Presented by Zia H Shah MD

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Abstract

This report presents a comprehensive philosophical and theological commentary on Surah Ar-Ra’d, Verse 17 (Quran 13:17), a pivotal scripture that establishes a divine criterion for existential durability. The research posits that the verse articulates a “Law of Ontological Survival,” wherein the enduring reality of any entity—be it an ideology, a civilization, a commodity, or a human character—is determined not by its volume, visibility, or socially constructed “hype” (metaphorically described as foam or Zabad), but by its intrinsic utility for humanity (ma yanfa’u al-nas). Through a rigorous philological analysis of the Arabic text and the English translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, the report deconstructs the dual parables of water (revelation/nature) and fire (civilization/industry). It synthesizes classical exegesis (tafsir) with contemporary socio-political, economic, and scientific analysis to demonstrate that Truth (Al-Haqq) is characterized by weight, stability, and benefit, while Falsehood (Al-Batil) is characterized by swelling (Rabiyan), surface-level visibility, and inevitable obsolescence. The analysis extends to modern phenomena such as consumerist bubbles, digital vanity metrics, and the information economy, arguing that the Quranic worldview offers a profound critique of the “society of the spectacle,” establishing “benefit to mankind” as the sole determinant of historical and spiritual permanence as adjudicated by the All-Knowing God.

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1. Introduction: The Thunder and the Nature of Reality

The thirteenth chapter of the Quran, Surah Ar-Ra’d (The Thunder), occupies a unique position in Islamic eschatology and cosmology. Often debated by scholars as to whether it belongs to the Makkan or Madinan period of revelation, it bridges the gap between the metaphysical arguments of Mecca and the social structuring of Medina. The Surah is named after the thunder, a phenomenon that is at once terrifying and life-giving, loud in its presence yet signaling the quiet, penetrating benefit of rain. This duality—between the loud, visible surface and the silent, beneficial substance—forms the central thematic spine of the chapter.

Verse 17 of this Surah serves as the philosophical climax of this theme. It addresses a universal human cognitive failure: the tendency to confuse “presence” with “permanence,” and “volume” with “value.” In a world driven by appearances, where the loud often drown out the true, the Quran intervenes with a corrective ontology. It asserts that visibility is often a symptom of impurity, and that true power lies in the quiet capability to benefit.

The user’s query posits a specific philosophical stance: “The lasting value of anything is not determined by the hype humans create but by its very utility for humanity as decided by the All Knowing God.” This report rigorously validates this premise through the lens of Quranic exegesis. It argues that the verse introduces a form of “Theological Pragmatism”—not the secular pragmatism that measures truth by human convenience, but a divine pragmatism where “truth” is synonymous with “that which sustains life and order.”

By analyzing the metaphors of the flood and the furnace, we uncover a Divine Law of History: History is a centrifuge. It spins and agitates human affairs until the light, frothy elements of falsehood are cast to the periphery, leaving only the weighty core of what benefits people to remain in the earth. This process is not immediate; it requires time, symbolized by the flow of the valley and the heating of the crucible. Thus, the verse is also a treatise on patience and the inevitable triumph of substance over “hype.”

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2. The Textual Corpus: Quran 13:17

The analysis relies fundamentally on the immutability of the Arabic text and the interpretive nuance provided by the translation of M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, widely regarded for its ability to capture the flow and modern resonance of Quranic imagery.¹

2.1 The Arabic Text

The foundation of all derivation is the Arabic script:

أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌۢ بِقَدَرِهَا فَٱحْتَمَلَ ٱلسَّيْلُ زَبَدًا رَّابِيًا ۚ وَمِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلنَّارِ ٱبْتِغَآءَ حِلْيَةٍ أَوْ مَتَاعٍ زَبَدٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَٱلْبَٰطِلَ ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفَآءً ۖ وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ

2.2 English Translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

Professor Abdel Haleem’s translation renders the verse with a focus on the fluidity of the imagery and the clarity of the parable:

“He sends water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing, each according to its measure. The stream carries on its surface a growing layer of froth, like the froth that appears when people melt metals in the fire to make ornaments and tools: in this way God illustrates truth and falsehood—the froth disappears, but what is of benefit to man stays behind—this is how God makes illustrations.” ³

2.3 Contextual Placement

To understand the weight of this verse, one must situate it within the flow of Surah Ar-Ra’d. The preceding verses (13:14-16) dismantle the concept of false deities. The text compares the prayer to a false god to a man stretching his hands out to water, hoping it will reach his mouth automatically—an act of futility and delusion.⁵ The false gods “cannot benefit or harm themselves,” let alone their worshippers.

