Surah 13
(Thunder)
(Makkan Period)
Title
The title of this surah is derived from verse 13 which states that al-ra'd (thunder) 'celebrates Allah's praise and holiness; and the angels, too, for awe of Him'. It is obvious that the choice of al-Ra'd (thunder) for the title of the surah does not signify that the surah discusses the phenomenon of thunder. Here, as elsewhere, the title mainly serves the purpose of distinguishing one surah from another.
Period of Revelation
A perusal of verses 27 ff. and 38 ff. indicates that the surah was revealed around the same period when Surahs Yūnus, Hūd and al-A'raf were revealed. In other words, the present surah was revealed in the last period of the Prophet's life in Makka.
The contents of the surah clearly indicate that the Prophet (peace be on him) had by then spent quite a long time inviting people to Islam. During this period his enemies resorted to a wide variety of stratagems both to hurt him and to frustrate his mission. As a result of this continued hostility, the situation had become so grave that the Muslims wished that some miracle were performed that would enable their compatriots to perceive and embrace the truth. In this context, God explains to the Muslims that He does not direct people to the right way in that manner. He also explains that if God allows the unbelievers to go their own way for a while, leaving them unpunished, this does not warrant Muslims losing heart and throwing up their hands in despair. Verse 31 of the surah suggests that the unbelievers had continuously rejected the truth out of their sheer adamance and that they had reached such a stage of obstinacy that even if the dead rose from their graves and spoke to them, they would still have found some pretext to evade acceptance of the truth.
All these bits and pieces of internal evidence suggest that the surah must have been revealed in the last phase of the Makkan period of the Prophet's life.
Subject Matter
The opening verse of the surah sets out its theme. It unequivocally declares that the teaching of Muhammad (peace be on him) is the truth and those who do not believe in it are clearly in error. This theme permeates the whole surah. In a variety of ways the discourse focuses on showing the truth of Islam's major doctrines, God's unity, the Hereafter, and prophethood. The moral and spiritual benefits accruing from belief in these truths are explained and the disadvantages which ensue from rejecting them are also set out in detail. The surah also demonstrates that unbelief is tantamount to sheer stupidity and ignorance.
The purpose of the discourse is not confined to merely pursuing people intellectually. It also aims to create in people the impulse to embrace the truth. The invitation to the truth has not simply been made on the basis of logical reasoning and argumentation. An appeal to the hearts of people is also made and in a variety of ways. They are warned about God's severe chastisement if they reject the truth, and are promised rich rewards if they believe in the truth and act righteously. Earnest appeals emanating from sympathy and compassionate concern are made to people to give up their obduracy and embrace the true faith.
In the course of the discourse, the objections against Islam that were commonly made by its opponents are refuted without specifically mentioning any of them. Similarly, the doubts that people themselves entertained or which the opponents of Islam put in their minds regarding Islam are removed. Special attention is also paid to men of faith. A word of consolation and encouragement is offered to them for after a prolonged period of strenuous struggle they were on the verge of exhaustion and had begun to look for Divine intervention and support.