هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنشِئُ ٱلسَّحَابَ ٱلثِّقَالَ 12
Translations
It is He who shows you lightning, [causing] fear and aspiration, and generates the heavy clouds.
Transliteration
Huwa alladhee yureekumu albarqa khawfan wa tama'an wa yunshi'u as-sahaba ath-thiqal
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah Most High is the One who shows you lightning, which instills both fear (of its destructive power and the thunder that follows) and hope (for the rain and mercy it brings), and He creates the heavy, laden clouds. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this ayah demonstrates Allah's complete dominion over the natural phenomena that control human sustenance and survival, showcasing His power and wisdom in creating conditions that both threaten and benefit humanity simultaneously.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ar-Ra'd, a Medinan surah that emphasizes Allah's signs (ayat) in creation and His absolute authority. The surah's broader context discusses divine proofs and the inevitability of Allah's judgment, with this particular ayah exemplifying how observable natural phenomena serve as evidence of Allah's power and perfect wisdom in managing the universe.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have sought refuge from thunder and lightning, as narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud: 'When the sky darkens with clouds and thunder, the Prophet would say: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of this thunder.' This demonstrates the recognition of both the power and the mercy contained in these phenomena.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to recognize Allah's wisdom in creation, where apparent dangers (lightning, thunder) carry blessings (rain, fertility) for those who trust in Him. It invites reflection on how we should balance our fear of Allah's might with hope in His mercy and providential care.
Related Ayahs
۞ أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
Then is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like one who is blind? They will only be reminded who are people of understanding -
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَأْتِى ٱلْأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? And Allāh decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا ۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا وَاقٍ
And thus We have revealed it as an Arabic legislation. And if you should follow their inclinations after what has come to you of knowledge, you would not have against Allāh any ally or any protector.
ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ
Those who fulfill the covenant of Allāh and do not break the contract,