SURAH 57: AL HADID (Iron)

SURAH 57: AL HADID (Iron).

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

¹ Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, let it declare the praises and glory of Allah: for he is the exalted in might, the wise.

² To him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: it is he who gives life and death; and he has power over all things.

³ He is the first and the last, the evident and the immanent: and he has full knowledge of all things.

⁴ He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six days,[1] and is moreover firmly established on the throne. He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And he is with you wherever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do.

⁵ To him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: and all affairs are referred back to Allah.

⁶ He merges night into day, and he merges day into night; and he has full knowledge of the secrets of hearts.

⁷ Believe in Allah and his Messenger, and spend out of that whereof he has made you heirs. For, those of you who believe and spend, for them is a great reward.

⁸ What cause have you why you should not believe in Allah? And the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord, and has indeed taken your covenant, if you are men of faith.

⁹ He is the one who sends to his servant clear signs, that he may lead you from the depths of darkness into the light. And truly, Allah is to you most kind and merciful.

¹⁰ And what cause have you why you should not spend in the cause of Allah? For to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal among you are those who spent and fought, before the victory. Those are higher in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards, but to all has Allah promised a goodly reward. And Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.

¹¹ Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan? For Allah will increase it manifold to his credit, and he will have a liberal reward.

¹² One day shall you see the believing men and the believing women, and how their light runs forward before them and by their right hands. There is good news for you this day of gardens beneath which flow rivers. To dwell in them forever is indeed the highest achievement!

¹³ One day will the hypocrites men and women say to the believers: Wait for us! Let us borrow from your light! It will be said: Turn back to your rear! Then seek a light! So a wall will be put up between them, with a gate in it. Within it will be mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be punishment!

¹⁴ They will call out, Were we not with you? The others will reply, True! But you led yourselves into temptation; you looked forward to our ruin; you doubted; and your desires deceived you; until these issued the command of Allah. And the deceiver deceived you in respect of Allah.

¹⁵ This day shall no ransom be accepted of you, nor of those who rejected Allah. Your abode is the fire: that is the proper place to claim you: and an evil refuge it is!

¹⁶ Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the truth which has been revealed, and that they should not become like those to whom was given Al-Kitab aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.

¹⁷ Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Already have we shown the signs plainly to you, that you may learn wisdom.

¹⁸ For those who give in charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, it shall be increased manifold, and they shall have a liberal reward.

¹⁹ And those who believe in Allah and his messengers, they are the sincere, and the witnesses, in the eyes of their Lord: they shall have their reward and their light. But those who reject Allah and deny our signs, they are the companions of hell-fire.

²⁰ Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying riches and children. Here is a comparison: how rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight the tillers; soon it withers; you will see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the hereafter is a penalty severe. And forgiveness from Allah and good pleasure. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?

²¹ Be foremost in seeking forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden the width of which is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and his messengers: that is the grace of Allah, which he bestows on whom he pleases: and Allah is the Lord of grace abounding.

²² No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before we bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah:

²³ In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any vainglorious boaster,

²⁴ Such persons as are covetous and commend covetousness to men. And if any turn back, truly Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.

²⁵ We sent aforetime our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them Al-Kitab and the balance, that men may stand forth in justice; and we sent down iron, in which is mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, unseen, him and his messengers: for Allah is full of strength, exalted in might.

²⁶ And we sent Nuh and Ibrahim, and established in their line prophethood and Al-Kitab: and some of them were on right guidance, but many of them became rebellious transgressors.

²⁷ Then, in their wake, we followed them up with our messengers: We sent after them 'Isa Ibn Maryam. And bestowed on him the Injil; and we ordained in the hearts of those who followed him grace and mercy,[2] but the monasticism which they invented for themselves, we did not prescribe for them. Only the seeking for the good pleasure of Allah, but that they did not foster as they should have done. Yet we bestowed, on those among them who believed, their reward, but many of them are rebellious transgressors.

²⁸ O you that believe! Fear Allah, and believe in his Messenger, and he will bestow on you a double portion of his mercy: he will provide for you a light by which you shall walk, and he will forgive you: for Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful:

²⁹ That the people of Al-Kitab may know that they have no power whatever over the grace of Allah, that grace is in his hand, to bestow it on whomever he wills. For Allah is the Lord of grace abounding.

[1] Similar wording is found in the Taurat: "in six days Allah made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them" (Exodus 20:11). The six days of creation are described in detail in the Taurat, Genesis, chapter one.

[2] The followers of 'Isa al-Masih are said to be gracious and merciful, the very qualities which Al-Kitab ascribes to Allah himself. To this day, the truth of this statement can be seen in the many humanitarian efforts conducted by Christians around the world. Indeed, the existence of those qualities in Christians is ordained by Allah, and shows that they truly are followers of the Prophet 'Isa al-Masih, just as the verse says.