مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ 22
Translations
No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allāh, is easy -
Transliteration
Mā aṣāba min muṣībatin fī al-arḍi wa-lā fī anfusikum illā fī kitābin min qabli an nabra'ahā. Inna dhālika ʿalā Allāhi yasīr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's complete knowledge and predestination (qadar), stating that no calamity befalls the earth or your souls except that it is recorded in the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) before creation itself was brought into being. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this emphasizes that all occurrences—both external (in the earth) and internal (in our bodies/souls)—are encompassed by Allah's eternal knowledge and divine decree, and that for Allah to inscribe and execute these matters is easy (yasīr).
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Hadid is a Medinan chapter revealed during the period of consolidation of the Islamic community. This ayah appears in the broader context of the surah's discussion of faith, spending in the way of Allah, and understanding the relationship between divine predestination and human responsibility. The ayah serves to console believers facing difficulties by reminding them of Allah's all-encompassing knowledge and control.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The first thing Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it: Write. So it wrote all that would happen until the Day of Resurrection' (Jami' At-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawud). Additionally, 'Nothing happens in this world or the next except as Allah has willed it' relates to the concept of qadar discussed in this ayah (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims to find solace in the belief that all trials and hardships are recorded in Allah's eternal knowledge and serve divine wisdom, encouraging acceptance and patience (sabr) during difficulties while maintaining that nothing escapes Allah's awareness or control.
Related Ayahs
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allāh, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
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.
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.
إِنَّ ٱلْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُصَّدِّقَـٰتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَـٰعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ
Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allāh a goodly loan - it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.