Ar-Ra'd: (5) And if you wonder, then wondrous is...

Issues Discussed:

After mentioning the clear proofs necessitating knowledge of the Originator (Allah), the Almighty then mentioned the Resurrection. He said: {And if you wonder, then wondrous is their saying} (13:5). There are several interpretations regarding this:

The First Opinion: Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

1. If you wonder at their denial of you after they had already judged you to be truthful, then this is wondrous.
2. Or, O Muhammad, if you wonder at their worship of that which possesses no power to benefit or harm them, despite their knowledge of the proofs indicating Tawhid (Oneness of God), then this is wondrous.

The Third Opinion (Interpretation of the structure): The meaning is: O Muhammad, if you wonder, then you have wondered in the appropriate place for wonder. This is because when they admitted that Allah is the Organizer of the heavens and the earth, the Creator of all creatures, the One who raised the heavens without pillars, the One who subjected the sun and the moon according to the welfare of His servants, and the One who manifested various wonders and marvels in the world—how could His power, which is sufficient for these great things, not be sufficient for resurrecting man after death? The One capable of the stronger and more perfect is certainly more capable of the lesser and weaker. This establishes the basis for wonder.

Following this narration of their statement, Allah has judged them with three characteristics:

First Characteristic: His saying: {Those are the ones who disbelieved in their Lord} (13:5). This indicates that everyone who denies the Resurrection and the Final Hour is a disbeliever. Denying the Resurrection necessitates disbelief in the Lord because denying the Resurrection cannot be complete without denying Allah's Power, Knowledge, or Truthfulness:

• Denying Power: As if one says the Divine Essence is necessary (Wajib al-Wujud) and not an agent by choice, thus incapable of re-creation. Or, even if capable, not perfectly capable, so He can only create life through parents and the influence of natures and celestial spheres.
• Denying Knowledge: As if one says Allah is not aware of particulars, so He cannot distinguish between the obedient and the disobedient servant.
• Denying Truthfulness: As if one says that even if He informed us, He might not act upon it because lying is permissible for Him. Since all these implications constitute disbelief (Kufr), it is established that denying the Resurrection is disbelief in Allah.

Second Characteristic: His saying: {And those will have shackles around their necks} (13:5). There are two views on this:

1. Abu Bakr al-Asamm's View: The shackles refer to their disbelief, humiliation, and submission to idols. This is similar to His saying: {Indeed, We have placed shackles on their necks} (Ya-Sin: 8). A poet said:

   They have shackles and fetters preventing them from righteousness. It is also said of a man: "This is a shackle on your neck" for a bad deed, meaning it is incumbent upon you and you will be punished for it. Al-Qadi (the Judge) said: Although this is plausible, interpreting the text literally is preferable. I say: Al-Asamm's view can be supported because the apparent meaning of the verse suggests the shackles are present now, which is not the case. You interpret the literal word to mean a future reality, while we interpret it to mean a present reality using a metaphorical meaning (shackles = sin/humiliation). Thus, each of us abandons the literal meaning to some extent, so why should your view be preferred over ours?

2. The Second View: It means Allah will place shackles on their necks on the Day of Resurrection. The proof is His saying: {When the shackles are around their necks and the chains, they will be dragged * Into boiling water, * Then into the Fire they will be burned} (Ghafir: 71-72).

Third Characteristic: His saying, the Almighty: {And those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally} (13:5). This means a threat of eternal, everlasting punishment. Our scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) used this verse as proof that eternal punishment is reserved only for the disbelievers. They argue that His saying {they will abide therein eternally} implies that they are the ones described by eternity, and no one else. This indicates that major sinners (Ahl al-Kaba'ir) will not abide in the Fire eternally.

The theologians (Mutakallimun) state that wonder is that for which the cause is unknown. This is impossible for Allah Almighty. Therefore, the meaning must be: "If you wonder, then it is wondrous to you."

Someone might object: Some reciters read the other verse (referring to the denial of resurrection) by attributing the wonder to Allah Himself. In that case, interpretation is necessary. We have already explained that such terms must be purified from the origins of accidental attributes and must be interpreted as reaching the ultimate meaning. Since a person wonders at something because they deny it, this must be interpreted as denial.

The reciters differed concerning the phrase: {Do you really [think that] when we have become dust, [we will be brought forth] in a new creation?} (13:5) and similar phrases, if they are in the interrogative form in the first and second parts.

• Those who use two interrogative particles: Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Asim, and Hamzah.
  • Ibn Kathir uses one hamza without elongation.
  • Abu Amr uses one elongated hamza (with madd).
  • Hamzah and Asim use two hamzas throughout the Quran.
• Those who do not combine two interrogative particles: Nafi', Ibn Amir, and Al-Kisa'i.
  • Nafi' and Ibn Amir treat the first part as interrogative and the second as declarative.
  • Ibn Amir treats the first part as declarative and the second as interrogative.
  • These groups further differed on the form of the hamza: Nafi' uses a non-elongated hamza, while Ibn Amir and Al-Kisa'i use two hamzas, with exceptions in specific Surahs for Nafi' (As-Saffat), Ibn Amir (Al-Waqi'ah), and Al-Kisa'i (Al-Ankabut and As-Saffat).

Al-Zajjaj stated that the operative factor (Amil) for {when we become dust} is omitted. The implied meaning is: "Do you [think that] when we become dust, we will be resurrected?" What follows indicates the omitted phrase.

< {And they hasten you for evil before good, while there have already passed on before them the precedents [of punishment]. And indeed, your Lord is full of forgiveness for the people despite their wrongdoing. And indeed, your Lord is severe in penalty.} > (13:7)