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
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.
مَّن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يُقْرِضُ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَـٰعِفَهُۥ لَهُۥ وَلَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ
Who is it that would loan Allāh a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward?
مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ
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 -
يُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
He causes the night to enter the day and causes the day to enter the night, and He is Knowing of that within the breasts.