Sūrat al-Ḥadīd

سورۃ الحدید

Sūrat al-Ḥadīd was revealed in Madina, and it contains twenty-nine verses and four rukūʿs.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

bismi llāhi l-raḥmāni l-raḥīm.

"In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate."

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

sabbaḥa li-llāhi mā fī l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi wa-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīm.

"Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise." (al-Ḥadīd 57:1)

Sabbaḥa li-llāhi — it glorifies Allah — it declares His purity — manifesting Him as free from defects — mā fī l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi — whatever is in the heavens and the earth — all the creation that is in the heavens and the earth — wa-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīmu — and He is the Mighty — the one with overwhelming power — wa-l-ḥakīmu — and the Wise — He is immensely powerful and also supremely wise.

Translation: — Allah declares the purity of all that is in the heavens and the earth, manifesting Him as free from all deficiency — and He is immensely powerful and supremely wise.

لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

lahū mulku l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi yuḥyī wa-yumītu wa-huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr.

"To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes death; and He is over all things Powerful." (al-Ḥadīd 57:2)

Lahū mulku l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi — to Him is the dominion of the heavens and the earth — the rule — the sovereignty — the entire realm of the heavens and earth belongs to Him — yuḥyī wa-yumītu — He gives life and He causes death — He both enlivens and kills — wa-huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīrun — and He is over all things Powerful — over all things, He has authority and power — He is in command of the domain of life and death — He has full control and power over everything.

Translation: — The heavens and the earth are His dominion; it is He who both enlivens and kills, and He is over every single thing Powerful.

هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

huwa l-awwalu wa-l-ākhiru wa-l-ẓāhiru wa-l-bāṭinu wa-huwa bi-kulli shayʾin ʿalīm.

"He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is Knower of all things." (al-Ḥadīd 57:3)

Huwa l-awwalu wa-l-ākhiru — He was before — He will remain after — the entire world exists due to His existence — He was before all things and He will remain after all — wa-l-ẓāhiru wa-l-bāṭinu — and His attributes and effects are manifest — His power is undeniable — and He is hidden — His essence is beyond comprehension — His reality is hidden — wa-huwa bi-kulli shayʾin ʿalīmun — and He has perfect knowledge of all things — and He has excellent knowledge of all things — He knows everything well.

Translation: — He is the First and the Last; He is the Manifest and the Hidden — He has excellent knowledge of every single thing (He is fully aware of everything).

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَمَا كُنتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

huwa lladhī khalaqa l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa fī sittati ayyāmin thumma stawā ʿalā l-ʿarshi yaʿlamu mā yaliju fī l-arḍi wa-mā yakhruju minhā wa-mā yanzilu mina l-samāʾi wa-mā yaʿruju fīhā wa-huwa maʿakum aynamā kuntum wa-llāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīr.

"He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself over the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the sky and what ascends into it. And He is with you wherever you are, and Allah is Seeing of what you do." (al-Ḥadīd 57:4)

Huwa lladhī khalaqa l-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa — He is the one who created the heavens and the earth — the One who brought them into being — fī sittati ayyāmin — in six days — one week — six days within a week — thumma stawā ʿalā l-ʿarshi — then He established His governance and sovereignty upon the Throne — and the entire system of the world came under His governance. Yaʿlamu mā yaliju fī l-arḍi — He knows what enters the earth — He knows what thing goes into the earth, for instance rain and the dead — wa-mā yakhruju minhā — and what comes out from it — wa-mā yanzilu mina l-samāʾi — and what descends from the sky — such as rain, the light of stars, heat — wa-mā yaʿruju fīhā — and what ascends into the sky — and whatever thing ascends in the sky — such as the light of stars, the heat of the sun — wa-huwa maʿakum — and He is with you — Allah is always with you — aynamā kuntum — wherever you are — wherever you may be — wa-llāhu bi-mā taʿmalūna baṣīrun — and Allah is fully aware of your deeds — He sees all the good deeds you perform — everything is under His observation.

Translation: — He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days (and then established His sovereignty and rule over the Throne), and He knows what enters the earth and what comes out from it, and what comes down from the sky and what rises up into it — and He is always with you wherever you are — and Allah sees all that you do.

لِيَعْلَمَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَلَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِّن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

li-yaʿlama ahlu l-kitābi allā yaqdirūna ʿalā shayʾin min faḍli llāhi wa-anna l-faḍla bi-yadi llāhi yuʾtīhi man yashāʾu wa-llāhu dhū l-faḍli l-ʿaẓīm.

"So that the People of the Book may know that they have no power over anything of Allah's grace, and that grace is in the Hand of Allah — He gives it to whomever He wills. And Allah is the Possessor of immense grace." (al-Ḥadīd 57:29)

Li-yaʿlama — so that they may know, so that it may become clear. Ahlu l-kitāb — the People of the Book, meaning the Jews and Christians. Allā yaqdirūna — that they have no power, no control. ʿAlā shayʾin — over anything whatsoever. Min faḍli llāh — from the grace and generosity of Allah. Wa-anna l-faḍla bi-yadi llāh — and that grace rests entirely in the Hand of Allah. Yuʾtīhi man yashāʾ — He bestows it upon whomever He wills — upon any servant He chooses, from whichever community He pleases. Wa-llāhu dhū l-faḍli l-ʿaẓīm — and Allah is the Possessor of immense and boundless grace.

Translation: "This is so that the People of the Book may come to know that they have no power over anything of Allah's grace — and that grace is entirely in Allah's Hand; He gives it to whomever He wills. And Allah is the Possessor of immense grace."

Esteemed readers, the People of the Book used to say: "Prophethood and divine favour belong only to us; no other people can attain them." In this verse, Allah Most High refutes their claim and declares that His grace is not confined to any particular lineage or community — it flows according to His divine will alone. If He bestows prophethood upon the Arabs, it is by His grace; if He grants the blessings of faith and eminence to the community of the last Prophet ﷺ, that too is by His grace. The Almighty gives His favour to whomever He wills, and none can restrain or withhold it.