13-27 And those who disbelieve say: Why is not a sign sent down to him by his Lord? Say: Allah leaves in error whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him) —a
وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِىٓ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ أَنَابَ (۲۷)
13-27a: A destructive punishment is demanded as a sign, similar to a demand made in 13:7. In response, the disbelievers are given examples to explain that they can derive benefit from Divine revelation just as the earth benefits from rain. However, since they remain intransigent in their demand, a reply is given in the last verse of this section and they are told that they would be put through small hardships before the destructive chastisement.
The last part of this verse shows that Allah guides to Himself those who turn to Him. If someone chooses to remain in error by not turning to Allah and not making any effort to seek Him, then Allah does not forcibly bring such a person to Him but leaves him with his choice of staying in error.
13-28 Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Now surely in Allah’s remembrance do hearts find rest.a
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ (۲۸)
13-28a: In the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest: This is a truism which is testified to by the lives of all pious people, who find peace in their hearts even while going through trials and tribulations, when dealing with all kinds of difficulties and repeated failures, and even if imprisoned. Without the remembrance of Allah, hearts find no rest. It is also a reality made clear by the life of people who greedily seek the world that they do not have a peaceful heart regardless of the successes they achieve. They may conquer country after country, but the fire of more conquests is always flaring in their heart and as more and more wealth flows into their coffers, the fire of worldly desires just intensifies. Neither conquests nor the riches of this world have ever created peace in any person’s heart, and because the spiritual heart of a person cannot progress unless it finds peace, one’s hidden potential does not develop and the purpose for which a person is created is lost. After conveying that the peace of heart is only born from remembering Allah, attention is drawn to the great revolution that takes place in the human heart by establishing a relationship with Allah.
13-29 Those who believe and do good, a good final state is theirs and a goodly return.a
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ طُوبَىٰ لَهُمْ وَحُسْنُ مَـَٔابٍۢ (۲۹)
13-29a: طُوبَىٰ – It is derived from طاب and there are several narrations about its meaning which include happiness and peace, abundant good and nobility etc. (RM). According to Mufradat طوبی is the name of a tree in Paradise but it states that the preferred meaning is that طوبی is every blessing of Paradise such as permanence without decay, honor which never diminishes, richness that leaves no need unfulfilled.
13-30 Thus We have sent thee among a nation before which other nations have passed away, that thou mightest recite to them what We have revealed to thee, and (still) they deny the Beneficent. Say: He is my Lord, there is no god but He; in Him do I trust and to Him is my return.a
كَذَٰلِكَ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ فِىٓ أُمَّةٍۢ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهَآ أُمَمٌۭ لِّتَتْلُوَا۟ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۚ قُلْ هُوَ رَبِّى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ مَتَابِ (۳۰)
13-30a: مَتَابِ – In reality it is متابی . مَتَابِ means complete repentance, or abandoning all ugly things and doing all beautiful things (R).
There are two statements in this verse. The first is that Allah has revealed to the Holy Prophet just as He has been revealing to previous nations. The second is that the disbelievers deny the Beneficent. The relationship between these two statements is that revelation is sent under Allah’s attribute of Beneficence. Just as Allah provides for all physical needs of life out of his perfect nature, similarly He sends revelation to meet the needs of the spiritual everlasting life. Thus, Allah states: ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ١عَلَّمَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ : The Beneficent taught the Quran (55:1-2). Those who benefit from this revelation will find everlasting life.
13-31 And if there could be a Qur’an with which the mountains were made to pass away, or the earth were cloven asunder, or the dead were made to speak— nay, the commandment is wholly Allah’s.a Do not those who believe know that, if Allah please, He would certainly guide all the people?b And as for those who disbelieve, disaster will not cease to afflict them because of what they do, or it will alight close by their abodes, until the promise of Allah come to pass. Surely Allah will not fail in (His) promise.c
وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْءَانًۭا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ ٱلْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۗ بَل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَا۟يْـَٔسِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن لَّوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَهَدَى ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُوا۟ قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًۭا مِّن دَارِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ وَعْدُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ (۳۱)
13-31a: جِبَالُ – It is the plural of جَبَل which means a mountain. Metaphorically this word is also used for people of great importance because the commonality between the two is one of permanence and stability (R). Fara states: الجَبَلُ سَیّدُ القوم و عالِمُھم : The chiefs and scholars of the nation are called mountains (LA). Strong men are called فَلان جَبَلٌ من الجِبال : that person is a mount among mountains (LA).
