Reflection on Qur’ān 13:16
Qur’ān 13:16
Verse:
“Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘Allāh.’ Say, ‘Have you then taken besides Him allies who possess no power to benefit or harm themselves?’ Say, ‘Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or are darkness and light the same?’ Do they assign to Allāh partners who created like His creation, so that creation seemed alike to them? Say, ‘Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.’”
(13:16)
The Central Question
Allāh commands the Prophet ﷺ to ask:
Who controls the heavens and the earth?
Who sustains life?
Who governs destiny?
The only truthful answer:
Allāh.
False Reliance on Others
Allāh exposes false gods and false supports:
“They possess no power to benefit or harm themselves.”
Supporting Qur’ān:
"But those you invoke besides Him do not possess even the skin of a date stone."
(35:13)
“If Allāh touches you with harm, none can remove it but Him.”
(6:17)
“They cannot help you, nor help themselves.”
(7:197)
Meaning:
Anything besides Allāh is powerless.
Wealth, people, status, idols — all are weak.
Blindness vs. Sight
Allāh asks:
“Are the blind and the seeing equal?”
Meaning:
Blind → one who rejects truth
Seeing → one who recognizes Allāh
Supporting Qur’ān:
“Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.”
(22:46)
“Is one who walks in darkness like one in light?”
(39:22)
“Can the blind be equal to the seeing?”
(35:19)
Meaning:
Faith is vision.
Disbelief is blindness.
Darkness vs. Light
Allāh continues:
“Or are darkness and light the same?”
Darkness = shirk, ignorance, desires
Light = revelation, guidance, tawḥīd
Supporting Qur’ān:
“Allāh brings them from darkness into light.”
(2:257)
“A clear light has come to you from Allāh.”
(4:174)
“This is a Book We revealed to bring people into light.”
(14:1)
False Creators
Allāh challenges the polytheists:
“Do their partners create like His creation?”
Supporting Qur’ān:
“Is there any creator besides Allāh?”
(35:3)
“They create nothing and are themselves created.”
(16:20)
“Those you call cannot create even a fly.”
(22:73)
Meaning:
No one creates except Allāh.
The Final Truth
Allāh concludes:
“Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.”
Al-Wāḥid → The Only One
Al-Qahhār → The Overpowering
Supporting Qur’ān:
“He is the One, the Irresistible.”
(39:4)
“To Him belongs all dominion.”
(57:5)
“His command prevails.”
(12:21)
Meaning:
All power returns to Allāh.
Nothing escapes His will.
Hadith
Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) said:
“Whoever relies on other than Allāh will be abandoned by it.”
Closing Reminder
Allāh says:
“Put your trust in the Ever-Living who never dies.”
(25:58)
“And whoever relies upon Allāh — He is sufficient for him.”
(65:3)