Verse 17 arrives as the explanandum (the explanation) for why these false deities and false ideologies fail. It is not merely because they are “wrong” in an abstract logical sense, but because they are ontologically “light.” They lack the substance required to remain in existence. The Quran shifts from the theological argument of the previous verses to a physical/naturalistic argument: look at the foam on the river. It looks massive, it covers the water, but it is destined to vanish. This transition from the abstract to the tangible is a hallmark of Quranic pedagogy, grounding high theology in observable reality.⁶

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3. Lexical Hermeneutics: The Anatomy of Foam and Flow

A deep philosophical extraction requires a microscopic analysis of the key terms used in the verse. The Arabic language, with its trilateral root system, offers layers of meaning that a single translation cannot fully capture.

3.1 Zabad (Foam): The Semantics of Hype

The central antagonist in this parable is Zabad.

• Etymology and Semantics: The term Zabad refers to foam, froth, or scum that rises to the surface of a liquid upon agitation.⁷ In Lane’s Lexicon and other classical dictionaries, it denotes something that is cast out, something that is thrown away because it is useless.⁹
• Historical Resonance: The root appears in pre-Islamic history. Snippets reference an inscription from 512 AD found at “Zabad,” a place between the Euphrates and Qinnasrin.¹⁰ While this refers to a location, the linguistic presence of the root in the region’s nomenclature suggests a familiarity with the concept of “that which is churned up” or “sediment.”
• The Metaphor of Hype: Philosophically, Zabad is the perfect descriptor for “hype.”
  • Volume vs. Mass: Foam occupies a large volume but has almost zero mass. It is mostly air (emptiness) trapped in a thin film of liquid. Similarly, “hype” is mostly noise (hot air) wrapping a thin layer of reality.
  • Opacity: Foam is opaque; it hides the water beneath. Hype obscures the truth. When a society is covered in the “foam” of propaganda or marketing, the “water” of reality is invisible, leading to confusion.
  • Fragility: Foam exists only as long as there is agitation. Once the river calms, the foam bursts. Hype requires constant agitation (news cycles, viral trends) to exist. It has no independent structural integrity.

3.2 Rabiyan (Swelling): The Economics of Illusion

The foam is described as Rabiyan.

• Root R-B-W: This is the same root used for Riba (Usury/Interest) and Rabwa (a hill or elevated ground). It means to increase, to grow, to swell, to mount up.⁸
• Philosophical Implication: The Quran links the physical swelling of foam with the economic swelling of usury. Both represent “growth without substance.” In Riba, wealth grows numerically without any corresponding production of goods or services. In Zabad, the river level seems to rise, but it is just aeration. Rabiyan describes the behavior of falsehood: it inflates itself to look larger than it is. It is the “puffery” of the ego and the “bubble” of the market.
• Visual Dominance: Something that is Rabiyan sits on top. It demands attention. It is the “breaking news,” the “trending topic,” the “celebrity scandal.” It rides the surface of the consciousness, blocking the view of the deep currents below.

3.3 Jufa’an (Jetsam): The Violent Discard

The destiny of the foam is Jufa’an.

• Linguistic Force: The word Jufa’an implies being cast away, thrown aside, or ejected.¹² It is not a passive fading; it is an active rejection by the river. The water currents, in their drive to reach the ocean, physically push the light, useless foam to the banks.
• The Debris of History: Jufa’an is the trash left on the riverbank after the flood recedes—dead branches, plastic, scum. This is a powerful image of historical judgment. The false ideologies, the tyrannical empires, the celebrity crazes—they are eventually deposited on the banks of history as “jetsam,” looked upon by future generations as useless debris. They do not enter the ocean of eternity.

3.4 Yamkuthu (Remains): The Ontology of Permanence

The counter-force to Zabad is that which Yamkuthu.

