57:1 Al-Hadid (The Iron)

يخبر تعالى عن عظمته وجلاله وسعة سلطانه، أن جميع ما في السماوات والأرض من الحيوانات الناطقة والصامتة وغيرها، [والجوامد] تسبح بحمد ربها، وتنزهه عما لا يليق بجلاله، وأنها قانتة لربها، منقادة لعزته، قد ظهرت فيها آثار حكمته، ولهذا قال: { وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ } فهذا فيه بيان عموم افتقار المخلوقات العلوية والسفلية لربها، في جميع أحوالها، وعموم عزته وقهره للأشياء كلها، وعموم حكمته في خلقه وأمره.

سورة الحديد: قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يزيد بن عبد ربه حدثنا بقية بن الوليد حدثني بجير بن سعد عن خالد بن معدان عن ابن أبي بلال عن عرباض بن سارية أنه حدثهم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقرأ المسبحات قبل أن يرقد وقال "إن فيهن آية أفضل من ألف آية" وهكذا رواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي من طرق عن بقية به وقال الترمذي حسن غريب ورواه النسائي عن ابن أبي السرح عن ابن وهب عن معاوية بن صالح عن بجير بن سعد عن خالد بن معدان قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكره مرسلا ولم يذكر عبدالله بن أبي بلال ولا العرباض بن سارية والآية المشار إليها في الحديث هي والله أعلم قوله تعالى "هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم" كما سيأتي بيانه قريبا إن شاء الله تعالى وبه الثقة وعليه التكلان وهو حسبنا ونعم الوكيل يخبر تعالى أنه يسبح له ما في السماوات والأرض أي من الحيوانات والنباتات كما قال في الآية الأخرى "تسبح له السموات السبع والأرض ومن فيهن وإن من شيء إلا يسبح بحمده ولكن لا يفقهون تسبيحهم إنه كان حليما غفورا" وقوله تعالى "وهو العزيز" أي الذي قد خضع له كل شيء "الحكيم" في خلقه وأمره وشرعه.

Which was revealed in Madina

The Virtues of Surat Al-Hadid

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Irbad bin Sariyah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite Al-Musabbihat before he went to sleep, saying,

«إِنَّ فِيهِنَّ آيَةً أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ آيَة»

(In them there is an Ayah that is better than a thousand Ayat.) Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i collected this Hadith; At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib." The Ayah referred to in this Hadith is -- and Allah knows best --

هُوَ الاٌّوَّلُ وَالاٌّخِرُ وَالظَّـهِرُ وَالْبَـطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything.)(57:3) Allah willing, we will again mention this subject. Upon Allah we trust and our total reliance and dependence are on Him, and sufficient He is to us as Supporter and Helper.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Everything that exists glorifies Allah and mentioning some of His Attributes

In this Ayah, Allah states that everything that exists in the heavens and earth praises and glorifies Him, including creatures and plants. Allah said in another Ayah,

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَـوَتُ السَّبْعُ وَالاٌّرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.)(17:44) And His saying:

وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ

(and He is the Almighty,) meaning the One to Whom all things submit humility,

الْحَكِيمُ

(All-Wise.) in His creating, commanding and legislating,

لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ

(His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who gives life and causes death;) He is the absolute Owner of His creation, bringing life and death and granting what He wills to whom He wills,

وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(and He is Able to do all things.) whatever He wills, is, and whatever He does not will, will never be. He said,

هُوَ الاٌّوَّلُ وَالاٌّخِرُ وَالظَّـهِرُ وَالْبَـطِنُ

(He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin.) This is the Ayah indicated in the Hadith of `Irbad bin Sariyah that is better than a thousand Ayat. Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Zamil said, "I mentioned to Ibn `Abbas that I felt something in my heart. He said, `Doubts' and then laughed. Next, he said, `No one can escape this. Allah the Exalted stated,

فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَآءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ

(So if you are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who are reading the Book before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord.)(10:94)' He then said to me, `When you feel any of this in your heart, recite,

