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
وَيُسَبِّحُ ٱلرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِۦ وَيُرْسِلُ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُمْ يُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْمِحَالِ
And the thunder exalts [Allāh] with praise of Him - and the angels [as well] from fear of Him - and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allāh; and He is severe in assault.
۞ مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ أُكُلُهَا دَآئِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا ۚ تِلْكَ عُقْبَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ ۖ وَّعُقْبَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٱلنَّارُ
The example [i.e., description] of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade. That is the consequence for the righteous, and the consequence for the disbelievers is the Fire.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَدَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنْهَـٰرًا ۖ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
سَوَآءٌ مِّنكُم مَّنْ أَسَرَّ ٱلْقَوْلَ وَمَن جَهَرَ بِهِۦ وَمَنْ هُوَ مُسْتَخْفٍۭ بِٱلَّيْلِ وَسَارِبٌۢ بِٱلنَّهَارِ
It is the same [to Him] concerning you whether one conceals [his] speech or publicizes it and whether one is hidden by night or conspicuous [among others] by day.