Themes and purpose:

This surah affirms the truth of the Prophet’s message and the Quran's divine origin, establishing Monotheism through the majesty of creation. It is structured as a sustained refutation: the deniers’ claims are quoted repeatedly [5, 6, 7, 27, 43] throughout the surah, and each is answered in turn. It directly confronts the polytheists’ denial of the Resurrection and their arrogant demands for signs, contrasting their uncertainty with the conviction and reward of the believers.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Most authorities held that it is Makkan; its style and themes are characteristic of Makkan revelation, focusing on Monotheism and threatening polytheists. Some claimed that the surah or a few verses were Madinan, notably vv. 12–13 and 43, but the narrations used to support these views are all weak.

Context: The surah is part of a sustained dispute with the Quraysh, an affluent, pampered elite who denies the Resurrection, mocks the believers, and repeatedly demands miracles of their choosing.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah's established name is "Sūrat al-Raʿd" (The Thunder). It is named for the unique and dramatic mention of "the thunder" in ayah 13, which is depicted as glorifying Allah.

Ayah Count: 43 (Kūfan count), 44 (Madinan), or 45 (Shāmī).

Surah Overview:

• The central purpose of the surah is affirming the truthfulness of the Messenger concerning the revelation given to him about God’s Oneness, the Resurrection, and rebuttal of the statements of the disbelievers.
• Proving Tawḥīd (Monotheism): Establishing Allah's Oneness through the magnificent signs within the cosmos (creation, celestial bodies, weather) and the natural order. [1-4, 12-13, 17]
• Refuting the Denial of the Resurrection: Addressing the polytheists’ claims denying the resurrection and threatening them with the fate of past nations. [5-6, 32-35]
• Divine Knowledge: Allah is all-knowing of the unseen; idols cannot respond, nor possess benefit/harm, and are unfit for worship.  [8-10, 14, 16, 33]
• Warning and Punishment: Threatening the deniers with cosmic events, like thunderbolts, as a form of divine punishment. [12-13]
• Confronting Mockery: Addressing the stubbornness of the polytheists and their constant demands for miracles according to their own preferences. [7, 27, 31]
• Contrasting Fates: Contrasting the certainty of the believers with the doubt of the skeptics, and describing the great reward prepared for the former. [18–25, 28–29, 34–35]
• The World’s Transience: this world and all the provisions granted therein will pass away. [26]
• The Messenger's Role: Affirming that the Prophet (ﷺ) faced the same rejection as messengers before him. [30, 32, 38, 40]
• Theology of Destiny: Hinting at the reality of divine decree and the manifestation of "erasing and affirming". [39]
• Ahl al-Kitāb affirmation: Some of the People of the Book rejoice in the revelation. [36]
• Final Proof: Concluding by asserting that Allah and those who possess knowledge of the Book are sufficient witnesses to the Prophet's truth. [43]