48

And He it is Who sends forth the winds (al-riyāha; a variant has al-rīha, 'the wind') dispersing before His mercy (nushuran, 'dispersing'), scattered before the [coming of the] rain (a variant reading has nushran, the singular of which is nashūr, similar [in pattern] to rasūl, 'Messenger (rasūl)' [plural rusul]; another reading has nashran, as a verbal noun; and a third variant has bushran, in other words, [the winds function as] mubashshirāt, 'bearers of good tidings', the singular of which is bashīr); and We send down from the heaven purifying water,