• Meaning: To tarry, to stay, to dwell, to abide. It implies a sense of settling down and becoming part of the landscape.¹⁴
• Connection to Reality: In Quranic metaphysics, only God is truly Ever-Lasting (Al-Baqi). For a created thing to “remain,” it must participate in the nature of Truth. Truth is “heavy” and “grounded.” It sinks into the earth. It integrates.
• The Test of Time: The verse establishes time as the ultimate filter. Hype cannot wait. Truth can. The characteristic of the Haqq (Truth) is patience and endurance. It does not need to shout because it knows it will remain long after the noise has died down.

3.5 Ma Yanfa’u Al-Nas (What Benefits People)

The criterion for permanence is explicit: Ma yanfa’u al-nas.

• Universal Humanism: The text uses Al-Nas (Mankind/The People), not Al-Mu’minun (The Believers).¹⁵ This is a radical inclusivity. The utility that God values is not limited to religious utility (like prayer or fasting) but extends to universal utility—agriculture, medicine, justice, technology, infrastructure.
• Theological Pragmatism: This phrase bridges the gap between the secular and the sacred. A bridge that allows people to cross a river safely is “Truth” in this context because it benefits people. A medicine that cures a disease is “Truth.” The Quranic definition of Haqq includes the physical well-being of humanity. God loves that which serves His creation.

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4. The First Parable: The Hydrology of Revelation

The verse opens with a naturalistic parable: “He sends water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing, each according to its measure.”

4.1 The Descent of Knowledge (Anzala)

The water represents Divine Revelation (Wahi) and knowledge. It descends from a higher ontological plane (“the sky”) to the human plane (“the earth”). Just as water is the prerequisite for physical life, revelation is the prerequisite for spiritual and moral life.¹⁶

• Purity: The water starts pure. The rain is clean.
• Transformation: As soon as it touches the earth, it interacts with the terrain. This parallels how pure truth interacts with human reality.

4.2 The Valleys of Capacity (Awdiyah bi-qadariha)

The “riverbeds” or “valleys” (Awdiyah) represent the hearts, minds, and intellects of human beings.

• The Law of Capacity: The verse states they flow “according to their measure” (Bi-qadariha). This is a profound psychological insight.
  • The Small Valley: A small mind or a limited heart can only hold a small amount of truth. If a massive flood enters a narrow canyon, it rushes through violently but does not settle.
  • The Vast Valley: A wise, expansive heart can hold a vast ocean of knowledge.
  • The Lesson: God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. He provides truth, but the reception of that truth is limited by the vessel. The varying capacities of human understanding are part of the divine design.¹⁷

4.3 The Generation of Foam: The Reaction to Truth

“The stream carries on its surface a growing layer of froth.”

When the pure water of revelation rushes into the dry, dusty valley of the human soul, it churns up everything that was lying dormant: doubts, desires, ancient prejudices, cultural baggage, and ego.

• The Mechanism of Confusion: This churning creates “foam.” A new convert to a faith, or a society undergoing a revolution, often experiences a period of chaotic “foam”—confusion, arguments, excessive zeal, or misinterpretation.
• The Optical Illusion: An observer looking at the flood sees the foam on top and might think, “This water is dirty.” But the Quran corrects this perception: The foam is not the water. The foam is the result of the water cleaning the valley. The dirt is being lifted so it can be carried away.
• Modern Parallel: When a new truth (e.g., a call for social justice) enters a corrupt society, it creates “noise” (backlash, debates, polarization). This noise is the Zabad. It is ugly and loud, but it is a sign that the river is flowing. A stagnant pond has no foam, but it also has no life. The flowing river has foam because it is alive and moving.¹⁸

4.4 The Psychological Foam: Doubt and Vanity

Nouman Ali Khan and other modern commentators extend this metaphor to the psychology of the hypocrite or the arrogant scholar.¹⁸

• Surface-Level Piety: A person may have “foamy” knowledge—lots of words, loud recitations, aggressive debates. This floats on the surface. It is visible (Rabiyan). But it lacks the “water” of sincerity and character.
• The Fate of the Pretender: Just as the foam dries up and leaves scum, the fame of the insincere preacher or the hype of the false ideology eventually evaporates, leaving behind a legacy of cynicism (the dry scum).

