057 Al-Hadid

To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth; He gives life and causes death, and He is Most Capable of all things.

He is the First[2] and the Last[3], the Manifest[4] and the Hidden[5], and He is All-Knowing of everything.

Translation notes: [2] Before Whom nothing existed; the foremost; the uppermost. [3] Eternal after Whom nothing remains. [4] High, nothing is above Him. [5] Nothing is nearer than Him by way of His knowledge; concealed from our physical senses.

It is He Who created the heavens and earth in six days, and then rose over the Throne. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it, and all that descends from the heaven and all that ascends to it. He is with you[6] wherever you are, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

Translation notes: [6] By His Knowledge - observing and witnessing all.

To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, and to Allah will return all matters.

He causes the night to merge into the day and the day to merge into the night, and He is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts.

Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend [in Allah’s cause] out of what He has entrusted you with. For those among you who believe and spend[7], there will be a great reward.

Translation notes: [7] In the way of Allah.

Why is it that you do not believe in Allah when the Messenger is calling you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a covenant from you[8], if you will ever believe?

Translation notes: [8] See 7:172.

It is He Who sends down clear verses to His slave to bring you out of the depths of darkness into the light. Indeed, Allah is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to you.

Why is it that you do not spend in the cause of Allah, when Allah alone will inherit the heavens and earth? Those of you who spent and fought before the conquest [of Makkah and those who did not] are not equal. They are much greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterward[9]. Yet Allah has promised each a fine reward, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Translation notes: [9] Muslims were perceived as weak before the conquest of Makkah. Therefore, those believers who donated and fought in times of weakness and hardship deserve more rewards than those who did so when Muslims were victors and had an upper hand against the enemies.

Who is there to lend Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him, and for him there will be a generous reward[10]?

Translation notes: [10] i.e., Paradise.

[Remember] the Day when you will see the believing men and women, with their light streaming ahead of them and on their right. [They will be told], “Glad tidings for you Today: gardens under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever.” That is the supreme triumph.

On that Day the hypocrite men and women will say to those who believe, “Wait for us, so that we may have some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back and seek light elsewhere[11].” Then a wall will be placed between them, which will have a gate[12], on the inside of which there will be mercy and on the outside there will be punishment.

Translation notes: [11] i.e., the worldly life from where the light was acquired. [12] This wall is said to be the barrier between Paradise and Hell, which is called Al-A‘rāf (the heights). See 7:46-49.

The hypocrites will call out to the believers, “Were we not with you?” They will say, “Yes, but you allowed yourselves[13] to succumb to temptations, you awaited [some misfortune to befall us], you doubted, and you were deceived by false hopes, until Allah’s decree came to pass. Thus the deceiver [i.e., Satan] deceived you concerning Allah.

Translation notes: [13] By hypocrisy.

So this Day no ransom will be accepted from you or from the disbelievers. Your abode is the Fire; it is a fitting place for you – what a wretched destination!”

Has the time not yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and the truth that has been revealed? And that they should not be like those who were given the Scripture before, whose hearts grew hard after the passage of a long time, and many of them were evildoers.

Know that Allah revives the earth after its death[14]. We have made the signs clear to you so that you may understand.

Translation notes: [14] Similarly, it is easy for Allah to soften the hearts and guide after misguidance.

Indeed, those men and women who give in charity and lend to Allah a goodly loan, it will be multiplied for them, and for them there will be a generous reward[15].

Translation notes: [15] i.e., Paradise.

Those who believe in Allah and His messengers, it is they who are the people of the truth. And the martyrs will have their reward and their light with their Lord. As for those who disbelieve and reject Our verses, they are the people of the Blazing Fire.

Know that the life of this world is no more than play, amusement, adornment, boasting among yourselves, and competition in wealth and children. It is like plants that flourish after rain, pleasing the sowers, then they wither and you see them turning yellow, and then they crumble. And in the Hereafter there will be severe punishment, or forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure. For the life of this world is no more than a fleeting enjoyment.

Race one another towards forgiveness from your Lord and Paradise the width of which is like the width of the heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, for Allah is the Lord of great bounty.

No calamity befalls the earth or yourselves but it is already written in a Record[16] before We bring it into existence. That is indeed easy for Allah –

Translation notes: [16] i.e., the Preserved Tablet.

so that you may not grieve over what you have missed, nor exult over what He has given you, for Allah does not love anyone who is conceited and boastful –

those who are stingy and promote stinginess among people. And those who turn away[17], then Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.

Translation notes: [17] Refuse to spend in the way of Allah or refuse obedience to Him.

We have sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Scripture and the criteria of justice, so that the people may uphold justice. And We sent down iron, in which there is great might and benefits for people, so that Allah may make known those who help His cause and His messengers without seeing Him. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.

We sent Noah and Abraham, and gave prophethood and Scripture to their offspring: some among them are guided, but most of them are evildoers.

Then We sent Our messengers in their footsteps, and We sent after them Jesus, son of Mary; We gave him the Gospel and instilled kindness and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. As for monasticism, they invented it – We did not prescribe it for them – seeking thereby Allah’s pleasure, yet they did not observe it faithfully. So We gave those who believed among them their reward, but most of them are evildoers.

O you who believe, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will give you a double share of His mercy and will give you a light by which you walk, and forgive you, for Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[This is] so that the People of the Book may know that they have no power over anything of Allah’s bounty and that all bounty is in the Hands of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills, for Allah is the Lord of great bounty.