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
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.
يَوْمَ تَرَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَسْعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِم بُشْرَىٰكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], "Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally." That is what is the great attainment.
لَّهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ ٱلْأُمُورُ
His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. And to Allāh are returned [all] matters.
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱنظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ٱرْجِعُوا۟ وَرَآءَكُمْ فَٱلْتَمِسُوا۟ نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُۥ بَابٌۢ بَاطِنُهُۥ فِيهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةُ وَظَـٰهِرُهُۥ مِن قِبَلِهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ
On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, "Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light." It will be said, "Go back behind you and seek light." And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.