هُوَ الاٌّوَّلُ وَالاٌّخِرُ وَالظَّـهِرُ وَالْبَـطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything.)"' There are about ten and some odd number of different sayings collected from the scholars of Tafsir regarding the explanation of this Ayah. Al-Bukhari said, "Yahya said, `Az-Zahir: knowing all things, Al-Batin: knowing all things."' Our Shaykh Al-Hafiz Al-Mizzi said, "Yahya is Ibn Ziyad Al-Farra', who authored a book entitled Ma`ani Al-Qur'an." There are Hadiths mentioned about this. Among them, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite this supplication while going to bed,

«اللْهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّموَاتِ السَّبْعِ، وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، مُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ، فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ، أَنْتَ الْأَوَّلُ لَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْاخِرُ لَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ لَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ لَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْءٌ. اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ، وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْر»

(O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forhead You have control over. O Allah! You are Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty.) Muslim recorded this Hadith via Sahl, who said, "Abu Salih used to order us to lay on our right side when we were about to sleep, and then say,

«اللْهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّموَاتِ وَرَبَّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى، وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ ذِي شَرَ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ، اللْهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْاخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْءٌ، اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ، وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْر»

(O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forhead You have control over. O Allah! You are Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty.) And he used to narrate that from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet ."

All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God that is to say all things exalt Him as being transcendent thus the lām of li’Llāhi is extra; mā ‘all that’ is used instead of min ‘all who’ in order to indicate what is the predominant sc. non-rational beings; and He is the Mighty in His kingdom the Wise in His actions.

Some of the Merits of Surah Al-Hadid

It is recorded in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa'i that Sayyidna ` Irbad Ibn Sariyah ؓ said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite Al-Musabbihat before he went to sleep and said: "In them there is a verse that is more meritorious than a thousand verses." The collective name of the series Al-Musabbihat refers to the following five Surahs: [ 1] Al-Hadid; [ 2] Al-Hashar; [ 3] As-Saff; [ 4] Jumu'ah; and [ 5] At-Taghabun. Having cited this Hadith, Ibn Kathir says that the best verse referred to in Surah Al-Hadid is verse [ 3] هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ‌ وَالظَّاهِرُ‌ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-Knowing about everything....57:3] Among the five Surahs, the first three, namely Al-Hadid, Al-Hashr and As-Saff commence with the past perfect tense 'sabbaha' [ purity has been proclaimed ] whilst the last two, namely Al-Jumu` ah and Al-Taghabun commence with the imperfect tense yusabbihu [ purity is proclaimed ]. This implies that the purity of Allah should be declared at all times, the past, the present and the future. [ Mazhari ]

Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God. The maker of the world and the world's folk, the nurturer of mankind and jinn, the creator of earth and heaven, the wonder-worker of the emplaced and place, reports that everything in heaven and earth, whether wind, fire, water, mountains, seas, sun, moon, stars, trees, and all animate and in- animate things, praise Him for purity, mention His name with honor, and testify to His oneness. This glorification and tawḤīd throw tumult into the Adamic heart and are rejected by intellect, but the religion of the submission accepts them and the Creator of the creatures testifies to their cor- rectness. Whenever success-giving is someone's companion and felicity his helper, he will accept them, unperceived, with spirit and heart and will come forth with reverence, surrender, and attesta- tion. Then tomorrow, he will find his place in the gathering place of the sincerely truthful and the assemblies of the friends on the seat of everlasting exaltedness. Beware, O chevalier! Take care not to give one iota of innovation access to your heart. When you hear something that your intellect does not perceive, suspect only your intellect. Do not take the road of interpretation, because going after interpretation is a tested poison. It is to remove a thorn from the foot with a thorn. A knowing man will not test poison, for that would be to hurry to his own destruction. He will not pull a thorn from his foot with a thorn, for he knows it would only increase the pain. That chevalier said it beautifully: “Seek not the road of tawḤīd with intellect, scratch not the spirit's eye with a thorn. By God, can anyone ever take benefit from God without God? As trainer and leader on the path of the religion- consider none better than the Qur'an and the reports. Only the hand of MuḤammad's heart can undo the locks on the treasury of secrets.” [DS 201-2]