Surah Al-Hadid

The Iron

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Hadid, and it was named Al-Hadid, the Iron due to this phrase being used in its 25th verse.

Chapter Number

This chapter is the 57th chapter of the Holy Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter has 29 verses.

Place of Revelation

Exegetes believe this chapter to be Madani.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-6

The beginning verses of this chapter discuss the Unity and Oneness of Allah. They also introduce Him through mentioning twenty of His characteristics.

Verses 12-15

These verses discuss the different situations of the believers and the hypocrites on the Day of Judgement. The believers will be illuminating the path to heaven through the rays of light of their faith, while the hypocrites will remain in the darkness of their polytheism and disbelief.

Verses 16-17, 20-23 and 28

Several verses of this chapter invite the readers to have faith in One God and forbid them from indulging in polytheism.

Verses 7-8, 10-11, 18-19 and 24

In many verses of this chapter, Allah first encourages the believers to spend in His way, and then describes the level of their proximity to Him. Next, He reprimands the stingy people.

Verses 25-27

These three verses explain Allah’s purpose behind sending down the Prophets with Divine scriptures to be part of His justice. Thereafter, the narratives of several of the nations which had Prophets sent down to them are recalled.

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلم: من قرأ سورة الحدید کتب من الذین آمنوا باللّه و رسله

It has been narrated from the Prophet of Allah that: “Whoever recites Surah al-Hadid is regarded as someone who has faith in Allah and His Prophets.”

Verse 4: “It is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days; 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 watches what you do.”

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى 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 بَصِيرٌ٤ ثبت فی الصحیح أن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم قال لجبریل لما سأله عن الإحسان: «أن تعبد الله کأنک تراه فإن لم تکن

It has been recorded in Al-Sahih that when Jibrail asked the Prophet about Ihsaan (good deeds), he said: “(Ihsaan is) to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot (act as if you) see Him then (know that) He sees you.”

Verse 12: “That day you will see the faithful men and the faithful women with their light moving swiftly in front of them, and on their right, [and they are greeted with the words:] ‘There is good news for you today! Gardens with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever]. That is the great success.’”

يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَى نُورُهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ١٢ عن ابن أبی ملیکة عن ابن عباس قال: قال رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم: «إن الله تعالی یدعو الناس یوم القیامة بأسمائهم سترا منه علی‌عباده و أما عند الصراط فإن الله تعالی یعطی کل مؤمن نورا و کل منافق نورا، فإذا استووا علی الصراط سلب الله نور المنافقین و المنافقات، فقال المنافقون انْظُرُونا نَقْتَبِسْ مِنْ نُورِکمْ و قال المؤمنون رَبَّنا أَتْمِمْ لَنا نُورَنا [التحریم: ۸] فلا یذکر عند ذلک أحد أحدا»

Ibn Abu Malikah narrates from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet said: “Verily Allah, the Most High will call people on the Day of Judgement by their names as a cover from Him upon His servants (to hide their identity from the others). But at the Sirat, Allah, the Most High will give light to every believer and every hypocrite, and when they settle upon the Sirat, Allah will take away the light of the hypocritical men and women. Then they (the hypocrites) will say (to the believers): ‘Please wait, that we may glean something from your light!’ (Surah al-Hadid: verse 13); and the believers will say: ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us’ (Surah al-Tahrim: verse 8). At that moment nobody will recall anyone.”

Verse 25: “Certainly We sent Our Apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice; and We sent down iron, in which there is great might and uses for mankind, so that Allah may know those who help Him and His Apostles [with faith] in the Unseen. Indeed Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.”

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ٢٥ قد روی الإمام أحمد و أبو داود من حدیث عبد الرّحمن بن ثابت بن ثوبان عن حسان بن عطیة عن أبی المنیب الجرشی الشامی عن ابن عمر قال: قال رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم: «بعثت بالسیف بین یدی الساعة حتی یعبد الله وحده لا شریک له و جعل رزقی تحت ظل رمحی و جعل الذلة و الصغار علی من خالف أمری و من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم»

Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawood have narrated from a tradition of Abd al-Rahman ibn Thabit ibn Thawban, from Hisaan ibn Atiyyah, from Abu al-Munib al-Jarashi al-Shami, from Umar from the Prophet who said: “I have been sent (as a Messenger) with a sword at the threshold of the resurrection so that Allah alone is worshiped who has no partners, my sustenance has been placed under the shadow of my spear, humiliation and disdain has been set for someone who disobeys my command, and whoever imitates a people is regarded as one of them.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah الْحُسَینُ بْنُ أَبِی الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ الله قَالَ مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ الْحَدِیدِ وَ الْمُجَادَلَةَ فِی صَلَاةٍ فَرِیضَةٍ أدمنها لَمْ یعَذِّبْهُ الله حَتَّی یمُوت أَبَداً وَ لَا یرَی فِی نَفْسِهِ وَ لَا فِی أَهْلِهِ سَوْء أَبَداً وَ لَا خَصَاصَةً فِی بَدَنِهِ

Husayn ibn Abu al-Ala narrates from Abu Abdillah that he said: “If a person often recites the chapters of al-Hadid and al-Mujadalah in the obligatory salat (prayers), then Allah will never punish him before his death, and his family and him will never face any calamities, and his body will not have any problems.”

