Salaam and welcome to another episode of our weekly series titled “Path towards Enlightenment” which is an endeavour to make you and us familiar with an easy and fluent explanation of God’s Final Scripture to all mankind, the holy Qur’an that was revealed to the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

Last week we completed explanation of “Surah Waqe’ah” and from this Friday onwards we embark on explanation of the next Surah, that is, “Surah Hadeed”, which is number 57 in the serial order of compilation of the holy Qur’an.

It has 29 Ayahs and was revealed in Medina. It mentions the heavy metallic element called “Iron” as being sent down by God to endow the earth itself with mighty force, and provide humanity with the many benefits of its structural strength, as well as all the great tests of faith that arise from this. It takes its name from Ayah 25, which mentions “Hadeed”, that is, iron. The opening Ayahs present several Divine Attributes, then the Surah proceeds with the grandeur of the Holy Qur’an, the state of believers and hypocrites on the Day of Resurrection, accounts of the past nations, and spending in the way of Allah for establishment of social justice. It criticizes monasticism and social seclusion, and mentions the response received from the public by the previous prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, and Jesus (peace upon them). The Surah closes with a reference to the People of the Book.

Interesting merits are mentioned concerning the recitation of Surah Hadeed, such as the Prophet’s saying that the reciter of this Surah will be counted from among the staunch believers. It should, however, be noted that recitation must be accompanied by proper reflection on its contents and putting them into practice.

First we invite you to listen to Ayahs 1, 2, and 3 of Surah Ḥadeed:

“In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful – Whatever there is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

“To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth: He gives life and brings death, and He has power over all things.

“He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of all things.”

The Arabic phrase of the opening Ayah “Sabbaha-Lillah” means Glory to God Almighty, is in past verbal form according to grammatical rules, and goes on to say that everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah. This particular phrase also marks the opening of the Surahs “Hashr” and “Saff”, which are numbered 59 and 61 respectively. Two other Surahs, that is, “Jum’ah” and “Taghabun”, which are numbered 62 and 64, start with the phrase “Yusabbih-Lillah” which is in present verbal form and conveys the same meaning.

Glorification of God by each and everything means that even the tiniest atom has some sense of perception which is beyond the little knowledge we humans have managed to acquire through trial and error. In other words, the wonderful world of creation, which functions in an orderly manner without any haphazard occurrences, is based on Divine Wisdom and indicates the infinite power of God Who is glorified and praised by each created thing, even the seemingly inanimate objects.

Sovereignty of the realms of the earth and the heavens belongs to the One and Only Creator, Who grants life and decrees death, and everything is in His possession.

Ayah 3 indicates delicate expressions regarding the Divine Attributes of the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, which reflect God’s Pre-Eternality and Everlastingness. In other words, He is the Necessary Being Who has neither origin nor end but He is Pre-Eternal and Everlasting.

From these Ayahs we learn that:

1. Each and every creature, including the tiniest atom, has some sense of perception of the Almighty Creator and glorifies Him.
2. God is the Real Sovereign of the entire universe, which means all other ownerships are transitory and unreal, and should not make us proud.
3. Both life and death are decreed by God, the Pre-Eternal and the Everlasting.

Now let us listen to ayahs 4, 5, and 6 of the same Surah:

“It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six stages then settled on the throne. He knows whatever enters the earth and whatever emerges from it and whatever descends from the sky and whatever ascends to it, and He is with you wherever you may be, and Allah sees best what you do.

“To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah all matters are returned.

“He makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night, and He knows best what is in the breasts.”

According to the holy Qur’an, the wonderful universe has been created in six stages, which means periods of time that are unknown to us, since the counting of our years is limited to the Planet Earth’s revolving around the Sun, similar to other planets of the solar system whose years, whether shorter or longer depend on their own particular orbits. Thus, the six stages or periods of creation mentioned in Ayah 4 are not based on the years of our planet.

Allah the Almighty is far glorious to have any form, shape, or place; hence the phrase “settled on the throne” refers to His Absolute Sovereignty and His All-Encompassing Power over the entire universe. As the Creator, He is aware of each and everything in the entire universe, including the number of the minutest insects, the orbits of the billions of stars, the raindrops that fall on the earth, the vapours that ascend towards the atmosphere, and all animate or inanimate objects, as well as thoughts that flash across our minds. He is nearest to every one of us than our own jugular veins, and yet unseen, since eyes cannot perceive Him, although we feel His love and compassion in our hearts.

His Sovereignty covers the heavens and the earth, including whatever they possess, since it is He Who is the All-Wise Creator to Whom everything returns.

It is the Infinite Power of Allah that makes the Earth rotate on its axis while revolving around the Sun, thus ensuring adequate hours of daylight and darkness that vary as per the seasons and evolve into months and years, while providing the exact amount of light and darkness necessary for human life as well as growth of plants. Nothing is hidden from the Creator Who is fully aware of whatever one harbours in his/her hearts and chests.

These ayahs teach us the following points:

1. Creation and its duration are based on Divine Wisdom.
2. God is Aware of all and everything in the universe world.
3. Sovereignty belongs to God Alone.
4. The Days and Nights are clear examples of God’s orderly administration.

In conclusion of this week’s episode of “Path towards Enlightenment”, here are Ayahs 7, 8, and 9 of Surah Ḥadeed:

“Have faith in Allah and His Prophet, and spend out of that wherein He has made you successors (of the past generations). Those of you who have faith and spend (in Allah’s way) there is a great reward for them.

“Why should you not have faith in Allah while the Prophet invites you to have faith in your Lord, and he has certainly made a covenant with you, should you be faithful?

“It is He who sends down manifest signs to His servant that He may bring you out of darkness into light, and indeed Allah is most kind and merciful to you.”

Faith in God and obedience to His commandments as elaborated by the Prophet is not mere lip service, but should be embedded in the heart in order to become manifest through actions, such as spending in God’s way, including from what one has inherited from the predecessors. There are untold rewards for those who spend in the way of Allah, since whatever we possess are merely trusts that should not be squandered and whatever is left should be passed to posterity. It is worthy of note that belief is valuable when it is accompanied by helping the needy and such expending is valuable when it arises from belief in God Almighty and obedience to the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

Disbelievers are reproached for not having believed in the Prophet’s call to have faith in Allah, despite being shown clear proofs, signs, and manifest miracles. Allah’s covenant is for all believers.

The Holy Qur’an revealed to the Prophet of Islam as the Last Heavenly Scripture is the book of guidance that shows light to the seekers of truth, and those eager to come out of the darkness of ignorance will indeed find God as the Most Merciful.

These Ayahs teach us that:

1. Mere expression of faith in God has no value without practical display of what the Prophet has taught, including helping the poor and the needy.
2. Prophets are God’s emissaries for guiding people towards salvation.
3. The Holy Qur’an saves people from ignorance, polytheism and superstition.
4. Guidance through Prophets and Heavenly Scripture, such as the Holy Qur’an, are among the Best Signs of God’s mercy for mankind.

RM/AS/SS