Surah Ar Rum Tafseer

The Revival of the Earth is a Sign of the Resurrection

Here Allah explains how He creates the clouds that rain the water.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا

Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds,

either from the sea, as was mentioned by more than one (of the scholars), or from whatever Allah wills.

فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاء كَيْفَ يَشَاء

and spread them along the sky as He wills,

means, He spreads them and causes them to increase and grow. From a little He makes a lot, and creates the clouds that look like shields. Then He spreads them out until they fill the horizon. Sometimes the clouds come from the sea, heavy and full, as Allah says:

وَهُوَ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرىً بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالاً سُقْنَـهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ

And it is He Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy. Till when they have carried a heavy-laden cloud, We drive it to a land that is dead until:

كَذَلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْموْتَى لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Similarly, We shall raise up the dead, so that you may remember or take heed. (7:57)

Allah says here:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاء كَيْفَ يَشَاء

وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفًا

Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments,

Mujahid, Abu Amr bin Al-Ala', Matar Al-Warraq and Qatadah said,

"This means pieces."

Others said that it means `piled up,' as Ad-Dahhak said.

Others said that it means black, because they contained so much water, and sometimes they are heavy and close to the earth.

His saying:

فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَلِهِ

until you see rain drops come forth from their midst!

means, `so you see the drops, i.e., the rain, which come from the midst of those clouds.'

فَإِذَا أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

Then when He has made them fall on whom of His servants as He wills, lo, they rejoice!

They rejoice at the rain when it comes to them because of their need for it.

وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