Makkan surah, taking its name from the thunder in verse 13. Surahs 13-15 reiterate similar themes.

Themes

• Omnipotence of Allah SWT the sustainer of heavens and earth, describing His magnificent signs in the heavens and earth.
• Qualities of intelligent people and disbelievers and rewards for both.
• Strength of truth and weakness of falsehood.
• Proof of tawheed, prophethood and resurrection.
• Quranic proofs of tawheed are simple and appeal to common sense.
• Obey, glorify and worship the One Lord.

Selected Verses

2-4: Allah SWT has raised the heavens and controlled the sun and moon, each orbiting for a specified period. He conducts the whole affair. Allah SWT has created diversity on the earth, beautifying it with mountains and rivers, and diversity in nature. He has created every kind of fruit in pairs, some stemming from the same root, others alone. They are all fed with same water some yet fruits are better in taste than others.

5: What is more amazing than this is that the disbelievers question their resurrection. How can there be doubt after seeing all these signs?

8-10: The knowledge of Allah SWT:

• What every female bears in her womb and the outcome of the pregnancy.
• He knows the seen and the unseen. He knows what you speak of and what you do, whether it be openly or secretly.

11: The righteous have angels protecting them by Allah SWT’s command. He will never change a persons state until they change themselves. That is, our blessings are increased when our faith increases. Anytime a blessing is taken away from us, there is a reason (our behaviours).

12-13: Allah SWT shows lightning, causing fear and hope. We are terrified of His power and torment yet hopeful for life-giving rain. The thunder glorifies His praises as do the angels in awe of Him. He sends thunderbolts, striking with them whoever He wills.

SubhanAllah! The awesome sound of thunder, the sound of the sky splitting apart, is praising Allah SWT. Glorify Him when you hear thunder.

19: Is the one who believes and knows the truth the same as the one who doesn’t? Is the (spiritually) blind the same as the one who sees? The people of real intelligence are those who ponder over His signs, knowing there is a higher power deserving of worship and knowing the purpose of life.

20-22: Qualities of intelligent people:

• Fulfil their pledge with Allah SWT.
• Keep relations with kin.
• Fear Allah SWT and their accountability to Him.
• Adopt patience.
• Establish prayer.
• Spend in charity.
• Respond to evil with good (do not respond to an evil act with like; follow a bad deed with a good deed).

23-24: They will have the eternal abode in Jannah, in which they will reside with the righteous amongst their families. They will be greeted by the angels, “Peace be upon you for your perseverance. How excellent is the ultimate abode!”

26: Allah SWT gives abundantly to whoever He will and sparingly to whoever He will. Those disbelievers with wealth take delight in this world, but life this is but a fleeting moment compared to the hereafter.

Allah SWT decides who gets what and each person is tested with that. Do not make this world the source of your pleasure. This world is given to everyone – prioritise the next world.

28: Ala bizikrillahhi tatma innal kuloob. Surely in the remembrance of Allah SWT hearts find peace.

The zikr of Allah SWT gives tranquility to the heart and mind and allows people to deal with stress and calamity. It is the way out of the troubles of this world.

31: The revelations in this Quran could have caused the mountains to move, the earth to split or the dead to speak. Allah SWT could have guided all humanity if He so willed. Disasters will continue to afflict the disbelievers until Allah SWT’s promise comes to pass.

33-34: The disbeliever’s falsehood has been made so appealing to them that they have turned away from the Straight Path. They will be left to stray without anyone to guide them and will be punished in this world and the Hereafter, which will be far worse.

39: Qadr (destiny): Allah SWT erases whatever He wants and allows to pass whatever He wants. Everything is recorded in the Preserved Tablet.

The Preserved Tablet, Al Lawh Al Mahfuz, is a Master Record in which Allah SWT has written the destiny of His entire creation. Despite this, Allah SWT allows (minor levels of) qadr to change, depending on our deeds and duas. For example, good deeds can lead to forgiveness and charity prevents calamity.

40: The duty of the Prophet’s is to deliver the message and warn the disbelievers. The Judgement is for Allah SWT.