Surah Ar-Ra’d Ayat 16 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 16
Say, “Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?” Say, “Allah.” Say, “Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?” Say, “Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allah partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?” Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing.”
Say: “Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “(It is) Allah.” Say: “Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?” Say: “Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?” Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: “Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible.”
Ask them: “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “Allah.” Tell them: “Have you taken beside Him as your patrons those who do not have the power to benefit or to hurt even themselves?” Say: “Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equals? Or can light and darkness be deemed equals?” If that is not so, then have those whom they associate with Allah in His Divinity ever created anything like what Allah did so that the question of creation has become dubious to them? Say: “Allah is the creator of everything. He is the One, the Irresistible.”
Say (O Muhammad SAW): “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “(It is) Allah.” Say: “Have you then taken (for worship) Auliya’ (protectors, etc.) 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, He is the One, the Irresistible.”
Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto 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 Almighty.
Say, “Who is The Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say, ” Allah.” Say, “Then have you taken to yourselves, apart from Him, constant patrons (who) do not possess for themselves neither profit nor harm?” Say, “Are the blind (man) and the beholding (one) equal? Or even are the darknesses and the light equal?” Or have they made up for Allah associates who created the like of His creation, so that creation appeared similar to them? Say, ” Allah is The Creator of everything and He is The One, The Superb Vanquisher.”
Say [Prophet], ‘Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘God.’ Say, ‘Why do you take protectors other than Him, who can neither benefit nor harm even themselves?’ Say, ‘Are the blind equal to those who can see? And are the depths of darkness equal to the light?’ Have the partners they assign to God created anything like His creation so that their creation is indistinguishable from His? Say, ‘God is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the All Compelling.’
آپ پوچھئے کہ آسمانوں اور زمین کا پروردگار کون ہے؟ کہہ دیجئے! اللہ۔ کہہ دیجئے! کیا تم پھر بھی اس کے سوا اوروں کو حمایتی بنا رہے ہو جو خود اپنی جان کے بھی بھلے برے کا اختیار نہیں رکھتے۔ کہہ دیجئے کہ کیا اندھا اور بینا برابر ہو سکتا ہے؟ یا کیا اندھیریاں اور روشنی برابر ہو سکتی ہے۔ کیا جنہیں یہ اللہ کے شریک ٹھہرا رہے ہیں انہوں نے بھی اللہ کی طرح مخلوق پیدا کی ہے کہ ان کی نظر میں پیدائش مشتبہ ہوگئی ہو، کہہ دیجئے کہ صرف اللہ ہی تمام چیزوں کا خالق ہے وه اکیلا ہے اور زبردست غالب ہے
Quran 13 Verse 16 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ar-Ra’d ayat 16, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(13:16) Ask them: “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “Allah.”[26] Tell them: “Have you taken beside Him as your patrons those who do not have the power to benefit or to hurt even themselves?” Say: “Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equals?[27] Or can light and darkness be deemed equals?”[28] If that is not so, then have those whom they associate with Allah in His Divinity ever created anything like what Allah did so that the question of creation has become dubious to them?[29] Say: “Allah is the creator of everything. He is the One, the Irresistible.”[30]
26. It will be worthwhile to note that though the question, “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” was put to the disbelievers, Allah told the Prophet (peace be upon him) to answer it himself and say, “Allah”. This was because the disbelievers hesitated to answer it one way or the other. They could not say that it was not Allah for they themselves believed that Allah was the Creator of everything. On the other hand, they could not acknowledge this fact in so many words in answer to such question. For, they would then have to acknowledge the doctrine of Tauhid. Then no basis could have been left in favor of shirk. As they realized their weak position, they would not give any answer to such questions. That is why Allah asks His Messenger (peace be upon him) to put such questions to the disbelievers: “Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Who is the Lord of the Universe? Who sustains you with provisions of life?” When they do not give any answer to such questions, Allah asks His Messenger (peace be upon him) to say “Allah” in answer. He then proceeds on with this argument: When Allah does all these things, how do the deities you worship come in?
