Surah Ar Rum Notes (45-51)

Source: Ibn Kathir

 (45) That He may reward those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous good deeds, out of His Bounty. Verily, He likes not the disbelievers.

(That He may reward those who believe. and do righteous good deeds, out of His bounty.) meaning that He may reward them from His bounty, in return for one good deed, he will get the reward for ten, up to seven hundred like it, as much as Allah wills.

(Verily, He likes not the disbelievers.) yet He is still just with them and does not oppress them.

Among the Signs of Allah are the Winds

 (46) And among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds as glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy (i.e. rain), and that the ships may sail at His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful.

Here Allah mentions the favor He does for His creatures by sending winds to them, as harbingers of His mercy, meaning that they will be followed by rain. Allah says:

(giving you a taste of His mercy,) that is, the rain which will come down and revive people and the land.

(and that the ships may sail at His command,) means, on the sea, for they are driven by the wind.

(and that you may seek of His bounty,) means, by trading, earning a living and traveling from one country to another, one region to another.

(in order that you may be thankful.) means, that you may give thanks to Allah for the innumerable favors He has done for you, both visible and hidden. 

 (47) And indeed We did send Messengers before you (O Muhammad SAW) to their own peoples. They came to them with clear proofs, then, We took vengeance on those who committed crimes (disbelief, setting partners in worship with Allah, sins, etc.), and (as for) the believers it was incumbent upon Us to help (them).

(And indeed We did send Messengers before you to their own peoples. They came to them with clear proofs, then, We took vengeance on those who committed crimes;) These are words of consolation from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad . They tell him that if many of his people and of mankind disbelieve in him, the previous Messengers were also rejected, despite the clear signs that they brought, but Allah punished those who rejected and opposed them, and saved those who believed in them.

(and it was incumbent upon Us to help the believers.) This is a duty which Allah took upon Himself as a blessing and a favor to them. 

The Revival of the Earth is a Sign of the Resurrection

 (48) Allah is He Who sends the winds, so they raise clouds, and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments, until you see rain drops come forth from their midst! Then when He has made them fall on whom of His slaves as He will, lo! they rejoice!

Here Allah explains how He creates the clouds that rain the water.

(Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds) either from the sea, as was mentioned by more than one (of the scholars), or from whatever Allah wills.

(and spread them along the sky as He wills,) means, He spreads them and causes them to increase and grow. From a little He makes a lot, and creates the clouds that look like shields. Then He spreads them out until they fill the horizon. Sometimes the clouds come from the sea, heavy and full, as Allah says:

(And it is He Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy. Till when they have carried a heavy-laden cloud, We drive it to a land that is dead) until:

(Similarly, We shall raise up the dead, so that you may remember or take heed.) (7:57) Allah says here:

(Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments) Mujahid, Abu `Amr bin Al-`Ala', Matar Al-Warraq and Qatadah said, "This means pieces.'' Others said that it means `piled up,' as Ad-Dahhak said. Others said that it means black, because they contained so much water, and sometimes they are heavy and close to the earth. His saying:

(until you see rain drops come forth from their midst!) means, `so you see the drops, i.e., the rain, which come from the midst of those clouds.'

(Then when He has made them fall on whom of His servants as He wills, lo, they rejoice!) They rejoice at the rain when it comes to them because of their need for it.

 (49) And verily before that (rain), just before it was sent down upon them, they were in despair!

(And verily, before that -- just before it was sent down upon them -- they were in despair!) The people to whom this rain came were in despair, thinking that it rain would never fall, just before it came to them. When it came to them, it came at the time of greatest need, so it was a tremendous event for them What this means is that they were in need of it before it fell, and there had been no rainfall for a long time, so they were waiting for it at the time when it was due, but it did not come to them at that time. The rain was late, and a long time passed. Then the rain came to them suddenly, after they began to despair, and after their land became dry and barren, it was stirred to life, and it swelled and produced every lovely kind of growth. 

 (50) Look then at the effects (results) of Allah's Mercy, how He revives the earth after its death. Verily! That (Allah) Who revived the earth after its death shall indeed raise the dead (on the Day of Resurrection), and He is Able to do all things.

(Look then at the effects of Allah's mercy,) meaning, the rain.

(how He revives the earth after its death.) Thus Allah draws attention to the revival of people's bodies after they have died and disintegrated into nothing.

(Verily, that (Allah) shall indeed raise the dead.) means, the One Who does that is able to raise the dead.

(and He is able to do all things.)

(51) And if We send a wind [which would spoil the green growth (tilth) brought up by the previous rain], and they see (their tilth) turn yellow, behold, they then after their being glad, would become ungrateful (to their Lord Allah as) disbelievers.

(And if We send a wind, and they see it turn yellow -- behold, they then would become unthankful (disbelievers).)

(And if We send a wind,) means, a wind which dries up the crops which they have tended and cultivated and which have matured, and they see them turn yellow, and start to rot, if this were to happen, they would become ungrateful, i.e., they would deny the previous blessings that they were given.