13:42 Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder)

يقول تعالى: { وَقَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ } برسلهم وبالحق الذي جاءت به الرسل، فلم يغن عنهم مكرهم ولم يصنعوا شيئا فإنهم يحاربون الله ويبارزونه، { فَلِلَّهِ الْمَكْرُ جَمِيعًا } أي: لا يقدر أحد أن يمكر مكرا إلا بإذنه، وتحت قضائه وقدره، فإذا كانوا يمكرون بدينه فإن مكرهم سيعود عليهم بالخيبة والندم، فإن الله { يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ } أي: هومها وإراداتها وأعمالها الظاهرة والباطنة. والمكر لا بد أن يكون من كسبها فلا يخفى على الله مكرهم، فيمتنع أن يمكروا مكرا يضر الحق وأهله ويفيدهم شيئا، { وَسَيَعْلَمُ الْكُفَّارُ لِمَنْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ } أي: ألهم أو لرسله؟ ومن المعلوم أن العاقبة للمتقين لا للكفر وأعماله.

يقول تعالى " وقد مكر الذين من قبلهم " برسلهم وأرادوا إخراجهم من بلادهم فمكر الله بهم وجعل العاقبة للمتقين كقوله " وقد يمكر بك الذين كفروا ليثبتوك أو يقتلوك أو يخرجوك ويمكرون ويمكر الله والله خير الماكرين " وقوله تعالى " ومكروا مكرا ومكرنا مكرا وهم لا يشعرون فانظر كيف كان عاقبة مكرهم أنا دمرناهم وقومهم أجمعين فتلك بيوتهم خاوية بما ظلموا " الآيتين وقوله " يعلم ما تكسب كل نفس " أي أنه تعالى عالم بجميع السرائر والضمائر وسيجزي كل عامل بعمله " وسيعلم الكافر " والقراءة الأخرى الكفار " لمن عقبى الدار " لمن تكون الدائرة والعاقبة لهم أو لأتباع الرسل ؟ كلا: بل هي لأتباع الرسل في الدنيا والآخرة ولله الحمد والمنة.

The Disbelievers plot, but the Believers gain the Good End

Allah says,

وَقَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

(And verily, those before them did devise plots,) against their Messengers, they wanted to expel them from their land, but Allah devised plots against the disbelievers and gave the good end to those who fear Him. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَـكِرِينَ

(And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out; they were plotting and Allah too was plotting; and Allah is the Best of those who plot.) 8:30, and,

وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْراً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ - فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

(So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. Then see how was the end of their plot! Verily, We destroyed them and their nation, all together.)27:50,51 Allah said next,

يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ

(He knows what every person earns,) meaning, He alone knows all secrets and concealed thoughts and will reckon each person according to his work, (

وَسَيَعْلَمُ الْكَـفِرُ

and the Kafir (disbeliever) will know

الْكُفَّـرُ

or the Kuffar (disbelievers) according to another way of reciting,

لِمَنْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ

(who gets the good end.) who will earn the ultimate and final victory, they or the followers of the Messengers. Indeed, the followers of the Messengers will earn the good end in this life and the Hereafter, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.

And indeed those that were before them of communities plotted against their prophets just as they plot against you; but to God belongs all plotting. And nor is their plotting like the plotting of God for exalted be He He knows what every soul earns and so its requital is prepared for it and this is the ultimate plotting since He brings it to them whence they are not aware. The disbeliever the genus is meant here; a variant reading has kuffār ‘the disbelievers’ shall assuredly know for whom shall be the sequel of the heavenly Abode that is the praiseworthy sequel in the abode of the Hereafter will it be theirs or that of the Prophet s and his Companions?

In verse وَإِن مَّا نُرِ‌يَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ (And if We show you some of what We promise them, or We take you back to Us), it is to comfort and assure the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he has been given the good news that the promises Allah has made to him that Islam will have the final victory and disbelief and disbelievers will be disgraced shall come to pass definitely. But, he is told, 'you should not concern yourself as to when this victory will finally come.' May be, this happens within his life time, and it is also possible that it comes after his departure from this mortal world. ` For your peace of heart, even this much is enough that you are continuously witnessing that We are causing the lands of the dis-believers to keep being sliced off their sides,' that is, these sides pass on under Muslim control whereby the land occupied by them keeps reducing in area. This causes well-being for Muslims and a day will come when the final phase of their victory shall stand completed. The command is in the very hands of Allah Ta` ala. There is no one who can avert this command. And He is the One swift at reckoning.