هُوَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ 3
Translations
He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.
Transliteration
Huwa al-awwalu wa-al-akhiru wa-al-zahiru wa-al-batinu wa-huwa bi-kulli shay'in alimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes four essential divine attributes of Allah: He is Al-Awwal (The First), Al-Akhir (The Last), Al-Zahir (The Manifest/Outward), and Al-Batin (The Hidden/Inward). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, these attributes establish that Allah existed before all creation, will remain after all creation, is evident in His signs and creation, and possesses knowledge of all hidden matters. The ayah concludes that Allah is All-Knowing of all things, emphasizing His absolute omniscience and complete awareness of the visible and invisible realms.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hadid is a Medinan surah that emphasizes Allah's sovereignty and the transient nature of worldly life. This particular ayah appears in the opening section of the surah where Allah establishes His absolute divine attributes as the foundation for understanding His complete dominion over all existence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught a supplication incorporating these four attributes: 'Allahumma anta al-awwal falaisa qablaka shay', wa anta al-akhir falaisa ba'daka shay'' (O Allah, You are The First, nothing came before You; You are The Last, nothing comes after You) - reported in Sahih Muslim. Additionally, in Jami' at-Tirmidhi, the Prophet emphasized the importance of reflecting upon Allah's hidden knowledge and manifest signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize Allah's complete dominion over past, present, and future, and to trust in His infinite knowledge of all matters both seen and unseen. It encourages contemplation of divine attributes as a means to strengthen faith and find peace in the certainty that nothing escapes Allah's awareness and control.
Related Ayahs
۞ أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ
Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allāh and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.
لِّئَلَّا يَعْلَمَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَلَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ مِّن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱلْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
[This is] so that the People of the Scripture may know that they are not able [to obtain] anything from the bounty of Allāh and that [all] bounty is in the hand of Allāh; He gives it to whom He wills. And Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ
In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allāh does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful -
لَّهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ ٱلْأُمُورُ
His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. And to Allāh are returned [all] matters.