Tafsir of Ar-Ra'd 13:27

"And those who disbelieved say..."

If you ask: How does their saying, "Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?" correspond to His saying, "Say: Indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills"?

I say: This speech follows the course of expressing astonishment at their statement. The dazzling and numerous signs granted to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) were not granted to any prophet before him. The Qur’an alone suffices as a sign beyond every other sign. When they denied these, disregarded them, and acted as if no sign had ever been sent down to him, it became a matter of astonishment and denunciation.

It is as if it were said to them: "How great is your obstinacy and how intense is your persistence in disbelief! Indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills—those who possess your qualities of persistence and stubbornness in disbelief—for there is no way for them to be guided, even if every sign were sent down. And He guides to Himself whoever is the opposite of your qualities, who 'turns back' (anaba)—meaning, he approaches the truth, and in reality, enters into the turn of goodness."

"Those who have believed" is a substitute for "whoever turns back."

"And whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah"—in the remembrance of His mercy and forgiveness after the anxiety and agitation caused by the fear of Him. This is like His saying: "Then their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah" (Az-Zumar: 23). Or, they find rest in the remembrance of His proofs that indicate His Oneness. Or, they find rest in the Qur’an, because it is a clear miracle that settles the hearts and establishes certainty within them.

"Those who have believed" is the subject (mubtadaʾ), and "To them is Tuba" is its predicate. It is also permissible for it to be a substitute for "hearts," assuming the omission of the genitive (idafa), meaning: "The hearts find rest—the hearts of those who have believed."

Tuba is a verbal noun derived from taba (to be good), like bushra (glad tidings) and zulfa (nearness). The meaning of "Tuba laka" is: "You have attained goodness and purity." Its grammatical position can be accusative or nominative, like saying "Tayyiban laka" (Goodness to you) or "Tayyibun laka" (Goodness is for you), and "Salaman laka" or "Salamun laka." The recitation of "wa husnu ma'ab" (and a good return) in both the nominative and accusative cases points to these two positions. The lam in "lahum" (for them) is for clarification, like the lam in "suqyan laka" (a watering for you). The waw in Tuba is a transformation of a yaʾ due to the damma preceding it, like muqin (certain) and musir (wealthy). The Bedouin al-A'rabi recited it as "Tayba lahum," breaking the taʾ so that the yaʾ remains intact, as in the words bid (white) and ma'isha (livelihood).

"Thus have We sent you to a nation before which [other] nations have passed on so that you might recite to them that which We have inspired to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Merciful. Say, 'He is my Lord; there is no deity except Him. Upon Him I have relied, and to Him is my return.'"