Tafsir of Ar-Rum 30:46

Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans): Verse 46

{وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ} (And among His Signs is that He sends the winds as bearers of good tidings,)

When Allah mentioned that the appearance of corruption and destruction [in the previous verses] was due to Shirk (polytheism), He then mentioned the appearance of well-being, but He did not attribute it to righteous deeds. This is because, as we have mentioned several times, the Generous One does not mention a reward for His favors, but He mentions a cause for afflictions so that injustice is not presumed.

He said: {أَنْ يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ} (that He sends the winds as bearers of good tidings).

It is said that they bring tidings of rain, as Allah says: {بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ} (as good news before His mercy) [Al-A'raf: 57], meaning before the rain. It can also be said that they bring tidings of the rectification of the atmospheres and conditions, for if the winds did not blow, pestilence and corruption would appear.

{وَلِيُذِيقَكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ} (and that He may let you taste of His mercy).

This is connected to what was previously mentioned, meaning to give you good news of the rectification of the air and the health of the bodies, and {وَلِيُذِيقَكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ} (and that He may let you taste of His mercy) through the rain. We have already mentioned that Idhāqah (tasting) is used for a small amount. Since the affairs of this world and its comfort are little and meager, He said: {وَلِيُذِيقَكُم} (and that He may let you taste). As for the Hereafter, He will provide for them, grant them abundance, and make it perpetual.

{وَلِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ} (and that the ships may sail by His command, and that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may be grateful).

When He attributed the action to the ships, He immediately followed it with {بِأَمْرِهِ} (by His command), meaning the action appears to be theirs, but it is by Allah's command. Therefore, when He attributed {وَلِتَبْتَغُوا} (and that you may seek) to the servants, He followed it with {مِن فَضْلِهِ} (of His bounty), indicating that nothing has efficacy independently.

In this verse, there are several issues:

We say that the winds have benefits: rectifying the air, stirring up the clouds, and enabling the sailing of ships.

He said {مُبَشِّرَاتٍ} (bearers of good tidings) regarding the rectification of the air, as the rectification of the air results from the blowing itself. Then comes the rain, and then the sailing of the ships, which depends on human effort—preparing the ships and launching them onto the sea—and then seeking bounty by sailing upon them.

In the verse: {ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} (Corruption has appeared on the land and sea by what the hands of men have earned that He may let them taste some of what they have done, that perhaps they may return) [Ar-Rum: 41], He said: {لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا} (that He may let them taste some of what they have done).

But here, He says: {وَلِيُذِيقَكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ} (and that He may let you taste of His mercy).

1. Addressing the Audience: Here, the address is an honor ({وَلِيُذِيقَكُم}), as the verse states: {وَأَنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ} (And indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good). The doer of good is near, so he is addressed, while the evildoer is distant and thus not addressed.
2. Attribution: There, He said {بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا} (some of what they have done), attributing the affliction to themselves. Here, He attributes the blessing to {مِن رَّحْمَتِهِ} (of His mercy). This has two meanings:
   • First: As we mentioned, the Generous One does not mention a reward for His favor or mercy. If He gives, He does not say, "I gave you because you did such-and-such," but rather, "This is from Me." As for the good deed you performed, its reward is reserved with Me.
   • Second: What results from the servant's action is small. If He said, "I sent the winds because of your actions," it would not be a great tidings. But when He says, {مِن رَّحْمَتِهِ}, it is the utmost good tidings.
3. A Third Meaning: If He had said, "Because of what you did," it would imply a deficiency in their reward in the Hereafter. However, concerning the disbelievers, when He says, "Because of what you did," it indicates a reduction in their punishment, which is indeed the case.

There He said: {لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} (that perhaps they may return), and here He says: {وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ} (and that you may be grateful). They said this indicates that their being guided to gratitude is itself a blessing, so it is connected to the blessings.

This verse was delayed because in the preceding verses, we mentioned that He cited two signs from every category. He mentioned the warnings: {يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ} (He shows you the lightning). What occurs in the sky is mostly fire and wind, so He mentioned the winds here as a reminder and confirmation of the proofs. Since the wind has a benefit other than rain, whereas lightning has no benefit unless there is rain, He mentioned lightning there out of fear and hope—meaning it may or may not happen. Here, He mentioned {مُبَشِّرَاتٍ} (bearers of good tidings) because the adjustment or purification of the air by the wind is a necessary matter, and its ruling is decisive.

{وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِم فَجَاءُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} (And certainly did We send before you messengers to their people, and they came to them with clear proofs. Then We took vengeance upon those who committed crimes, and it was incumbent upon Us to aid the believers.)