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5. The Second Parable: The Metallurgy of Civilization

The verse shifts from the natural to the industrial: “…like the froth that appears when people melt metals in the fire to make ornaments and tools…”

5.1 The Fire of Trial (Fitnah)

While the first parable uses water (mercy), the second uses fire (severity). Truth is not just given; it is forged.

• The Furnace: Civilization is a furnace. Societies are subjected to the “heat” of wars, economic crises, pandemics, and political upheavals.
• The Purpose of Heat: You cannot separate the gold from the dross (impurities) without melting the ore. The heat is necessary to break the bonds between the precious metal and the useless rock.
• Theological Insight: Hardship is not a punishment; it is a purification process. God subjects communities to heat to bring the “scum” to the surface so it can be skimmed off.²⁰

5.2 Ornaments and Tools: The Twin Drives of Humanity

The verse specifies two outcomes of this smelting:

1. Ornaments (Hilyah): Items of beauty, jewelry, aesthetics (Gold, Silver). This represents the cultural, artistic, and spiritual dimensions of civilization.
2. Tools/Utensils (Mata’): Items of utility, axes, pots, machinery (Iron, Copper, Lead). This represents the technological, economic, and military dimensions.¹⁷

• Comprehensive Civilization: The Quran acknowledges both Beauty and Utility as legitimate goals of human industry. A successful civilization produces both “Ornaments” (Art/Values) and “Tools” (Economy/Science). Both require the removal of “foam” to be effective. Impure gold breaks; impure iron rusts.

5.3 The Scum of Corruption

In metallurgy, the impurities rise to the top as slag.

• The Appearance of Slag: Molten slag glows red hot. It moves and flows. To the untrained eye, it looks exactly like the metal. In fact, it sits on top of the metal, obscuring it.
• The Metaphor of Corruption: In a corrupt society, the “slag” (the corrupt elite, the grifters, the incompetent leaders) rises to the top. They shine with the “glow” of power and wealth. They seem to be the substance of the nation.
• The Skimming: The Master Smith (God) knows that this layer is useless. The trials continue until this layer is separated and cast aside (Jufa’an), allowing the pure metal to emerge.

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6. The Ontology of Hype (Zabad): A Phenomenology of the Ephemeral

This section synthesizes the metaphors to define the nature of “Hype” as a philosophical category.

6.1 Hype as “Swelling” (Rabiyan)

Hype is the artificial inflation of perceived value. It is the “swelling” of the foam.

• The Disconnect: Hype exists when the signifier (the image/claim) exceeds the signified (the reality). It is a bubble.
• The Necessity of Agitation: Foam cannot exist in still water. Hype cannot exist without constant “agitation”—marketing campaigns, viral loops, controversy. The moment the agitation stops, the hype collapses. Real value (water) exists in stillness. Hype requires chaos.

6.2 The Visibility Paradox

We live in a culture that equates “Visibility” with “Success.”

• The Quranic Inversion: Verse 13:17 inverts this. Visibility is often a sign of Zabad. The foam is the most visible part of the river, but it is the least valuable. The gold is hidden at the bottom of the crucible.
• The Society of the Spectacle: Guy Debord argued that modern society has replaced “being” with “having,” and “having” with “appearing.” The Quran critiques the “Spectacle” (the foam) as a distraction from the “Real” (the water). The user’s prompt highlights: “The lasting value… is not determined by the hype humans create.” Humans create spectacles. God creates realities.

6.3 The Logic of Displacement

How does Truth defeat Falsehood?

• Not by Volume: Truth does not need to be “louder” than falsehood. The water does not scream at the foam.
• By Persistence: The water simply flows. The metal simply sits. The nature of reality is that it endures. The nature of foam is that it bursts.
• Strategic Patience: This offers a strategy for the righteous. Do not exhaust yourself trying to out-shout the hype. Focus on being the water. Focus on utility. Let the laws of physics (God’s laws) do the work of displacement.

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7. The Axiom of Utility (Manfa’ah): Theological Pragmatism

The prompt emphasizes that value is determined by “utility for humanity as decided by the All Knowing God.”

7.1 Defining “Benefit” (Manfa’ah)

What does it mean to “benefit people”?

