( Source: Ibn Kathir )
(12) It is He who shows you the lightning, as a fear (for travellers) and as a hope (for those who wait for rain). And it is He Who brings up (or originates) the clouds, heavy (with water).
Allah states that He has full power over Al-Barq (lightning), which is the bright light that originates from within clouds. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas once wrote to Abu Al-Jald asking about the meaning of Al-Barq, and he said that it is water.
(as a fear and as a hope.) "Fear for travelers, for they feel afraid of its harm and hardship, and hope for residents, awaiting its blessing and benefit and anticipating Allah's provisions.''
(And it is He Who brings up the clouds, heavy.) meaning, He originates the clouds that are heavy and close to the ground because of being laden with rain.
(13) And Ar-Ra'd(thunder) glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His Awe, He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills, yet they (disbelievers) dispute about Allah. And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.
(And Ar-Ra'd (thunder) glorifies and praises Him), is similar to His other statement,
(And there is not a thing but glorifies His praise.) ﴿17:44﴾
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibrahim bin Sa`d said, "My father told me that he was sitting next to Hamid bin `Abdur Rahman in the Masjid. A man from the tribe of Ghifar passed and Hamid sent someone to him to please come to them. When he came, Hamid said to me, `My nephew! Make space for him between me and you, for he had accompanied Allah's Messenger .' When that man came, he sat between me and Hamid and Hamid said to him, `What was the Hadith that you narrated to me from the Messenger of Allah ' He said, `A man from Ghifar said that he heard the Prophet say, (Verily, Allah originates the clouds, and they speak in the most beautiful voice and laugh in the most beautiful manner.) It appears, and Allah has the best knowledge, that the cloud's voice is in reference to thunder and its laughter is the lightning.
Musa bin `Ubaydah narrated that Sa`d bin Ibrahim said, "Allah sends the rain and indeed, none has a better smile than it, nor more comforting voice. Its smile is lightning and its voice is thunder.''
Imam Ahmad recorded that Salim bin `Abdullah narrated that his father said that the Messenger of Allah used to say upon hearing the thunder and thunderbolts, (O Allah! Do not kill us with Your anger, nor destroy us with Your torment, and save us before that.'' This Hadith was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Al-Bukhari in his book Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, An-Nasa'i in `Amal Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak.
When `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr used to hear thunder, he would stop talking and would supplicate, "All praise is to He Whom Ar-Ra`d (thunder) glorifies and praises, and so do the angels because of His awe.'' He would then say, "This is a stern warning to the people of earth.'' Malik collected this Hadith in Al-Muwatta', and Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, (Your Lord, the Exalted and Most High, said, `Had My servants obeyed Me, I would have given them rain by night and the sun by day, and would not have made them hear the sound of the Ra`d (thunder).')
(He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills,) indicates that He sends thunderbolts as punishment upon whom He wills, and this is why thunderbolts increase as time comes to an end.
(And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.) Allah's torment is severe against those who rebel against Him, defy Him and persist in disbelief, according to the Tafsir of Ibn Jarir At-Tabari.
(14) For Him (Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He). And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not, and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use).
Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement,
(For Him is the Word of Truth.) is in reference to Tawhid, according to Ibn Jarir At-Tabari. Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, and Malik who narrated it from Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, said that, (For Him is the Word of Truth.) means, "La ilaha illallah.''
(And those whom they invoke besides Him...), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah,
(like one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth,) `Ali bin Abi Talib commented, "Like he who stretches his hand on the edge of a deep well to reach the water, even though his hands do not reach it; so how can the water reach his mouth''
(like one who stretches forth his hand) "Calling the water with his words and pointing at it, but it will never come to him this way.'' The meaning of this Ayah is that he who stretches his hand to water from far away, to either collect some or draw some from far away, will not benefit from the water which will not reach his mouth, where water should be consumed. Likewise, those idolators who call another deity besides Allah, will never benefit from these deities in this life or the Hereafter,
(and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)
(15) And unto Allah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons.
The Guardian Angels
(11) For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him.They guard him by the Command of Allah. Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector.
(For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah.) Allah states that there are angels who take turns guarding each servant, some by night and some by day. These angels protect each person from harm and accidents. There are also angels who take turns recording the good and evil deeds, some angels do this by day and some by night. There are two angels, one to the right and one to the left of each person, recording the deeds. The angel to the right records the good deeds, while the angel to the left records the evil deeds. There are also two angels that guard and protect each person, one from the back and one from in front. Therefore, there are four angels that surround each person by day and they are replaced by four others at night, two scribes and two guards.
