Tafseer of The Thunder · Ar-Ra'd · 13:16
Say, "Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?" Say, "Allah." 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 Allah partners who created like His creation so that the creation [of each] seemed similar to them?" Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad, to these polytheists (mushrikīn) who worship, alongside Allah — in Whose hand lies their benefit and their harm — that which brings neither benefit nor harm: هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى (Are the blind and the seeing equal?) — the blind one who sees nothing and cannot find the way unless he is led; and "al-baṣīr" (the seeing one) — the one who guides the blind along the path that he cannot see. These two are without doubt not equal. This means: likewise the believer who sees the truth and follows it, and who knows the guidance and walks upon it, and you, O polytheists, who do not know the truth and see no rightness — are not equal.
And His saying أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ (or are the darknesses and the light equal?): The Exalted says: Are the darknesses — in which the way is not visible to be walked upon, and the path is not visible to be followed — and the light — by which things become visible and whose radiance dispels the darkness — equal? This means: these two are without doubt not equal. Likewise is disbelief (kufr) in Allah — the one who is in it is in confusion and continually gropes about in a darkness without ever returning to the truth. And faith (īmān) in Allah — the one who is in it finds himself in a light, acting with knowledge concerning his Lord, knowing that he has a Rewarder Who rewards him for his good deeds, and a Punisher Who punishes him for his evil deeds, and a Provider Who feeds him, and a Benefactor Who does him good.
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes also said.
Mentioned are those who said this:
20305 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid: قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ — "As for الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ (the blind and the seeing): that is the disbeliever (kāfir) and the believer. As for الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ (the darknesses and the light): that is the guidance and the misguidance."
And His saying أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ (or have they appointed for Allah associates who created as He created, so that the creation seemed alike to them?): The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad, to these polytheists: Have your idols, which you have taken as patrons alongside Allah, created a creation like the creation of Allah, so that the matter became unclear to you — in what they created and what Allah created — and you therefore made them His associates? Or is it your ignorance and your deviation from rightness that has led you to that? For to one possessing intellect it is unambiguous that worshipping that which neither harms nor benefits is an act of ignorance. And that worship is fitting only for the One from Whom benefit is hoped and harm is feared. Likewise it is unambiguous that this is an error and that the one who does it is ignorant. Likewise the ignorance is evident of whoever sets up an associate in the worship of the One Who feeds him, cares for him, and sustains him, alongside something that can bring him neither harm nor benefit.
In accordance with what we have said about this, some of the exegetes also said.
Mentioned are those who said this:
20306 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid: أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ — "that led them to doubt concerning the idols."
20307 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: ʿAbdullāh related to us, from Warqāʾ, from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid — similarly.
20308 — Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, from Ibn Jurayj, from Mujāhid: أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ — "they created as He created, and that led them to doubt concerning the idols."
20309 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, he said: Shabāba related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us, from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid — similarly.
20310 — [...] he said: Ḥajjāj related to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ibn Kathīr said: "I heard Mujāhid saying: أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ — a likeness has been given."
And His saying قُلِ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ (Say: Allah is the Creator of all things): The Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say to these polytheists, when they admit that their idols, which they have set up as associates in the worship of Allah, create nothing — Allah is your Creator and the Creator of your idols and the Creator of everything. What then is the justification for ascribing associateship to that which neither creates nor harms?
And His saying وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ (and He is the One, the Subduer): This means: He is the One without equal — الْقَهَّارُ (the Subduer) — Who alone possesses the right to divinity and to worship. Not the statues and idols that neither harm nor benefit.
