وَهُوَ ٱلْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ 18
Translations
And He is the subjugator over His servants. And He is the Wise, the Aware.
Transliteration
Wa huwa al-Qahiru fawqa 'ibaadihi, wa huwa al-Hakimu al-Khabir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is Al-Qahir (The Subduer/Omnipotent), whose power and dominion transcend all His servants, and simultaneously He is Al-Hakim (The All-Wise) and Al-Khabir (The All-Aware). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that Allah's supreme power is tempered with perfect wisdom and complete knowledge of all affairs, emphasizing that His dominion is not arbitrary but guided by divine wisdom and awareness of every detail of creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-An'am, a Meccan surah that systematically establishes the oneness of Allah and refutes polytheism. It comes in a passage addressing Allah's absolute power and knowledge as a counter to the pagan Arabs' shirk (associating partners with Allah), reminding them of the futility of worshipping anyone besides the One who has complete sovereignty over all creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The most noble name of Allah is Al-'Aliyy (The Most High), as mentioned in Surah An-Nahl 16:60. Additionally, the hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah where the Prophet taught about Allah's names emphasizes the connection between His power (Qahr) and His wisdom (Hikma) in divine governance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true submission to Allah stems from recognizing both His overwhelming power and His perfect wisdom—we need not fear injustice from the All-Powerful because He is simultaneously All-Wise and All-Aware. It should inspire both reverence and trust, understanding that whatever Allah decrees is done with complete knowledge and perfect wisdom.