251 Page Notes

13 Surah Ar-Rad (continued)

Page 251 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

13:14

13:15

13:16

13:17

13:18

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 251 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 251 of the Quran contains the transition from Surah Yusuf to Surah Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder), spanning verses 14 through 18. This section handles central theological themes: the futility of idol worship, cosmic submission to Allah, the dual nature of truth and falsehood, and the ultimate rewards of the afterlife.

Classical works of Tafsir (exegesis)—specifically those by Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Tabari—link these verses to several foundational Hadiths and elements of the Prophetic Sunnah.

Surah Ar-Ra'd (13), verse 14, located on page 251 of the standard Uthmani mushaf, focuses on the absolute truth of calling upon Allah alone (Tawhid) and the utter futility of idol worship or polytheism (Shirk).

Surah Ar-Ra'd (13:14): "To Him [alone] is the supplication of truth. And those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with a thing, except as one who stretches his hands towards water to reach his mouth, but it will not reach it [thus]. And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [i.e., futility]."

Classical works of Tafsir (such as Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Tabari) connect this verse to several well-documented authentic Hadiths and principles of the Prophetic Sunnah regarding the nature of Dua (supplication).

1. Supplication (Dua) is the Core of Worship

The verse begins by stating, "To Him [alone] is the supplication of truth..." Classical commentators note that this establishes Dua as the ultimate standard of directing devotion exclusively to Allah. This directly parallels the famous declaration by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding the legal and spiritual weight of supplication.

• The Hadith:
  Nu'man bin Bashir narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "Supplication (Dua) is itself worship." Then he recited: "And your Lord says: 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.' [Quran 40:60]" (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2969; Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1479).

   The Futility of Supplicating to Creation

The middle of the verse utilizes a vivid parable: trying to call on false deities is like a thirsty person stretching out his hands from afar, expecting the water to miraculously rise and enter his mouth on its own command—something that will never happen.

The Sunnah systematically combats this type of reliance on creation, emphasizing that only Allah can truly benefit or cause harm. The Prophet ﷺ taught this concept directly to the youth of his Ummah to anchor their Tawhid.

• The Hadith:
  Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
  "If you ask, ask Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the whole nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something that Allah had already prescribed against you." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516).

   The Prophetic Sunnah on the Manners of Drinking Water

Though the water metaphor in verse 14 primarily illustrates the despair and failure of polytheism, classical scholars note the stark contrast between the desperate, incorrect action described in the verse ("stretches his hands towards water to reach his mouth [but it fails]") and the proper Sunnah etiquette of drinking water taught by the Prophet ﷺ.

Instead of waiting passively or acting out of desperate greed, the Sunnah teaches structured mindfulness when interacting with water.

• The Hadith:
  Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "Do not drink in one breath like a camel, but drink in two or three (breaths). Mention the Name of Allah (say 'Bismillah') when you drink, and praise Him (say 'Alhamdulillah') when you finish." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1885).

   Why the Supplication of Believers is Checked

The verse concludes: "...And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [futility]." By contrast, the Sunnah provides the baseline promise that a believer's sincere Dua to Allah is never futile or lost. It is always answered in one of three ways, provided it does not contain sin or cut family ties.

• The Hadith:
  Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "There is no Muslim who supplicates to Allah with a supplication that does not contain sin or the severing of family ties, except that Allah will give him one of three things: either He will hasten his response in this world, or He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or He will avert an equivalent evil from him." (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 11133; graded Sahih by Al-Albani).

2. Surah Ar-Ra'd, Verse 15: Cosmic Prostration (Sajdah al-Tilawah)

"And to Allah prostrates whoever is within the heavens and the earth, willingly or by compulsion, and their shadows [as well] in the mornings and the afternoons."

The Sunnah of the Prostration of Recitation

This verse is one of the designated places in the Quran where a Sajdah al-Tilawah (prostration of recitation) is prescribed. When the Prophet ﷺ recited or heard this verse, he would perform a physical prostration to mirror the cosmic submission described in the text.

• The Hadith:
  Ibn Umar reported: "The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the Surah that contains a prostration to us, and he would prostrate, and we would prostrate along with him, to the extent that some of us could not find a place for our foreheads." (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim).

The Hadith on Satan's Despair

The Sunnah of bowing down upon reading verses like verse 15 carries an explicit spiritual reward detailed by the Prophet ﷺ.

• The Hadith:
  Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When the son of Adam recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Satan withdraws weeping, saying: 'Woe to me! The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so for him is Paradise. I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so for me is the Fire.'" (Sahih Muslim).

3. Surah Ar-Ra'd, Verse 16: Allah as the Sole Creator & Provider

"Say, 'Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?' Say, 'Allah.' Say, 'Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?'..."

This verse underscores the concept of Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah (the Unity of Divine Lordship) and Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah (the Unity of Worship). The phrasing closely mirrors a famous piece of advice the Prophet ﷺ gave to his young cousin, Abdullah ibn Abbas, establishing it as a baseline perspective on how a Muslim should view harm, benefit, and reliance.

• The Hadith:
  Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said to him: "Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you... Know that if the whole nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something that Allah had already prescribed against you." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi).

4. Surah Ar-Ra'd, Verse 17: The Parable of Water, Foam, and Pure Metal

"He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam. And from that [ore] which they heat in the fire, desiring adornments or utensils, is a foam like it. Thus Allah presents truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth..."

This verse uses a vivid nature metaphor: truth is like pure, life-giving water and solid precious metal, while falsehood is the empty, temporary foam that floats on top.

The Hadith on Knowledge and Guidance

The Prophet ﷺ utilized this exact imagery of rain hitting different types of earth to explain how human hearts receive divine revelation and knowledge.

• The Hadith:
  Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like a rain falling on the land. A part of the land was fertile so it absorbed water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. Another part of it was hard and held the water, and Allah benefited the people with it: they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it, and for irrigation. A third part of it was barren; it could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation..." (Sahih al-Bukhari).

The Hadith on the Removal of Doubts

Classical commentators note that the "foam" also represents Shubuhat (confusing doubts or desires) that temporarily cloud the heart. The Sunnah emphasizes keeping the core of the heart pure so that doubts naturally dry up like foam.

• The Hadith:
  An-Nu'man ibn Bashir reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor..." (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim).