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-qahāru
Translation
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allāh." Say, "Have you then taken besides Him allies not possessing [even] for themselves any benefit or any harm?" Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light? Or have they attributed to Allāh partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?"635 Say, "Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."636
Notes
[635] The obvious conclusion is that the claimed partners, having no ability to create, cannot be compared to Allāh in any way.
[636] Refer to footnotes in 12:39.
Verse 16 of Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:16), a Medinan surah, is in juz 13, on page 251 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
Listen to verse 16 of Surah Ar-Ra’d
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Tafsir of verse 16
Al-Mukhtasar
Say, O Messenger, to the disbelievers who worship others together with Allah: Who is the creator and the controller of the heavens and the earth? Say, O Messenger, It is Allah who is their Creator and Controller and you acknowledge this. Say, O Messenger, to them: Have you taken for yourselves protectors other than Allah who are themselves helpless! They cannot draw any benefit for themselves nor remove any harm. How then will they be able to do so for others? Say to them, O Messenger, Is the disbeliever, who has no insight, equal to the believer who can see and who is guided? And is disbelief, which is layers of darkness, equal to faith, which is light? Have they assigned in the creation partners to Allah, may He be glorified, who have created anything like Allah’s creation so that their creation is indistinguishable from His? Say to them, O Messenger, Allah alone is the Creator of all things. He has no partner in creation. He is the One and Only deity, who solely deserves to be worshipped, and He is the All Compelling.
Say, “Who is the Lord of the heavens and earth?” Say, “Allah.” Say, “Have you taken besides Him protectors, those who have no power to benefit or harm themselves15?” Say, “Can the blind person be equal to the seeing16, or can the darkness be equal to the light?” Or do they ascribe to Allah partners who created the like of His creation17, so they are confused between two creations? Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Subjugator.”
Notes
[15] The claimed partners cannot be compared to Allah in any way.
[16] Disbelievers are ‘blind’ to the Truth and the believers can see the Truth plainly as it is.
[17] Their so-called ‘gods’ could not answer their prayers or do them good or harm, let alone perform such a great act as that of creation.
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم): "Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allâh." Say: "Have you then taken (for worship) Auliyâ’ (protectors) other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light? Or do they assign to Allâh partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them?" Say: "Allâh is the Creator of all things; and He is the One, the Irresistible."
Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.
Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allah." Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?" Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "Allah is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."
Say: Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?-- Say: Allah. Say: Do you take then besides Him guardians who do not control any profit or harm for themselves? Say: Are the blind and the seeing alike? Or can the darkness and the light be equal? Or have they set up with Allah associates who have created creation like His, so that what is created became confused to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.
Say, "Who is The Lord of the heavens and the earth?" Say, " Allah." Say, "Then have you taken to yourselves, apart from Him, constant patrons (who) do not possess for themselves neither profit nor harm?" Say, "Are the blind (man) and the beholding (one) equal? Or even are the darknesses and the light equal?" Or have they made up for Allah associates who created the like of His creation, so that creation appeared similar to them? Say, " Allah is The Creator of everything and He is The One, The Superb Vanquisher."
Unquestionably, for Allāh is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allāh in position." Indeed, Allāh will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allāh does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.
And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits. [And those wait] until, when terror is removed from their hearts, they will say [to one another], "What has your Lord said?" They will say, "The truth." And He is the Most High, the Grand.
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allāh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allāh or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?"
