Surah Ar-Ra’d Ayat 31 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 31
And if there was any qur’an by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur’an], but to Allah belongs the affair entirely. Then have those who believed not accepted that had Allah willed, He would have guided the people, all of them? And those who disbelieve do not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity – or it will descend near their home – until there comes the promise of Allah. Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise.
If there were a Qur’an with which mountains were moved, or the earth were cloven asunder, or the dead were made to speak, (this would be the one!) But, truly, the command is with Allah in all things! Do not the Believers know, that, had Allah (so) willed, He could have guided all mankind (to the right)? But the Unbelievers,- never will disaster cease to seize them for their (ill) deeds, or to settle close to their homes, until the promise of Allah come to pass, for, verily, Allah will not fail in His promise.
And what would have happened were a Qur’an to be revealed wherewith mountains could be set in motion, or the earth cleft, or the dead made to speak? (To show such signs is not at all difficult for) everything rests entirely with Allah. So, do not the people of faith (still look forward to such a sign in response to the demand of the unbelievers and) despair as a result of knowing that had Allah so willed, He could have guided all to the Truth. Misfortune continues to afflict the unbelievers on account of their misdeeds, or to befall on locations close to their habitation. This will continue until Allah’s promise (of chastisement) is fulfilled. Indeed Allah does not go back upon His promise.
And if there had been a Quran with which mountains could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Quran). But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah. Have not then those who believe yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieve because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the disaster) settle close to their homes, until the Promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly, Allah does not fail in His Promise.
Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move, or the earth to be torn asunder, or the dead to speak, (this Qur’an would have done so). Nay, but Allah’s is the whole command. Do not those who believe know that, had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? As for those who disbelieve, disaster ceaseth not to strike them because of what they do, or it dwelleth near their home until the threat of Allah come to pass. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst.
And if there had been a Qur’an whereby the mountains were made to travel or the earth were cut up (into pieces) or the dead were spoken to-no indeed, to Allah is the Command altogether. Have the ones who have believed then not learned (Literally: despaired “of human efforts”) that, if Allah decided, He would indeed have guided mankind altogether? And a smiler will not cease afflicting the ones who have disbelieved for what they have worked, (i.e., what they have done) or it (i.e., the punishment) alights near their residence until the promise of Allah comes up to them. Surely Allah does not fail His promised appointment.
If there were ever to be a Quran with which mountains could be moved, the earth shattered, or the dead made to speak [it would have been this one], but everything is truly in God’s hands. Do the believers not realize that if God had so willed, He could have guided all mankind? As for the disbelievers, because of their misdeeds, disaster will not cease to afflict them or fall close to their homes until God’s promise is fulfilled: God never fails to keep His promise.
اگر (بالفرض) کسی قرآن (آسمانی کتاب) کے ذریعے پہاڑ چلا دیئے جاتے یا زمین ٹکڑے ٹکڑے کر دی جاتی یا مردوں سے باتیں کرا دی جاتیں (پھر بھی وه ایمان نہ ﻻتے)، بات یہ ہے کہ سب کام اللہ کے ہاتھ میں ہے، تو کیا ایمان والوں کو اس بات پر دل جمعی نہیں کہ اگر اللہ تعالیٰ چاہے تو تمام لوگوں کو ہدایت دے دے۔ کفار کو تو ان کے کفر کے بدلے ہمیشہ ہی کوئی نہ کوئی سخت سزا پہنچتی رہے گی یا ان کے مکانوں کے قریب نازل ہوتی رہے گی تاوقتیکہ وعدہٴ الٰہی آپہنچے۔ یقیناً اللہ تعالیٰ وعده خلافی نہیں کرتا
Quran 13 Verse 31 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ar-Ra’d ayat 31, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(13:31) And what would have happened were a Qur’an to be revealed wherewith mountains could be set in motion, or the earth cleft, or the dead made to speak?[47] (To show such signs is not at all difficult for) everything rests entirely with Allah.[48] So, do not the people of faith (still look forward to such a sign in response to the demand of the unbelievers and) despair as a result of knowing that had Allah so willed, He could have guided all to the Truth.[49] Misfortune continues to afflict the unbelievers on account of their misdeeds, or to befall on locations close to their habitation. This will continue until Allah’s promise (of chastisement) is fulfilled. Indeed Allah does not go back upon His promise.
47. This verse has been addressed to the believers who were feeling uneasy that no such sign was being sent as was demanded by the disbelievers. They thought that such a sign would convince the disbelievers and they would accept Islam. Therefore when no such sign was sent, they became all the more uneasy for the lack of the fulfillment of the demand that gave rise to doubts about the Prophethood of the Messenger (peace be upon him). The question posed in this verse is meant to remove that uneasiness of the Muslims. It is like this: Do you think that they would have embraced Islam if such and such signs had been shown to them all of a sudden along with a Surah of the Quran? Are you under the delusion that they are quite ready to accept Islam and are waiting only for such a sign? Do you think that those people who have failed to see the light of the truth in the teachings of the Quran, in the phenomena of the universe, in the pure and spotless life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and in the wonderful change in the lives of his companions, would see the light of the truth in the moving of the mountains, in the cleavage of the earth and in the coming out of the dead from the graves?
48. “But to Allah belongs the command entirely” and He can show any sign if He so desires. He is not showing any sign for it does not fit in the scheme laid down for the guidance of man. As the real object is to show guidance to mankind through the Prophet and not to compel them to believe in the Prophethood of a Prophet, He desires that the people should gain guidance by thinking and observing wisely and not by seeing signs.
49. That is, if the object had been to make human beings believers even without consciously understanding it, Allah could have created them believers by birth.
Ibn-Kathir
31. And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Qur’an). But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah. Have not then those who believed yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the disaster) settles close to their homes, until the promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly, Allah breaks not His promise.
Allah praises the Qur’an which He has revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and prefers it to all other divinely revealed Books before it,
(And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved,) Allah says, `If there were a Book among the previous Divine Books with which the mountains could be moved from their places, or the earth could be cleaved asunder, or the dead speak in their graves, it would have been this Qur’an and none else.’ Or, this Qur’an is more worthy to cause all this, because of its marvelous eloquence that defies the ability of mankind and the Jinns, even if all of them gather their forces together to invent something like it or even a Surah like it. Yet, these idolators disbelieve in the Qur’an and reject it. Allah said,
(But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah.) The decision over all affairs is with Allah Alone, whatever He wills, occurs and whatever He does not will, never occurs. Certainly, he whom Allah misguides, will never find enlightenment and he whom Allah guides, will never be misled. We should state here that it is possible to call other Divine Books, `Qur’an’, since this Qur’an is based on all of them. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Reciting was made easy for (Prophet) Dawud (David) in that he used to order that his animal be prepared for him to ride and in the meantime he would read the entire Qur’an. He used to eat only from what his hand made.) Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith. The Qur’an mentioned here is refers to the Zabur. Allah said next,
(Have not then those who believed yet known) that not all people would believe and understand and that,
(had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind) Surely, there is not a miracle or evidence more eloquent or effective on the heart and mind than this Qur’an. Had Allah revealed it to a mountain, you would see the mountain shake and humbled from fear of Allah. The Sahih recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Every Prophet was given (a miracle) the type of which would make (some) people believe. What I was given, however, is a revelation from Allah to me, and I hope that I will have the most following among them (Prophets) on the Day of Resurrection.) This Hadith indicates that every Prophet’s miracle disappeared upon his death, but this Qur’an will remain as evidence for all times. Verily, the miracle of the Qur’an will never end, nor will it become old the more it is read, nor will scholars ever have enough of it. The Qur’an is serious and is not meant for jest; any tyrant that abandons it, Allah will destroy him; he who seeks guidance in other than the Qur’an, then Allah will misguide him. Allah said next,
(But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah.) Ibn `Abbas commented, “He will only do what He wills and He decided that He will not do that.” Ibn Ishaq reported a chain for this, and Ibn Jarir At-Tabari agreed with it. Allah said next,
(And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it settles close to their homes,) because of their denial, disasters will still strike them in this life or strike those all around them, as a lesson and example for them. Allah said in other Ayat,
(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the Ayat in various ways that they might return (to the truth).)﴿46-27﴾, and,
(See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders Is it then they who will overcome) ﴿21:44﴾ Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan commented on Allah’s statement,
(or it settles close to their homes,) “It is in reference to the disaster.” This is the apparent meaning here. Al-`Awfi reported that bin `Abbas said about,
(And a Qari`ah (disaster) strikes them because of their (evil) deeds) “A torment that descends on them from heaven,
(or it settles close to their homes,) when the Messenger of Allah camps near their area and fights them.” Similar was reported from Mujahid and Qatadah. `Ikrimah said in another narration he reported from Ibn `Abbas that,
(Qari’ah) means affliction. These scholars also said that,
(until the promise of Allah comes to pass.) refers to the conquering of Makkah. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that it refers to the Day of Resurrection. Allah said next,
(Certainly, Allah breaks not His promise.) to His Messengers to aid them and their followers in this life and the Hereafter,
(So think not that Allah will fail to keep His promise to His Messengers. Certainly, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution.)﴿14:47﴾
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