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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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A Gentle Commentary

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on the Book: Identification Cards

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for the Surahs of the Noble Mus'haf,

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by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Surah ar-Ra'd.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

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We continue with this gentle commentary,

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and with Surah ar-Ra'd,

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with which we have three main pauses.

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The first pause pertains to its name.

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One of the notable observations

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regarding the names is that there is

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a group of surahs that appear consecutively

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with names that share

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a clear relationship. Here we have

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Yunus, Hud,

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Yusuf, and Ibrahim,

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and between them came ar-Ra'd—

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between Yusuf and Ibrahim—

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followed then by al-Hijr.

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Now, al-Hijr differs

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from the rest

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of these surahs, yet it also aligns with them:

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it aligns in being centered

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on Qur'anic narratives.

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From Yunus through to

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al-Hijr, they all focus on Qur'anic narratives.

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Four are named after prophets,

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while al-Hijr is the name of a place

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where the disbelievers were punished;

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I will return to this, if Allah wills, when discussing Surah

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al-Hijr.

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As for Surah ar-Ra'd, it has a distinct name—

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a truly distinct name

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that clearly differs

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from the other names,

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and its central theme is likewise unique,

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distinct from the rest of the surahs.

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When you recite each of these surahs,

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once you conclude Surah Yusuf,

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preceded by Yunus

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and Hud, you begin reciting

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Surah ar-Ra'd; the mere recollection

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of its name draws your attention

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to the fact that its subject matter is different.

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The theme here revolves around the signs of Allah

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that point to Him,

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regardless of the stances of the disbelievers.

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At the beginning of the surah, with "Alif, Lam, Mim, Ra,"

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“Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra. These are verses of the Scripture. That which is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth, but most of mankind believe not.” (13:1)

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signs are mentioned

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that point to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He;

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rather, this

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constitutes the overall essence of the surah,

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unlike the surahs before it

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which employed narrative stories,

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and likewise those after it

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among the group termed

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the "Alif-Lam-Ra" surahs.

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Some scholars also include among them the "Alif-Lam-Mim-Ra" surah

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that accompanies them

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in the order of the Mus'haf.

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Thus, the variation

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in the name and the type of name

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reflects a shift in theme.

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We now move to the second pause,

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which is that the surah

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consists,

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as shown in its structural passages, of an introduction

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and a single main section.

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This single section has been characterized as having a dual opening.

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These are technical terms I have formulated through careful study,

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and they invite

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further reflection.

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Any noble reader

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can

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categorize them whenever they find

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an opening described in a particular way,

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noting it down

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and recording it, so that

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across their complete reading of the book,

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the various openings of the Qur'an become clear to them:

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the openings of each section.

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The opening here is dual

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in the sense that it makes Allah known,

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and introducing Allah

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inherently entails praising Him;

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for nothing is attributed to Him or predicated of Him

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except that which is deserving of

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absolute praise, and He is truly worthy of all praise

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and gratitude, Glorified and Exalted be He.

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We notice that the passages mentioned

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thereafter—and which I chose

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not to provide explicit subheadings for,

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though one could easily do so—

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also follow this pattern; that is, beneath this opening

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or main section, there are several passages:

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three passages,

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all of which extol Allah

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and all of which begin with the name "Allah."

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However, I did not wish

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to turn these passages

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into separate headings for their openings,

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so as not to overburden the book;

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otherwise, if you examine these

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passages, you will find that they are

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likewise parallel.

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The surah's single section

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begins with: "Allah is the One Who raised

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the heavens," then

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the second passage—

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and naturally, the start of the section is the start of the first passage—

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the second passage begins with: "Allah knows..."

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“Allah knoweth that which every female beareth and that which the wombs absorb and that which they grow. And everything with Him is measured.” (13:8)

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then the third passage begins with:

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"Allah extends provision..." Thus, the name of

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"Allah" is repeated,

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Glorified and Exalted is He in the highest.

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These openings

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instill within us the realization that the surah

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speaks directly

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of Allah,

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Glorified and Exalted be He.

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This brings us

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to the third and final pause:

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surahs like this one

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are immensely helpful

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in receiving and appreciating

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the Madinan surahs.

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These Makkan surahs that introduce

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Allah provide

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an evident aid toward

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understanding the Madinan surahs.

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For in the Madinan surahs, we find

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numerous legal rulings

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that conclude with the names of Allah.

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Who is this Allah? He is the One

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Whom we came to know in Makkah.

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We observe here that when the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

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witnessed the early conversions from Madinah

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in the initial stages,

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he dispatched Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)

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and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr with them

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to teach them the Qur'an,

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so that they might draw

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from the very same spring that nurtured

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the Companions who later became the Emigrants (Muhajirun),

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following the Companions in Makkah.

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Thus, the spiritual identity

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of the Companions in Madinah was forged

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through nurturing upon the Qur'an; so when the Prophet (peace be upon him) settled

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in Madinah, they were fully prepared

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to receive the Madinan Qur'an.

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We ought to pay close attention to the name of this surah,

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and rejoice in every verse

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that begins with the name of Allah,

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for it praises Allah

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and makes Him known to us,

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so that we may worship Him, Glorified and Exalted be He.

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I ask Allah for success for all.

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I will suffice with this much

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regarding this surah.

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May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon all his family and Companions.