Verse 16: “Is it not time yet for those who have faith that their hearts should be humbled for Allah’s remembrance, and towards the truth which has come down [to them], and to not be like those who were given the Book before? Time took its toll on them and so their hearts were hardened, and many of them are transgressors.”

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ١٦ کلَامُ عِیسَی (ع) لَا تُکثِرُوا الْکلَامَ بِغَیرِ ذِکرِ الله فَتَقْسُوَ قُلُوبُکمْ فَإِنَّ الْقَلْبَ الْقَاسِی بَعِید مِنَ الله وَ لَا تَنْظُرُوا فِی ذُنُوب الْعِبَادِ کأَنَّکمْ أَرْبَاب وَ انْظُرُوا فِی ذُنُوبکمْ کأَنَّکمْ عبید وَ النَّاسُ رَجُلَانِ مُبْتَلًی وَ مُعَافًی فَارْحَمُوا أَهْل الْبَلَاءِ وَ احْمَدُوا الله عَلَی الْعَافِیةِ

Prophet Isa has said: “Do not speak too much unless it is the remembrance of Allah, otherwise your hearts will be hardened, and hardened hearts are far from Allah. And do not look at the sins of the servants (of Allah) like a master, rather look at your own sins like a servant. And people are of two types - the afflicted and the ones in good health, therefore be merciful towards the afflicted ones and praise Allah for the ones in prosperity.”

Verse 23: “So that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor boast for what comes your way, and Allah does not love any vainglorious boaster.”

لِكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ٢٣ یرْوَی أَنَّ عَلِی بْنَ الْحُسَینِ جَاءَهُ رَجُل فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا الزُّهْدُ فَقَالَ الزُّهْدُ عَشَرَةُ أَجْزَاءٍ فَأَعْلَی دَرَجَةِ الزُّهْدِ أَدْنَی دَرَجَةِ الْوَرَعِ وَ أَعْلَی دَرَجَةِ الْوَرَعِ أَدْنَی دَرَجَةِ الْیقِینِ وَ أَعْلَی دَرَجَةِ الْیقِینِ أَدْنَی دَرَجَةِ الرِّضَاءِ وَ إِنَّ الزُّهْدَ کلُّهُ فِی آیةٍ مِنْ کتَابِ الله «لِکیلا تَأْسَوْا عَلی ما فاتَکمْ وَ لا تَفْرَحُوا بِما آتاکمْ»

It has been narrated that a man came to Ali ibn al-Husayn and said: “What is zuhd (renouncing worldly things)?” He said: “Zuhd has ten parts. The highest level of zuhd is the lowest level of wara (abstaining from sins). The highest level of wara is the lowest level of yaqeen (certainty). The highest level of yaqeen is the lowest level of rida (acceptance). The whole of zuhd is in a verse of the Quran (which is): ‘so that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor boast for what comes your way.’”

فی نهج البلاغة، قال علی بن ابی طالب: الزُّهْدُ کلُّهُ بَینَ کلِمَتَینِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ قَالَ الله سُبْحَانَهُ- لِکیلا تَأْسَوْا عَلی ما فاتَکمْ وَ لا تَفْرَحُوا بِما آتاکمْ وَ مَنْ لَمْ یأْس عَلَی الْمَاضِی وَ لَمْ یفْرَحْ بِالْآتِی فَقَدْ أَخَذَ الزُّهْدَ بِطَرَفَیه

In Nahj al-Balagah Ali ibn Abi Talib has said: “The whole of zuhd is confined in two expressions of the Quran, Allah, the glorified has said: ‘so that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor boast for what comes your way.’ A person who does not grieve for what has gone and does not rejoice for what comes his way has acquired both sides of zuhd.”

Verse 19: “Those who have faith in Allah and His Apostles—it is they who are the truthful ones and witnesses with their Lord; they shall have their reward and their light. But as for those who are faithless and deny Our signs, they shall be the inmates of the hell.”

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ١٩ أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ جَرِیرٍ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رسول‌الله ص یقُولُ: مؤمنوا أُمَّتِی شُهَدَاء، ثُمَّ تَلَا النَّبِی ص: «وَ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ أُولئِک هُمُ الصِّدِّیقُونَ - وَ الشُّهَداءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ»

Ibn Jarir narrates from Baraa ibn Aazib who says that he heard the Prophet say: “The believers of my nation are witnesses, and then he recited: ‘Those who have faith in Allah and His apostles—it is they who are the truthful ones and witnesses with their Lord.’”