Texts of Islam

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 13. ar-Ra`d: The Thunder

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This is Chapter 13 ("The Thunder") of the Qur'an in M.M. Pickthall's early 20th-century English translation — a sacred scripture of Islam rendered in archaic King James-style prose to convey liturgical gravity. The chapter's central argument is the absolute sovereignty and omniscience of God: He created and governs the heavens, earth, weather, and human fate, and no partner or intercessor exists beside Him. Running through the chapter is a sharp contrast between believers — who find rest in God's remembrance, keep covenants, and are promised paradise — and disbelievers, who demand miraculous signs yet would still reject them, and who face punishment in this life and the next. Several vivid natural analogies are deployed: thunder praises God, flood-foam versus useful sediment illustrates truth versus falsehood, and lightning represents both fear and hope of divine power. A distinctive recurring move is God directly refuting the objection that no portent has been sent, insisting the Qur'an itself is the sign and that Muhammad's role is warner and reciter, not miracle-worker. The chapter closes by asserting that earlier messengers were likewise mocked but ultimately vindicated, framing the Qur'an's revelations within a long prophetic tradition.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 13. ar-Ra`d: The Thunder

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