بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Hadid 57:3
The Iron · Juz 27 · Page 537
هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ وَٱلظَّٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ ٣
He is the First1 and the Last,2 the Ascendant3 and the Intimate,4 and He is, of all things, Knowing.
4 translator’s notes
Before whom nothing existed. Also, He who is supreme, foremost or uppermost.
[1624] Enduring eternally when nothing else remains.
[1625] Nothing being above Him. Another meaning is "the Apparent," i.e., evident through His creation and revelation.
[1626] Nothing being nearer than Him by way of His knowledge. Another meaning is "the Unapparent," i.e., concealed from man's physical senses.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 57:3
Remedy for Diabolical Whisperings
Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said that if the Shaitan casts an evil scruple in anyone's heart, and thus causes skepticism about Allah and the religion of truth, he should softly recite the following verse [ 3]: هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden and He is All-Knowing about everything.)
What is meant by Allah's being First and Last, and Manifest and Hidden? There are more than ten different interpretations of these attributes, and they are not contradictory. The scope is wide enough to accommodate all interpretations. The meaning of the attribute al-awwal [ the First ] is more or less fixed, signifying that ontologically there was nothing before Allah, and that He created everything and He is the First Cause of all existent things. The attribute Al-'akhir [ the Last ] means that He will exist even after everything will perish, as the following verse testifies: كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ (Everything has to perish except His Countenance... [ 28:88]. It should be noted that death or perishing covers two possibilities, either actual death or potential death. Therefore the verse means that all existent creatures will either actually perish on the Day of Judgment, or they may not actually perish, but potentially they could perish. They have the inherent capacity for death and destruction. Thus despite their being existent they may still be described as halik or fani [ perishing ]. As for instance, Paradise and Hell, and the righteous or unrighteous inmates entering them will not actually perish, but potentially they have the inherent capacity to perish. Only the Supreme Being of Allah is such that neither non-existence has ever occurred to Him, nor can death overtake Him. Thus Allah is Al-'Akhir [ the Last ].
Imam Ghazali (رح) has another explanation. He interprets the attribute 'Akhir [ the Last ] from the point of view of ma'rifah [ Knowledge ] in the sense that knowing Allah Ta’ ala is the ultimate goal which man hopes to achieve. He moves in the direction of this goal, passing on the way through all the different stages and stations until he attains the Divine Knowledge. [ Ruh ul Ma’ ani ]
The attribute Az-zahir [ the Manifest ] signifies a Being whose manifestation is superior to everything. Since 'manifestation' is an offshoot of 'existence', and the Existence of Allah is First and superior to all existent entities, the Divine Manifestation surpasses the manifestation of all other beings. Nothing in this universe is more manifest than Him. The manifestation of His wisdom and His power is visible in every particle of this world.
The attribute Al-batin [ the Hidden ] means that the accurate nature and essence of Allah's Being is hidden in the sense that the Divine Essence [ dhat ] is beyond human perception. No intellect or thought can ever reach the accurate and Intrinsic Essence of Allah.
اے برتراز قیاس و گمان و خیال و وھم
و زھرچہ دیدہ ایم شنیدہ ایم وخواندہ ایم
He is far beyond any hypothesis, any guess, any assumption, any imagination,
And who is far beyond whatever we have ever seen, heard or read about.
اے بروں از جملہ قال و قیلِ من
خاک بر فرق من و تمثیل من
He is beyond all our discussions and debates.
Whatever example I cite to explain Him is no more than a sheer failure.
Page 537
56:77
إِنَّهُۥ لَقُرۡءَانٞ كَرِيمٞ ٧٧
Indeed, it is a noble Qur’ān.
56:78
فِي كِتَٰبٖ مَّكۡنُونٖ ٧٨
In a Register well-protected;1.
1 translator’s note
- The Preserved Slate (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), which is with Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). ↩
56:79
لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡمُطَهَّرُونَ ٧٩
None touch it except the purified [i.e., the angels].
56:80
تَنزِيلٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٨٠
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
56:81
أَفَبِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ أَنتُم مُّدۡهِنُونَ ٨١
Then is it to this statement that you are indifferent
56:82
وَتَجۡعَلُونَ رِزۡقَكُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ تُكَذِّبُونَ ٨٢
And make [the thanks for] your provision that you deny [the Provider]?
56:83
فَلَوۡلَآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلۡحُلۡقُومَ ٨٣
Then why, when it [i.e., the soul at death] reaches the throat
56:84
وَأَنتُمۡ حِينَئِذٖ تَنظُرُونَ ٨٤
And you are at that time looking on -
56:85
وَنَحۡنُ أَقۡرَبُ إِلَيۡهِ مِنكُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٨٥
And We [i.e., Our angels] are nearer to him than you, but you do not see -
56:86
فَلَوۡلَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ غَيۡرَ مَدِينِينَ ٨٦
Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed,
56:87
تَرۡجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٨٧
Bring it back,1 if you should be truthful?
1 translator’s note
- i.e., return the soul to the body, meaning that just as you cannot prevent death when it is decreed, you will not escape the recompense when it is decreed. ↩
56:88
فَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ ٨٨
And if he [i.e., the deceased] was of those brought near [to Allāh],
56:89
فَرَوۡحٞ وَرَيۡحَانٞ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٖ ٨٩
Then [for him is] rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure.
56:90
وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٩٠
And if he was of the companions of the right,
56:91
فَسَلَٰمٞ لَّكَ مِنۡ أَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٩١
Then [the angels will say], "Peace for you; [you are] from the companions of the right."
56:92
وَأَمَّآ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ٩٢
But if he was of the deniers [who were] astray,
56:93
فَنُزُلٞ مِّنۡ حَمِيمٖ ٩٣
Then [for him is] accommodation of scalding water
56:94
وَتَصۡلِيَةُ جَحِيمٍ ٩٤
And burning in Hellfire.
56:95
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ ٱلۡيَقِينِ ٩٥
Indeed, this is the true certainty,
56:96
فَسَبِّحۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٩٦
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.
سورة الحديد
Al-Hadid
The Iron · Medinan · 29 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
57:1
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ١
Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allāh,1 and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- By praising Him and declaring Him far above and beyond any failure or imperfection. ↩
57:2
لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يُحۡيِۦ وَيُمِيتُۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٌ ٢
His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent.
57:3
هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأٓخِرُ وَٱلظَّٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ ٣
He is the First1 and the Last,2 the Ascendant3 and the Intimate,4 and He is, of all things, Knowing.
4 translator’s notes
Before whom nothing existed. Also, He who is supreme, foremost or uppermost.
[1624] Enduring eternally when nothing else remains.
[1625] Nothing being above Him. Another meaning is "the Apparent," i.e., evident through His creation and revelation.
[1626] Nothing being nearer than Him by way of His knowledge. Another meaning is "the Unapparent," i.e., concealed from man's physical senses.
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