سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
ALL THAT IS in the heavens and on earth extols God's limitless glory: for He alone is almighty, truly wise! (1)
لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth; He grants life and deals death; and He has the power to will anything. (2)
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward as well as the Inward: and He has full knowledge of everything. (3)
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness. He knows all that enters the earth, and all that comes out of it, as well as all that descends from the skies, and all that ascends to them. And He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees all that you do. (4)
لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ
His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth; and all things go back unto God [as their source]. (5)
يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
He makes the night grow longer by shortening the day, and makes the day grow longer by shortening the night; and He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men]. (6)
آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَأَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا جَعَلَكُمْ مُسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْفَقُوا لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ
BELIEVE in God and His Apostle, and spend on others out of that of which He has made you trustees: for those of you who have attained to faith and who spend freely [in God's cause] shall have a great reward. (7)
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَاقَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
And why should you not believe in God, seeing that the Apostle calls you to believe in [Him who is] your Sustainer, and [seeing that] He has taken a pledge from you? [Why should you not believe in Him] if you are able to believe [in anything]? (8)
هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
It is He who bestows from on high clear messages unto [this] His servant, to lead you out of the deep darkness into the light: for, behold, God is most compassionate towards you, a dispenser of grace. (9)
وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
AAnd why should you not spend freely in the cause of God, seeing that God's [alone] is the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Not equal are those of you who spent and fought [in God's cause] before the Victory [and those who did not do so]: they are of a higher rank than those who would spend and fight [only] after it – although God has promised the ultimate good to all [who strive in His cause]. And God is aware of all that you do. (10)
- He is the First and the Last,1 and the Outward as well as the Inward:2 and He has full knowledge of everything.
- 1 I.e., His Being is eternal, without anything preceding His existence and without anything outlasting its infinity: an interpretation given by the Prophet himself, as recorded in several well-authenticated Traditions. Thus, "time" itself - a concept beyond man's understanding - is but God's creation.
- 2 I.e., He is the transcendental Cause of all that exists and, at the same time, immanent in every phenomenon of His creation - cf. the oft-repeated Qur'anic phrase (e.g., in verse S), "all things go back unto God [as their source]"; in the words of Tabari, "He is closer to everything than anything else could be". Another - perhaps supplementary - rendering could be, "He is the Evident as well as the Hidden": i.e., "His existence is evident (zahir) in the effects of His activity, whereas He Himself is not perceptible (ghayr mudrak) to our senses" (Zamakhshari).
- He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Hidden:5276 and He has full knowledge of all things.
- 5276 Allah is Evident insofar as there is ample evidence of His existence and providence all around us. On the other hand, Allah is Hidden insofar as intellect cannot grasp His essence nor can He be seen in the present world. The following tradition in Sahih Muslim is also significant for an understanding of this verse. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: "Thou art the First, so that there was nothing before Thee; and Thou art the Last, so that there is nothing after Thee; and Thou art Evident, (or Ascendant) so that there is nothing above Thee, and Thou art the Hidden, the Knower of hidden things, so that there is nothing hidden from Thee." [Eds.].
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He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
He is the First and the Last and the Ascendant (over all) and the Knower of hidden things, and He is Cognizant of all things.
— M. Habib Shakir -
He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
He is the First and the Last, and the OutWard and the inward, and He is of everything the Knower.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
He is the First and the Last, the Clear and the Hidden. He has knowledge of all things.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of everything.
— Ayub Khan -
He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has full knowledge of all things.
— Sher Ali -
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward as well as the Inward: and He has full knowledge of everything.
— Muhammad Asad -
He is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward; He has knowledge of everything.
— Arthur Arberry -
He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden,{{3}} and He has knowledge of everything.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi