سُوْرَةُ الرَّعْدِ
Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 16
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم): "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allâh." Say: "Have you then taken (for worship) Auliyâ’ (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 Allâh partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them?" Say: "Allâh is the Creator of all things; and He is the One, the Irresistible."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
مَن
man
Who
رَّبُّ
rabbu
(is) the Lord
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
(of) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم
afa-ittakhadhtum
Have you then taken
مِّن
min
from
دُونِهِۦٓ
dūnihi
besides Him
أَوْلِيَآءَ
awliyāa
protectors
لَا
lā
not
يَمْلِكُونَ
yamlikūna
they have power
لِأَنفُسِهِمْ
li-anfusihim
for themselves
نَفْعًۭا
nafʿan
(to) benefit
وَلَا
walā
and not
ضَرًّۭا ۚ
ḍarran
(to) harm
قُلْ
qul
Say
هَلْ
hal
Is
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
equal
ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
l-aʿmā
the blind
وَٱلْبَصِيرُ
wal-baṣīru
and the seeing
أَمْ
am
Or
هَلْ
hal
is
تَسْتَوِى
tastawī
equal
ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ
l-ẓulumātu
the darkness[es]
وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ
wal-nūru
and the light
أَمْ
am
Or
جَعَلُوا۟
jaʿalū
they attribute
لِلَّهِ
lillahi
to Allah
شُرَكَآءَ
shurakāa
partners
خَلَقُوا۟
khalaqū
who created
كَخَلْقِهِۦ
kakhalqihi
like His creation
فَتَشَـٰبَهَ
fatashābaha
so that seemed alike
ٱلْخَلْقُ
l-khalqu
the creation
عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ
ʿalayhim
to them
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
خَـٰلِقُ
khāliqu
(is) the Creator
كُلِّ
kulli
of all
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
things
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and He
ٱلْوَٰحِدُ
l-wāḥidu
(is) the One
ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ
l-qahāru
the Irresistible
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. 1. Here, it is an admission from the tongue of the Prophet. But from other places in the Quran, it is clear that the answer of the polytheists was also the same.
16. 2. That is, when you admit and acknowledge that the Lord of the heavens and the earth is Allah, who is the sole owner of all powers without any partner, then why do you consider those as friends and helpers who do not even have the power to benefit or harm themselves?
16. 3. That is, just as the blind and the seeing cannot be equal, similarly the monotheist and the polytheist cannot be equal, because the monotheist is filled with the insight of monotheism, while the polytheist is deprived of it. The monotheist has eyes, he sees the light of monotheism, and the polytheist does not see this light of monotheism, so he is blind. In the same way, just as darkness and light cannot be equal. A worshipper of Allah, whose heart is filled with radiance, and a polytheist, who is wandering in the darkness of ignorance and superstitions, cannot be equal.
16. 4. That is, it is not the case that they have fallen into some doubt, rather they admit that the Creator of everything is only and only Allah.
16. 2. That is, when you admit and acknowledge that the Lord of the heavens and the earth is Allah, who is the sole owner of all powers without any partner, then why do you consider those as friends and helpers who do not even have the power to benefit or harm themselves?
16. 3. That is, just as the blind and the seeing cannot be equal, similarly the monotheist and the polytheist cannot be equal, because the monotheist is filled with the insight of monotheism, while the polytheist is deprived of it. The monotheist has eyes, he sees the light of monotheism, and the polytheist does not see this light of monotheism, so he is blind. In the same way, just as darkness and light cannot be equal. A worshipper of Allah, whose heart is filled with radiance, and a polytheist, who is wandering in the darkness of ignorance and superstitions, cannot be equal.
16. 4. That is, it is not the case that they have fallen into some doubt, rather they admit that the Creator of everything is only and only Allah.
