection and Prophethood-are a reality: therefore they
should believe sincerely in these for their own moral and spiritual good.
They have been warned that they shall incur their own ruin if they reject
them, for kufr by itself is sheer folly and ignorance. Moreover, the aim
of the Surah is not merely to satisfy the minds but also to appeal to
the hearts to accept the Faith. Therefore it does not merely put forward
logical arguments in support of the truth of the Message and against the
people's wrong notions, but at appropriate intervals it makes frequent
use of sympathetic and earnest appeals to win over their hearts by warning
them of the consequences of kufr and by holding out the happy rewards
of Faith so that the foolish people should give up their obduracy.
Besides this, the objections of the opponents have been answered without
any mention of them, and those doubts which are proving a hindrance in
the way of the Message or were being created by the opponents have been
removed. At the same time, the Believers; who had been passing through
long and hard ordeal and were feeling tired, and waiting anxiously for
Allah's succour, have been comforted and filled with hope and courage.
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