Surah Ar-Rum, Ayah 25

وَمِنْ ءَايَـتِهِ

(And among His signs) which speak of His greatness,

يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً

(He shows you the lightning, for fear and for hope,) Sometimes you fear the heavy rain and destructive thunderbolts that follow it, and sometimes you feel hope, when you see a flash of lightning, that much-needed rain will come. Allah says:

وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَيُحْىِ بِهِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

(and He sends down water from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death.) After it was barren, with nothing growing there, then the water comes to it and

اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنبَتَتْ مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ

Sixth sign of divine omnipotence

Existence of the sky and earth is by the command of Allah. When He will command the breakup of this system, this strong arrangement, which is working since thousands of years perfectly without a slight depreciation, will end up in no time. Then by the command of Allah all the dead will assemble in the plain for reckoning.

The sixth sign of divine omnipotence is in fact the sum and substance of the previous five signs, and they were in fact revealed to explain and elaborate this verse. The subject of this verse continues in the next few verses.

The Universe in all the elements of its existence is the sign of God. Its coming into existence from nothingness and the enormous variety found in it indicates His vast powers. The utmost meaningfulness in all things reflects His quality of mercy. The existence of destructive things like lightning acquaints us with how God takes punitive actions. The revival of greenery on earth after its being dry and barren demonstrates re-creation and resurrection. All these are the signs of God. But these signs are only for those who lend their ears to the silent call of the Universe—for those who put their wisdom and their knowledge to the correct use.