سُوْرَةُ الشُّوْرٰي
Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 28
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا۟ وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُۥ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ ﴿28﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired, and spreads His Mercy. And He is the Walî (Helper, Supporter, Protector, Lord), Worthy of all Praise.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And He
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
(is) the One Who
يُنَزِّلُ
yunazzilu
sends down
ٱلْغَيْثَ
l-ghaytha
the rain
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مَا
mā
[what]
قَنَطُوا۟
qanaṭū
they have despaired
وَيَنشُرُ
wayanshuru
and spreads
رَحْمَتَهُۥ ۚ
raḥmatahu
His mercy
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And He
ٱلْوَلِىُّ
l-waliyu
(is) the Protector
ٱلْحَمِيدُ
l-ḥamīdu
the Praiseworthy
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 28) ➊ { وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوْا: ’’ الْغَيْثَ ‘‘} That rain which comes after drought, because through it the helpless and powerless humans and animals are aided, as He said: « ثُمَّ يَاْتِيْ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ ذٰلِكَ عَامٌ فِيْهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ» [ یوسف : ۴۹ ] “Then after that, a year will come in which people will be given rain.” After stating that Allah does not give His servants more than their need, because He knows that increasing sustenance according to their demands would lead to their rebellion and the corruption of the world’s system, it is mentioned that if they are in need of rain, upon which the life of all living beings depends, whether humans or animals, birds or beasts, or insects of the earth, then He surely bestows it upon them out of His mercy. Thus, He said, and He is the One Who sends down the rain.
➋ For the explanation of { مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوْا: ’’ قُنُوْطٌ‘‘}, see the commentary of Surah Ha Meem As-Sajdah, verse (49). After they have lost hope and the signs of despair have appeared on their faces, meaning they have lost hope for rain due to a period of famine. In this verse, there is also a refutation of the materialists who say that everything in the world happens automatically according to causes, that there is neither a Creator of this universe nor anyone who runs it according to His will. The refutation is as follows: according to these people, naturally, with the heat of the sun, vapors rise from the sea, which form clouds and fall as rain on the earth. The question is, then why, despite one earth, one sea, one sun, and all causes being the same, does it not always rain equally everywhere? Surely, all this is under the control of the Owner of all these things; wherever He wills, He imposes drought and dryness for years, then whenever He wills, He starts the cycle of rain again.
➌ { وَ يَنْشُرُ رَحْمَتَهٗ:} That is, in the form of rain, He spreads His mercy everywhere—in fields, mountains, forests, and seas. He sends down rain from clouds so heavy that if the entire creation tried to lift them, they could not, and if all combined tried to sprinkle water on this earth, they could not do so. Then everywhere, streams, ponds, greenery, plants, trees, fields, frogs, crickets, insects, and other living beings spread out. With this rain, He brings forth shoots softer than silk from such hard earth that is difficult to dig even with pickaxes, and with this rain, He brings forth buds more delicate than the tongues of birds from the hard trunks of trees, which even cutting tools can hardly carve. Then how ignorant and deceived are those who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead from their graves. (Biqā‘ī)
➍ {وَ هُوَ الْوَلِيُّ الْحَمِيْدُ:} That is, He alone is the caretaker and responsible for all the affairs of the universe, and He alone possesses every perfection.
➋ For the explanation of { مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوْا: ’’ قُنُوْطٌ‘‘}, see the commentary of Surah Ha Meem As-Sajdah, verse (49). After they have lost hope and the signs of despair have appeared on their faces, meaning they have lost hope for rain due to a period of famine. In this verse, there is also a refutation of the materialists who say that everything in the world happens automatically according to causes, that there is neither a Creator of this universe nor anyone who runs it according to His will. The refutation is as follows: according to these people, naturally, with the heat of the sun, vapors rise from the sea, which form clouds and fall as rain on the earth. The question is, then why, despite one earth, one sea, one sun, and all causes being the same, does it not always rain equally everywhere? Surely, all this is under the control of the Owner of all these things; wherever He wills, He imposes drought and dryness for years, then whenever He wills, He starts the cycle of rain again.
➌ { وَ يَنْشُرُ رَحْمَتَهٗ:} That is, in the form of rain, He spreads His mercy everywhere—in fields, mountains, forests, and seas. He sends down rain from clouds so heavy that if the entire creation tried to lift them, they could not, and if all combined tried to sprinkle water on this earth, they could not do so. Then everywhere, streams, ponds, greenery, plants, trees, fields, frogs, crickets, insects, and other living beings spread out. With this rain, He brings forth shoots softer than silk from such hard earth that is difficult to dig even with pickaxes, and with this rain, He brings forth buds more delicate than the tongues of birds from the hard trunks of trees, which even cutting tools can hardly carve. Then how ignorant and deceived are those who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead from their graves. (Biqā‘ī)
➍ {وَ هُوَ الْوَلِيُّ الْحَمِيْدُ:} That is, He alone is the caretaker and responsible for all the affairs of the universe, and He alone possesses every perfection.
