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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. Say, "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say, "Allah." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him protectors who have no power even over their own benefit or harm?" Say, "Can the blind and the seeing be equal? Or can darkness and light be equal? Or have they assigned to Allah partners who created anything like His creation, so that the creation seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme."
[24]
﴿من دون الله﴾ are not creators or owners of anything, so how can they have any authority?
The polytheists of Makkah admitted that Allah alone is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, as well as everything in the universe. Their deities have no share in the creation of the universe, and it is also an established fact that the Creator has complete authority over His creation. Now, the question to them is: when your deities have not created anything, how did they become partners in the management of the universe? And how did you fall into the misconception that they are also partners and shareholders in the management of the universe? The second point is that, let alone creating anything, they themselves are created and dependent, and they do not even have control over their own benefit or harm, so how can they benefit you or remove your difficulties? Now, if one person acts in light of these arguments and worships only Allah—because He alone is the Creator and the Owner of benefit and harm—and another does not pay attention to these arguments and remains stuck in blind imitation of his forefathers, can the condition of these two be the same?
[24]
﴿من دون الله﴾ are not creators or owners of anything, so how can they have any authority?
The polytheists of Makkah admitted that Allah alone is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, as well as everything in the universe. Their deities have no share in the creation of the universe, and it is also an established fact that the Creator has complete authority over His creation. Now, the question to them is: when your deities have not created anything, how did they become partners in the management of the universe? And how did you fall into the misconception that they are also partners and shareholders in the management of the universe? The second point is that, let alone creating anything, they themselves are created and dependent, and they do not even have control over their own benefit or harm, so how can they benefit you or remove your difficulties? Now, if one person acts in light of these arguments and worships only Allah—because He alone is the Creator and the Owner of benefit and harm—and another does not pay attention to these arguments and remains stuck in blind imitation of his forefathers, can the condition of these two be the same?
