Surah Al Hadid Notes (4-7)

Source: Ibn Kathir

Allah's Knowledge, Power and Kingdom are Limitless

(4) He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then Istawa (rose over) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do.

Allah the Exalted states that He created the heavens and earth, and all that is between them, in six Days and then rose over the Throne after He created them. We discussed this before in the explanation of Surat Al-A`raf, so it is not necessary to repeat the meaning here. 

Allah's statement,

(He knows what goes into the earth), indicates His knowledge in the amount of seeds and drops of water that enter inside the earth's surface,

(and what comes forth from it) of plants, vegetation, and fruits. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

(And with Him are the keys of all that is hidden, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is on the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.)(6:59) 

Allah's statement,

(and what descends from the heaven), pertains to rain, snow, hail and whatever Allah decides descends from heaven of decisions and commandments brought down by the honorable angels. Allah's statement,

(and what ascends thereto.), refers to angels and deeds. 

In the Sahih, there is a Hadith in which the Prophet said, (To Him ascend the deeds of the night before the day falls and the deeds of the day before the night falls.) 

Allah said,

(And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do.) meaning, He is watching over you and witnessing your deeds wherever you may be, on land or at sea, during the night or the day, at home or in open areas or deserts. All of that is the same before His knowledge and all of it is in His sight and hearing. He hears your speech and sees where you are. He knows your secrets and your public statements,

(No doubt! They did fold up their breasts, that they may hide from Him. Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Verily, He is the All-Knower of the (secrets) of the breasts. )(11:5) 

Allah the Exalted said,

(It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly, whether he be hid by night or goes forth freely by day.)(13:10) Surely, there is no deity worthy of worship, except Allah. 

In the Sahih, there is a Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah answered Jibril when he asked him about Ihsan: (To worship Allah as if you see Him, and even though you cannot see Him, He surely sees you.) 

(5) His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And to Allah return all the matters (for decision).

Allah's statement,

(His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And to Allah return all the matters.) asserts that Allah is the King and Owner of this life and the Hereafter. 

Allah said in another Ayah,

(And truly, unto Us (belong) the last (Hereafter) and the first (this world).)(92:13) Surely, Allah is praised for this attribute, just as He said in other Ayat,

(And He is Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa, all praise is His in the first and in the last.)(28:70), and,

(All the praise is Allah's, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. His is all the praise in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.)(34:1) 

Allah owns everything that is in the heavens and earth, and all their inhabitants are servants to Him and humble before Him, just as He said,

(There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And every one of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.) (19:93-95) This is why Allah said here,

(And to Allah return all the matters.) meaning that all matters will be referred to Him on the Day of Resurrection and He will judge His creation as He wills. Indeed, He is the Most Just, Who never falls into injustice, not even the weight of a speck of dust; if one performs even one good deed, Allah will multiply it up to ten times,

(and gives from Him a great reward. )(4:40),

(And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And sufficent are We to take account.)(21:47)

(6) He merges night into day (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the night is added into the hours of the day), and merges day into night (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added into the hours of the night), and He has full knowledge of whatsoever is in the breasts.

Allah's statement,

(He merges night into day, and merges day into night,) meaning, He does what He wills with His creatures. He alternates the night and day and measures them by His wisdom, as He wills. Sometimes, He makes the night longer than the day, and sometimes the opposite. Sometimes, He makes the length of night and day equal. Sometimes, He makes the season winter, then changes it to spring, then summer then autumn. All this He does by His wisdom and His due measure of everything in His creation,

(and He has full knowledge of whatsoever is in the breasts.) He knows the secrets, no matter how concealed they are.

Ordering Faith and encouraging spending

(7) Believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and spend of that whereof He has made you trustees. And such of you as believing and spend (in Allah's Way), theirs will be a great reward.

Allah the Exalted and Blessed orders having perfect faith in Him and in His Messenger, and that one should persist on this path adhering firmly to it. Allah encourages spending from what He has made mankind trustees of, the wealth that you - mankind - have, that He has lent you. This wealth was in the hands of those before you and was later transferred to you. Therefore, O mankind, spend as Allah commanded you from the wealth that He entrusted to you for His obedience. Otherwise, He will hold you accountable and punish you for your ignoring what He ordained on you in this regard. 

Allah's statement,

(of that whereof He has made you trustees.), indicates that you - mankind -- will surrender this wealth to someone else. In this case, those who will inherit from you might obey Allah with their wealth, and thus acquire more happiness than you on account of what Allah has granted them. They might disobey Allah, and in this case, you will have helped them commit evil and transgression. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Ash-Shikhkhir said, "I came to Allah's Messenger as he was reciting and saying, (abundance diverts you.)( The Son of `Adam claims, "My wealth, my wealth.'' But is there anything belonging to you, except that which you consumed, which you used, or which you wore and then it became worn or you gave as charity and sent it forward) Muslim also collected with the addition:

(Other than that, you will go away from it and leave it behind for other people.) Allah's statement,

(And such of you as believing and spend, theirs will be a great reward.) encourages having faith and spending in acts of obedience.