An authentic Hadith states, (Angels take turns around you, some at night and some by day, and all of them assemble together at the time of the Fajr and `Asr prayers. Then those who have stayed with you throughout the night, ascend to Allah Who asks them, and He knows the answer better than they about you, "How have you left My servants'' They reply, "As we have found them praying, we have left them praying.'')
Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said, (Verily, every one among you has his companion from the Jinn and his companion from the angels.'') They said, "And you too, O Allah's Messenger'' He said, (And I too, except that Allah has helped me against him, so he only orders me to do good.)
Muslim collected this Hadith. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibrahim said, "Allah revealed to a Prophet from among the Children of Israel, `Say to your nation: every people of a village or a house who used to obey Allah but changed their behavior to disobeying Him, then He will take away from them what they like and exchange it for what they dislike.''
Clouds, Thunder and Lightning are Signs of Allah's Power
Allah states that He has full power over Al-Barq (lightning), which is the bright light that originates from within clouds. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas once wrote to Abu Al-Jald asking about the meaning of Al-Barq, and he said that it is water.
(as a fear and as a hope.) "Fear for travelers, for they feel afraid of its harm and hardship, and hope for residents, awaiting its blessing and benefit and anticipating Allah's provisions.''
(And it is He Who brings up the clouds, heavy.) meaning, He originates the clouds that are heavy and close to the ground because of being laden with rain.
(And Ar-Ra'd (thunder) glorifies and praises Him), is similar to His other statement,
(And there is not a thing but glorifies His praise.) ﴿17:44﴾
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibrahim bin Sa`d said, "My father told me that he was sitting next to Hamid bin `Abdur Rahman in the Masjid. A man from the tribe of Ghifar passed and Hamid sent someone to him to please come to them. When he came, Hamid said to me, `My nephew! Make space for him between me and you, for he had accompanied Allah's Messenger .' When that man came, he sat between me and Hamid and Hamid said to him, `What was the Hadith that you narrated to me from the Messenger of Allah ' He said, `A man from Ghifar said that he heard the Prophet say, (Verily, Allah originates the clouds, and they speak in the most beautiful voice and laugh in the most beautiful manner.) It appears, and Allah has the best knowledge, that the cloud's voice is in reference to thunder and its laughter is the lightning.
Musa bin `Ubaydah narrated that Sa`d bin Ibrahim said, "Allah sends the rain and indeed, none has a better smile than it, nor more comforting voice. Its smile is lightning and its voice is thunder.''
Supplicating to Allah upon hearing Ar-Ra`d (Thunder)
When `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr used to hear thunder, he would stop talking and would supplicate, "All praise is to He Whom Ar-Ra`d (thunder) glorifies and praises, and so do the angels because of His awe.'' He would then say, "This is a stern warning to the people of earth.'' Malik collected this Hadith in Al-Muwatta', and Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, (Your Lord, the Exalted and Most High, said, `Had My servants obeyed Me, I would have given them rain by night and the sun by day, and would not have made them hear the sound of the Ra`d (thunder).')
(He sends the thunderbolts, and therewith He strikes whom He wills,) indicates that He sends thunderbolts as punishment upon whom He wills, and this is why thunderbolts increase as time comes to an end.
(And He is Mighty in strength and Severe in punishment.) Allah's torment is severe against those who rebel against Him, defy Him and persist in disbelief, according to the Tafsir of Ibn Jarir At-Tabari.
A Parable for the Weakness of the False Gods of the Polytheists
Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement,
(For Him is the Word of Truth.) is in reference to Tawhid, according to Ibn Jarir At-Tabari. Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, and Malik who narrated it from Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, said that, (For Him is the Word of Truth.) means, "La ilaha illallah.''
(And those whom they invoke besides Him...), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah,
(like one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth,) `Ali bin Abi Talib commented, "Like he who stretches his hand on the edge of a deep well to reach the water, even though his hands do not reach it; so how can the water reach his mouth''
(like one who stretches forth his hand) "Calling the water with his words and pointing at it, but it will never come to him this way.'' The meaning of this Ayah is that he who stretches his hand to water from far away, to either collect some or draw some from far away, will not benefit from the water which will not reach his mouth, where water should be consumed. Likewise, those idolators who call another deity besides Allah, will never benefit from these deities in this life or the Hereafter,
(and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)
Everything prostrates unto Allah
Allah affirms His might and power, for He has full control over everything, and everything is subservient to Him. Therefore, everything, including the believers, prostrate to Allah willingly, while the disbelievers do so unwillingly,
(and so do their shadows in the mornings), in the beginning of the days,
(and in the afternoons.) towards the end of the days.
(Have they not observed things that Allah has created: (how) their shadows incline.) ﴿16:48﴾
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