Verse 13:17 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

13 وَیُسَبِّحُ ٱلرَّعۡدُ بِحَمۡدِهِۦ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةُ مِنۡ خِیفَتِهِۦ وَیُرۡسِلُ ٱلصَّوَ ٰعِقَ فَیُصِیبُ بِهَا مَن یَشَاۤءُ وَهُمۡ یُجَـٰدِلُونَ فِی ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡمِحَالِ ۝١٣ wayusabbiḥu l-raʿdu biḥamdihi wal-malāikatu min khīfatihi wayur'silu l-ṣawāʿiqa fayuṣību bihā man yashāu wahum yujādilūna fī l-lahi wahuwa shadīdu l-miḥāl the thunder sounds His praises, as do the angels in awe of Him; He sends thunderbolts to strike whoever He will. Yet still they dispute about God- He has mighty plans 14 لَهُۥ دَعۡوَةُ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَٱلَّذِینَ یَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا یَسۡتَجِیبُونَ لَهُم بِشَیۡءٍ إِلَّا كَبَـٰسِطِ كَفَّیۡهِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَاۤءِ لِیَبۡلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَـٰلِغِهِۦۚ وَمَا دُعَاۤءُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ إِلَّا فِی ضَلَـٰلࣲ ۝١٤ lahu daʿwatu l-ḥaqi wa-alladhīna yadʿūna min dūnihi lā yastajībūna lahum bishayin illā kabāsiṭi kaffayhi ilā l-māi liyablugha fāhu wamā huwa bibālighihi wamā duʿāu l-kāfirīna illā fī ḍalāli The only true prayer is to Him: those they pray to besides Him give them no answer any more than water reaches the mouth of someone who simply stretches out his hands for it- it cannot do so: the prayers of the disbelievers are all in vain 15 وَ̅لِ̅لَّ̅هِ̅ ̅یَ̅سۡ̅جُ̅دُ̅ مَن فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ طَوۡعࣰا وَكَرۡهࣰا وَظِلَـٰلُهُم بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡءَاصَالِ ۝١٥ ۩ walillahi yasjudu man fī l-samāwāti wal-arḍi ṭawʿan wakarhan waẓilāluhum bil-ghuduwi wal-āṣāl All that are in heaven and earth submit to God alone, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the mornings and in the evenings 16 قُلۡ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُۚ قُلۡ أَفَٱتَّخَذۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦۤ أَوۡلِیَاۤءَ لَا یَمۡلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمۡ نَفۡعࣰا وَلَا ضَرࣰّاۚ قُلۡ هَلۡ یَسۡتَوِی ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِیرُ أَمۡ هَلۡ تَسۡتَوِی ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُۗ أَمۡ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاۤءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلۡقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلۡخَلۡقُ عَلَیۡهِمۡۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ وَهُوَ ٱلۡوَ ٰحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّـٰرُ ۝١٦ qul man rabbu l-samāwāti wal-arḍi quli l-lahu qul afa-ittakhadhtum min dūnihi awliyāa lā yamlikūna li-anfusihim nafʿan walā ḍarran qul hal yastawī l-aʿmā wal-baṣīru am hal tastawī l-ẓulumātu wal-nūru am jaʿalū lillahi shurakāa khalaqū kakhalqihi fatashābaha l-khalqu ʿalayhim quli l-lahu khāliqu kulli shayin wahuwa l-wāḥidu l-qahār Say [Prophet], ‘Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘God.’ Say, ‘Why do you take protectors other than Him, who can neither benefit nor harm even themselves?’ Say, ‘Are the blind equal to those who can see? And are the depths of darkness equal to the light?’ Have the partners they assign to God created anything like His creation so that their creation is indistinguishable from His? Say, ‘God is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the All Compelling.’

17 أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ فَسَالَتۡ أَوۡدِیَةُۢ بِقَدَرِهَا فَٱحۡتَمَلَ ٱلسَّیۡلُ زَبَدࣰا رَّابِیࣰاۖ وَمِمَّا یُوقِدُونَ عَلَیۡهِ فِی ٱلنَّارِ ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ حِلۡیَةٍ أَوۡ مَتَـٰعࣲ زَبَدࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَٱلۡبَـٰطِلَۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَیَذۡهَبُ جُفَاۤءࣰۖ وَأَمَّا مَا یَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَیَمۡكُثُ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ ۝١٧ anzala mina l-samāi māan fasālat awdiyatun biqadarihā fa-iḥ'tamala l-saylu zabadan rābiyan wamimmā yūqidūna ʿalayhi fī l-nāri ib'tighāa ḥil'yatin aw matāʿin zabadun mith'luhu kadhālika yaḍribu l-lahu l-ḥaqa wal-bāṭila fa-ammā l-zabadu fayadhhabu jufāan wa-ammā mā yanfaʿu l-nāsa fayamkuthu fī l-arḍi kadhālika yaḍribu l-lahu l-amthāl He sends water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing, each according to its measure. The stream carries on its surface a growing layer of froth, like the froth that appears when people melt metals in the fire to make ornaments and tools: in this way God illustrates truth and falsehood- the froth disappears, but what is of benefit to man stays behind- this is how God makes illustrations

18 لِلَّذِینَ ٱسۡتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَٱلَّذِینَ لَمۡ یَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لَهُۥ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا وَمِثۡلَهُۥ مَعَهُۥ لَٱفۡتَدَوۡا۟ بِهِۦۤۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ لَهُمۡ سُوۤءُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمِهَادُ ۝١٨ lilladhīna is'tajābū lirabbihimu l-ḥus'nā wa-alladhīna lam yastajībū lahu law anna lahum mā fī l-arḍi jamīʿan wamith'lahu maʿahu la-if'tadaw bihi ulāika lahum sūu l-ḥisābi wamawāhum jahannamu wabi'sa l-mihād There will be the best of rewards for those who respond to their Lord; those who do not respond would willingly give away the earth’s contents twice over, if they had it, in order to ransom themselves, so terrible will be their reckoning. Hell will be their home, and their bed wretched 19 ۞ أَفَمَن یَعۡلَمُ أَنَّمَاۤ أُنزِلَ إِلَیۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلۡحَقُّ كَمَنۡ هُوَ أَعۡمَىٰۤۚ إِنَّمَا یَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ ۝١٩ afaman yaʿlamu annamā unzila ilayka min rabbika l-ḥaqu kaman huwa aʿmā innamā yatadhakkaru ulū l-albāb Can someone who knows that the revelation from your Lord is the Truth be equal to someone who is blind? Only those with understanding will take it to heart 20 ٱلَّذِینَ یُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا یَنقُضُونَ ٱلۡمِیثَـٰقَ ۝٢٠ alladhīna yūfūna biʿahdi l-lahi walā yanquḍūna l-mīthāq those who fulfil the agreements they make in God’s name and do not break their pledges 21 وَٱلَّذِینَ یَصِلُونَ مَاۤ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۤ أَن یُوصَلَ وَیَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُمۡ وَیَخَافُونَ سُوۤءَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ۝٢١ wa-alladhīna yaṣilūna mā amara l-lahu bihi an yūṣala wayakhshawna rabbahum wayakhāfūna sūa l-ḥisāb who join together what God commands to be joined; who are in awe of their Lord and fear the harshness of the Reckoning