• Material vs. Spiritual: It is not limited to material gain. “Benefit” includes spiritual guidance, moral clarity, social justice, and emotional comfort. However, the use of Al-Nas (Mankind) strongly implies that tangible, universal benefit is a key component.
• Ibn Taymiyyah’s Insight: The great theologian Ibn Taymiyyah famously argued that God upholds a just state even if it is non-Muslim, and destroys an unjust state even if it is Muslim.²² Why? Because Justice (Adl) is “water”—it benefits people. It sustains society. Oppression (Zulm) is “foam”—it creates a swelling of power for the tyrant, but it destroys the foundation of society. Eventually, the unjust state collapses because it lacks “ontological utility.”

7.2 God as the Decider of Utility

Humans are terrible at judging long-term utility.

• The Short-Term Trap: We often think “foam” is beneficial. We chase quick profits (usury), quick highs (intoxicants), or quick fame (vanity). We think these benefit us.
• The Divine Algorithm: God, being All-Knowing, calculates the “Net Present Value” of an action across eternity.
  • Usury: Looks like growth (foam). God declares it “war against Him” because it destroys social cohesion (anti-utility).
  • Charity: Looks like loss (decrease in asset). God declares it “growth” because it builds social trust and spiritual rank (utility).
• The Epistemological Anchor: We must align our definition of “success” with God’s definition of “benefit.” If our work, our art, or our life does not serve humanity in a way that aligns with Divine values, it is Zabad.

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8. Societal Manifestations: The Economics of Bubbles and the Sociology of Vanity

The Quranic metaphors apply with startling accuracy to modern economic and social structures.

8.1 The Economics of Zabad: Financial Bubbles

Financial markets are the primary engines of Zabad in the modern world.

• Speculative Bubbles: When the price of an asset (e.g., a meme stock, a dubious cryptocurrency, or Dutch tulips) rises purely based on speculation, this is Zabad Rabiyan (Swelling Foam). There is no underlying “water” (revenue, utility, product).
• The Crash (The Fire): When the market corrects (the fire of reality), the foam vanishes instantly. Billions of dollars of “paper wealth” disappear because they never really existed—they were just valuation foam.
• Crypto and the Quran: Research snippet ²³ draws a direct link between “junk tokens” and Zabad. A token that provides no utility and relies solely on “hype” for its value is prohibited in the spirit of Islamic finance, which demands that wealth be tied to real assets (Mata’ – tools/goods) that benefit people.

8.2 The Sociology of Influencers: Vanity Metrics

Social media is a factory of Zabad.

• Likes as Foam: “Likes,” “Views,” and “Followers” are volume metrics. They measure the size of the bubble. They do not measure the density of the influence.
• The Influencer vs. The Teacher: An influencer may have 10 million followers (High Foam) but leave no lasting legacy of benefit. A primary school teacher may have 30 students (Low Volume) but imparts literacy and character (High Water).
• The “Jufa’an” of Internet Fame: Internet fame is notoriously short-lived. The “star” of today is the “cringe” of tomorrow. This is the cycle of Jufa’an—being cast off by the algorithm to the banks of irrelevance.

8.3 Consumerism as Slag

The consumerist culture encourages the accumulation of “Ornaments” (Hilyah) without the foundation of “Tools” (Mata’).

• Fast Fashion: We buy cheap, flashy goods (foam) that look like high-quality items but fall apart after a few washes (vanish).
• The Waste: The result is literally Jufa’an—landfills filled with the “cast-off” debris of consumer trends. The Quranic model advocates for durability and utility—goods that “remain in the earth” and provide lasting service.

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9. Scientific Resonance: From the Water Cycle to Biological Selection

Modern science offers “second-order” insights that reinforce the Quranic metaphor, revealing that the “Law of Utility” is woven into the physical fabric of the universe.¹⁶

9.1 The Hydrological Cycle and Groundwater

The verse accurately describes the water cycle: Rain $\rightarrow$ Flow $\rightarrow$ Absorption/Remaining.

• Scientific Truth: Foam is chemically unstable. It is merely trapped air bubbles. The surface tension inevitably breaks, and the gas escapes. The water, however, does not vanish. It seeps into the aquifers.
• Aquifers as Metaphor: Groundwater is the perfect metaphor for Haqq. It is unseen, deep, and heavily pressurized. It sustains life during droughts when the surface water (hype) has dried up. Truth acts like an aquifer for civilization.¹⁶

9.2 Biological Pragmatism: The Placenta Argument

Snippet ²⁴ introduces a fascinating biological corollary regarding the evolution of the placenta.