The miracles of the Quran: The answer to لَوْ (if) is omitted and this is done in situations where the wording of the context makes it obvious what the answer is. The obvious answer to the question if there could be a Quran is: this is the Quran لکان ھذا القران (RM). This is made even clearer in another place where it is stated:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍۢ لَّرَأَيْتَهُۥ خَـٰشِعًۭا مُّتَصَدِّعًۭا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ : Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, thou wouldst certainly have seen it falling down, splitting asunder because of the fear of Allah (59:21). By stating لِّلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا : the commandment is wholly Allah’s, it is made clear that the Quran will accomplish all the things mentioned. The meaning of making the mountains to pass away or to remove them from their place is to remove the powerful men who were being a hindrance in the way of Islam as is evident from the explanation of the word جَبَل or mountain. Cleaving the earth asunder means causing canals and springs to flow forth. (RM – IJ). Metaphorically, it means canals and springs of spiritual knowledge flowing since the surah mentions water flowing into valleys according to their capacity to absorb it (see 13:17a). The meaning of the dead speaking is that spiritually dead people will come alive, as the Quran states elsewhere: مَن كَانَ مَيْتًۭا فَأَحْيَيْنَـٰهُ : Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life (6:122) and اذ ادعاکم لما یحییکم : When he calls you to that which gives you life (8:24). بل is used because if someone thinks how can such a transformation be possible, then one needs to remember that everything is in the power of Allah and He will bring it about. Thus, in verse 13:28 it is stated that a great revolution will take place in human hearts by this Quran, which will not just be confined to the hearts, rather the great revolution produced by the Quran will manifest clearly and openly in society.
13-31b: يَا۟يْـَٔسِ – The meaning of يَا۟يْـَٔسِ here is taken to be یَعۡلم and some have said that this meaning is in the vernacular of Hawazin (RM), and according to some this is used as a metaphor because the despondent person knows that something will not happen (RM). In explaining why يَا۟يْـَٔسِ meaning despondent, disheartened, hopeless, despair etc., is translated as عۡلم(know) Mufradat explains that although the meaning here is taken as عۡلم but it should not be understood as a literal meaning but rather a consequential meaning. The knowledge about the negation (in this case the knowledge that Allah does not forcibly guide people) makes one despair of it happening. Hence (by circumstantial evidence) it can be said that يَا۟يْـَٔسِ occurs in the sense of یَعۡلَم
Both the first and the second part of the verse give good news that all these hurdles will be removed, and the dead will begin to speak, since it is stated that if Allah desires he would guide all people.
13-31c: قَارِعَةٌ – The meaning of قَرۡع is to strike one thing against another and قَارِعَة means afflictions or disasters. In the explanation of قَارِعَة here, it has been stated to mean some battle in the time of the Holy Prophet in which he did not personally participate (LA). The resurrection is also called القَارِعَةٌ.
The end of the verse is a response to the repeated demand of the disbelievers for a sign. The interpretation in the explanation of this verse is correct to infer the disbelievers mentioned are the Quraish and the Arabs and by قَارِعَةٌ is meant wars. By وَعْدُ ٱللَّهِ is meant the final victory of Islam and its rule which occurred after the conquest of Makkah. The indication in
قَرِيبًۭا مِّن دَارِهِمْ is that the calamities may either directly descend on the opponents of Islam or in their environs as a warning to them. In تَحُلُّ the address may be to the Holy Prophet, indicating that he should travel near their habitation, as happened at Hudaibiyah..
Bayan-ul-Quran 