27. The blind man is the person who cannot see any of the countless signs of the Oneness of Allah, though these lie spread over before him in the universe. On the other hand, the seeing man is the person who can see in every particle of the universe and in every leaf of grass and tree signs pointing to their Creator. Thus the question that has been posed means: O disbelievers, if you are blind to the signs, why should the one who can see the signs should behave like a blind man and stumble along like you?
28. Here “light” means the light of the knowledge of the truth which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers possessed. In contrast to this, there was the “darkness” of ignorance in which the disbelievers were wandering about. The question that has been posed means to ask this: Why should those, who have received the light, extinguish it and wander about in the darkness like you? Well, if you do not know the worth of the light, you may choose to wander in the darkness. But how can you expect the one who has received the light and who appreciates the difference between the light and the darkness, and who is seeing the right way as if in broad daylight, to leave the light and wander about in the darkness?
29. The question is intended to impress on the disbelievers that there is absolutely no reason why they should practice shirk. When they themselves admit that their gods did not create even an iota in the universe and that they do not have even the smallest and most insignificant share in the creation, there remains no ground for them to cherish any doubts about it. Why should, then, their false gods and deities share the rights and powers of the Real Creator?
30. The Arabic word Qahhar literally means “The one who rules over all by virtue of His own power, and keeps all under His complete control.”
This fact that He is “the One, the Prevailing” follows naturally from the preceding fact that “Allah is the Creator of all things” for this fact was also acknowledged by the mushriks and was never denied by them. This is so because the Creator of everything should logically be Unique, and every other thing or being must necessarily be His creation. Therefore nothing could be the equal of the Creator or partner in His Being, attributes, powers and rights. Likewise, the Creator must have complete power and control over His Creation.
For, it can never be imagined that the Creator would create anything over which He has not full control. Therefore, the one who acknowledges Allah to be the Creator must also acknowledge Him to be the Unique and the All-Powerful. After this, there remains no reason why one should worship anyone other than the Creator or invoke someone else for help in resolving his difficulties and fulfilling his needs.
Ibn-Kathir
16. Say: “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth” Say: “(It is) Allah.” Say: “Have you then taken (for worship) Awliya’ (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 seemed alike to them” Say: “Allah is the Creator of all things; and He is the One, the Irresistible.”
Allah affirms here that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, since they admit that He alone created the heavens and the earth and that He is their Lord and the Disposer of all affairs. Yet, they take as lords others besides Allah and worship them, even though these false gods do not have the power to benefit or harm themselves, or those who worship them. Therefore, the polytheists will not benefit or have harm removed from them by these false deities. Are those who worship the false deities instead of Allah equal to those who worship Him alone, without partners, and thus have a light from their Lord This is why Allah said here,
(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 creations seemed alike to them”) Allah asks, `Do these polytheists worship gods besides Him that rival Him in what He created Have their false deities created similar creations to those Allah created and, thus, they are confused between the two types of creations, not knowing which was created by others besides Allah’ Rather, the Ayah proves that the truth is nothing like this. There is none similar to Allah, nor does He have an equal, a rival, anyone like Him, a minister, a son, or a wife. Allah is glorified in that He is far away from all that is ascribed to Him. These idolators worship gods that they themselves admit were created by Allah and are subservient to Him. They used to say during their Talbiyah: “Here we rush to Your obedience. There is no partner for You, except Your partner, You own him and he owns not.” Allah also mentioned their polytheistic statements in other Ayat,
(We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.) ﴿39:3﴾ Allah admonished them for this false creed, stating that only those whom He chooses are allowed to intercede with Him,
(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits.) ﴿34:23﴾
(And there are many angels in the heavens…..)﴿53:26﴾, and,
(There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.) ﴿19:93-95﴾ If all are Allah’s servants, then why do any of them worships each other without proof or evidence that allows them to do so Rather, they rely on sheer opinion and innovation in the religion, even though Allah has sent all of His Prophets and Messengers, from beginning to end, prohibiting this practice (polytheism) and ordering them to refrain from worshipping others besides Allah. They defied their Messengers and rebelled against them, and this is why the word of punishment struck them as a worthy recompense, e
(And your Lord treats no one with injustice) ﴿18:49﴾
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