Tafsir of Surah Ar-Room - Verse 50

The Revival of the Earth is a Sign of the Resurrection

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

اللَّهُ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَـحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَاباً

(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.

فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِى السَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ

(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:

وَهُوَ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرىً بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ حَتَّى إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالاً سُقْنَـهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ

(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:

كَذَلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْموْتَى لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

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

اللَّهُ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَـحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَاباً فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِى السَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفاً

(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:

فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلاَلِهِ

(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.'

فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

(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.

وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ

(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. Allah says:

فَانظُرْ إِلَى ءَاثَـرِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ

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

كَيْفَ يُحْىِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ

(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.

إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى

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

إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(and He is able to do all things.)

وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرّاً لَّظَلُّواْ مِن بَعْدِهِ يَكْفُرُونَ

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

وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا

(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. This is like the Ayah,

أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَحْرُثُونَ

(Then tell Me about the seed that you sow in the ground.) until:

بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ

(Nay, but we are deprived!) (56:63-67)

Commentary

فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَ‌مُوا وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ‌ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (Then We took vengeance upon those who were guilty. And it was due on Us to help the believers. -30:47). This verse tells us that Allah Ta’ ala has taken it upon Himself to help the believers. On the face of this statement, one would have expected that Muslims would never be defeated against the infidels. But on many occasions, results have been exactly opposite. Answer to this confusion is at hand in this very verse, that by the word 'believers' those believers are intended who fight with infidels purely for the sake of Allah. Allah Ta’ ala takes revenge of only such believers from the criminals and helps them overpower their adversaries. Wherever the position is different, it is due to some sort of slip on the part of the believers, as Qur'an itself has quoted about the battle of Uhud: إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا (Shaitan had but made them slip for some of their deeds - 3:155). Even in such a situation, Allah Ta’ ala graces them with victory and upper hand, once they realize their fault, as it happened in the battle of Uhud. As for such people who are Muslims only by name and are habitual defiant and negligent of the teachings of Islam, and are not penitent even when the infidels gain upper hand, they are for sure not included in this promise of Allah Ta’ ala, and do not qualify for His help. Nonetheless, Allah Ta’ ala provides help by His grace on many occasions without any one deserving it. Therefore, it is always beneficial to beg for His mercy and hope for His help.

When a man treads the path of Truth, he has frequently to face great difficulties, as happened with the Prophet and his companions in the early days. But, in that case, there was no question of anybody being disappointed. God is so merciful that, when a field under cultivation needs water, He moves the universal system and waters it. Naturally, He will certainly help those who tread His path. However, this help will be forthcoming only according to God’s plan. So, if there is some delay in the process, man should not be disappointed or disheartened. The word of God is very clear and reasonable. But only those who study things in depth, who listen carefully, whose nature it is to accept things that address their mind, who adopt the path which they find to be right, will repose their faith in the word of God.