وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَيُحْىِۦ بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ 24
Translations
And of His signs is [that] He shows you the lightning [causing] fear and aspiration, and He sends down rain from the sky by which He brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that are signs for a people who use reason.
Transliteration
Wa min ayatihi yureekum al-barqa khawfan wa tama'an wa yunazzilu min as-sama'i ma'an fa-yuhyi bihi al-arda ba'da mawtiha. Inna fee dhalika la-ayatin li-qawmin ya'qilun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents lightning and rain as divine signs demonstrating Allah's power and wisdom. Lightning evokes both fear (from its danger) and hope (as a sign of forthcoming rain), while the rain itself revives the dead earth, symbolizing spiritual resurrection and renewal. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi emphasize that these natural phenomena are not coincidental but deliberate signs (ayat) pointing to the Creator's attributes of power, mercy, and sustenance, designed specifically for those who reflect upon creation with reason ('aql).
Revelation Context
Surah Ar-Rum is a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists of Mecca. This ayah appears within a broader passage (30:20-25) enumerating Allah's signs in creation—including human creation, language diversity, sleep, and the celestial bodies. The context emphasizes that these observable natural phenomena are clear evidences of Allah's oneness, intended to guide those willing to use their intellect to recognize the Creator.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The cloud is the House of water, the wind is the messenger of the punishment of Allah, and the rain is the mercy of Allah' (authenticated in various collections). Additionally, Islamic tradition encourages reflection on rain and lightning as reminders of the Day of Judgment and divine power.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to observe the natural world as a direct communication from Allah, cultivating both reverence (through the fear inspired by lightning) and hope (through the provision of rain), while encouraging rational contemplation as a pathway to deeper faith and gratitude for divine sustenance.
Related Ayahs
لِّتَسْلُكُوا۟ مِنْهَا سُبُلًا فِجَاجًا
That you may follow therein roads of passage.'"
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا۟ شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
It is He who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot; then He brings you out as a child; then [He develops you] that you reach your [time of] maturity, then [further] that you become elders. And among you is he who is taken in death before [that], so that you reach a specified term; and perhaps you will use reason.
وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَرْسَىٰهَا
And the mountains He set firmly
وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـٰبِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا رُجُومًا لِّلشَّيَـٰطِينِ ۖ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with lamps [i.e., stars] and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze.