Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL HADIID [1]

1. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah -- and He is the Almighty, All-Wise. 2. His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who gives life and causes death; and He is Able to do all things. 3. He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything. In this Ayah, Allah states that everything that exists in the heavens and earth praises and glorifies Him, including creatures and plants. Allah said in another Ayah,

(The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.)(17:44) And His saying:

(and He is the Almighty,) meaning the One to Whom all things submit humility,

(All-Wise.) in His creating, commanding and legislating,

(His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. It is He Who gives life and causes death;) He is the absolute Owner of His creation, bringing life and death and granting what He wills to whom He wills,

(and He is Able to do all things.) whatever He wills, is, and whatever He does not will, will never be. He said,

(He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin.) This is the Ayah indicated in the Hadith of `Irbad bin Sariyah that is better than a thousand Ayat. Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Zamil said, ”I mentioned to Ibn `Abbas that I felt something in my heart. He said, `Doubts' and then laughed. Next, he said, `No one can escape this. Allah the Exalted stated,

(So if you are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who are reading the Book before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord.)(10:94)' He then said to me, `When you feel any of this in your heart, recite,

(He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything.)''' There are about ten and some odd number of different sayings collected from the scholars of Tafsir regarding the explanation of this Ayah. Al-Bukhari said, ”Yahya said, `Az-Zahir: knowing all things, Al-Batin: knowing all things.''' Our Shaykh Al-Hafiz Al-Mizzi said, ”Yahya is Ibn Ziyad Al-Farra', who authored a book entitled Ma`ani Al-Qur'an.'' There are Hadiths mentioned about this. Among them, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah would recite this supplication while going to bed,

(O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forhead You have control over. O Allah! You are Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty.) Muslim recorded this Hadith via Sahl, who said, ”Abu Salih used to order us to lay on our right side when we were about to sleep, and then say,

(O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forhead You have control over. O Allah! You are Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty.) And he used to narrate that from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet .''