وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِى ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ 70
Translations
And He is Allāh; there is no deity except Him. To Him is [due all] praise in the first [life] and the Hereafter. And His is the [final] decision, and to Him you will be returned.
Transliteration
Wa huwa Allahu la ilaha illa huwa, lahu al-hamdu fi al-ula wa al-akhirah, wa lahu al-hukmu wa ilayhi turja'un.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute oneness (tawhid), declaring that He alone deserves worship and praise in both this world and the next. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the phrase encompasses Allah's complete sovereignty, judgment, and dominion over all creation, emphasizing that all authority belongs to Him and all people will ultimately return to Him for accountability. The placement at the conclusion of Surah Al-Qasas reinforces the theme of divine justice and Allah's control over all narratives, as exemplified throughout the surah's stories.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Qasas is a Meccan surah revealed during the period of Meccan persecution. This ayah appears near the end of the surah, serving as a powerful conclusion that reassures believers of Allah's ultimate justice and sovereignty despite the trials they face, contextualizing the divine stories mentioned throughout the chapter within the framework of absolute monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The concept is reinforced in the hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught the Dua of Tawhid: 'La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (There is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that all worldly power is temporary and illusory; true authority and judgment belong exclusively to Allah. By internalizing this truth, Muslims find peace in surrendering to divine will and maintaining accountability in their actions, knowing they will ultimately return to their Lord for reckoning.
Related Ayahs
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
He is Allāh, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He neither begets nor is born,
فَتَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْكَرِيمِ
So exalted is Allāh, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَىٰهُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.