• Natural Selection of Utility: Evolution can be viewed as a biological application of Quran 13:17. Traits that do not “benefit” the organism in its environment are “cast off” (extinction/atrophy). Traits that “benefit” (like the mammalian placenta, which nourishes the fetus) “remain in the earth” (are passed down genetically).
• Occasionalism: From an Islamic theological perspective (Occasionalism/Ash’arism), this is not random. God, the Sustainer (Al-Rabb), continually selects for utility. Life is a history of preserving what works. The placenta “remains” because it is a “tool” (Mata’) that benefits life.

9.3 Metallurgy and Purification

The description of smelting is scientifically precise.

• Density Separation: The separation of slag from metal is based on density. Slag is lighter (silicates/oxides) and floats. Metal is heavier and sinks.
• The Necessity of Waste: You cannot have the metal without the slag. The ore contains both. The process of “creation” involves the separation of the two. This implies that the existence of evil/falsehood/hype is a necessary byproduct of a world designed for testing and purification. It is the “waste product” of the refining of human souls.

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10. Conclusion: The Triumph of the Real

The exegesis of Quran 13:17 yields a comprehensive worldview that challenges the materialistic, visual-centric, and short-term thinking of the human condition.

The verse establishes a Binary of Existence:

Attribute	The Foam (Zabad)	The Water/Metal (Haqq)
Metaphor	Hype, Falsehood, Vanity	Truth, Utility, Reality
Physical State	Swelling (Rabiyan), High Volume	Flowing, Settling (Yamkuthu)
Visibility	High (Surface level)	Low (Submerged/Hidden)
Density	Low (Air/Impurity)	High (Substance)
Destiny	Cast off (Jufa’an), Vanishes	Remains in the Earth
Criterion	Appearance	Benefit to Mankind (Manfa’ah)

The philosophical conclusion is clear: Permanence is a function of Utility.

We live in a universe rigged in favor of the Real. While falsehood may have its “viral moments,” dominating the airwaves and the river surfaces of history, it is ontologically doomed by its own lack of weight. It creates a lot of foam, but it cannot hydrate the soil.

For the believer, this is a source of immense comfort. When they see the “swelling” of unjust powers or the “hype” of materialistic ideologies, they need not despair. They understand the physics of the metaphysical world: Foam rises before it bursts. The believer’s task is not to chase the foam, but to become the water—to ensure their life, their career, and their character provide genuine “benefit to people.”

For the wider world, this is a warning. Any civilization, economy, or reputation built on “hype” (speculation, oppression, image-management) without the bedrock of “utility” (justice, service, production) is building on foam. The flood of reality will eventually wash it away, leaving it as mere jetsam on the banks of history. Only that which serves the creation of God will be preserved by the God of Creation.

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11. Thematic Epilogue: The Lasting Value

The lasting value of anything is not determined by the hype humans create but by its very utility for humanity as decided by the All Knowing God.

In the final analysis, Quran 13:17 stands as a timeless corrective to the human obsession with the immediate and the visible. We are creatures easily dazzled by the flash of the lightning and the height of the foam. We build monuments to the ephemeral, chasing metrics that vanish the moment the power is cut. We mistake the noise of the crowd for the voice of the truth.

But the Divine voice cuts through this cacophony with a calm, hydrological certainty: The foam vanishes. It does not need to be fought; it simply needs to be outlasted. It is the nature of foam to burst. Meanwhile, the quiet work of “benefiting people”—the feeding of the hungry, the teaching of the ignorant, the comforting of the broken, the upholding of justice—sinks deep into the soil of history. It enters the aquifers of eternity.

When the history of humanity is finally written by the Creator, the chapters of “hype” will be discarded as jetsam (Jufa’an). The viral trends, the speculative bubbles, and the arrogant empires will be swept aside like dead leaves on a riverbank. The only pages that will remain are those written in the ink of service, utility, and truth. As the verse promises, that which benefits mankind does not leave; it tarries, it dwells, and it waits for us in the earth, bearing fruit long after the storm has passed.

“The froth disappears, but what is of benefit to man stays behind.”