Quran chapter: Chapter 57: Iron (Al-Hadeed)

(The Intelligent Alternative)

Therefore, you shall race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Paradise whose width encompasses the heaven and the earth. It awaits those who believed in God and His messengers. Such is God’s grace that He bestows upon whomever He wills. God is Possessor of Infinite Grace.

سابِقوا إِلىٰ مَغفِرَةٍ مِن رَبِّكُم وَجَنَّةٍ عَرضُها كَعَرضِ السَّماءِ وَالأَرضِ أُعِدَّت لِلَّذينَ ءامَنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ذٰلِكَ فَضلُ اللَّهِ يُؤتيهِ مَن يَشاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الفَضلِ العَظيمِ

saabiqooo ilaa maghfiratim mir Rabbikum wa jannatin ‘arduhaa ka-‘ardis samaaa’i wal ardi u’iddat lillazeena aamanoo billaahi wa Rusulih; zaalika fadlul laahi yu’teehi many yashaaa’; wal laahu zul fadlil ‘azeem

(Profound Fact*)

Anything that happens on earth, or to you, has already been recorded, even before the creation. This is easy for God to do.

ما أَصابَ مِن مُصيبَةٍ فِى الأَرضِ وَلا فى أَنفُسِكُم إِلّا فى كِتٰبٍ مِن قَبلِ أَن نَبرَأَها إِنَّ ذٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسيرٌ

maaa asaaba min museebatin fil ardi wa laa feee anfusikum illaa fee kitaabim min qabli an nabra ahaa; innaa zaalika ‘alal laahi yaseer

*57:22 We are absolutely free to side with God, or with Satan. God happens to know precisely what kind of decision each of us will make. The video tape of your life, from birth to death, is already recorded. See Appendix 14.

Thus, you should not grieve over anything you miss, nor be proud of anything He has bestowed upon you. God does not love those who are boastful, proud.

لِكَيلا تَأسَوا عَلىٰ ما فاتَكُم وَلا تَفرَحوا بِما ءاتىٰكُم وَاللَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُختالٍ فَخورٍ

likailaa ta’saw ‘alaa maa faatakum wa laa tafrahoo bimaaa aataakum; wallaahu laa yuhibbu kulla mukhtaalin fakhoor

They are stingy, and enjoin the people to be stingy. If one turns away, then God is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.

الَّذينَ يَبخَلونَ وَيَأمُرونَ النّاسَ بِالبُخلِ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الغَنِىُّ الحَميدُ

allazeeena yabkhaloona wa yaamuroonan naasa bil bukhl; wa many yatawalla fa innal laaha Huwal Ghaniyyul Hameed

(Iron: The Most Useful Metal)

57:25We sent our messengers supported by clear proofs, and we sent down to them the scripture and the law, that the people may uphold justice. And we sent down the iron, wherein there is strength, and many benefits for the people. All this in order for God to distinguish those who would support Him and His messengers, on faith. God is Powerful, Almighty.

لَقَد أَرسَلنا رُسُلَنا بِالبَيِّنٰتِ وَأَنزَلنا مَعَهُمُ الكِتٰبَ وَالميزانَ لِيَقومَ النّاسُ بِالقِسطِ وَأَنزَلنَا الحَديدَ فيهِ بَأسٌ شَديدٌ وَمَنٰفِعُ لِلنّاسِ وَلِيَعلَمَ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالغَيبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزيزٌ

laqad arsalnaa Rusulanaa bilbaiyinaati wa anzalnaa ma’ahumul Kitaaba wal Meezaana liyaqooman naasu bilqist, wa anzalnal hadeeda feehi baasun shadeedunw wa manaafi’u linnaasi wa liya’lamal laahu many yansuruhoo wa Rusulahoo bilghaib; innal laaha Qawiyyun ‘Azeez

(Deterioration of Religion)

Subsequent to them, we sent our messengers. We sent Jesus the son of Mary, and we gave him the Injeel (Gospel), and we placed in the hearts of his followers kindness and mercy. But they invented hermitism which we never decreed for them. All we asked them to do was to uphold the commandments approved by God. But they did not uphold the message as they should have. Consequently, we gave those who believed among them their recompense, while many of them were wicked.

ثُمَّ قَفَّينا عَلىٰ ءاثٰرِهِم بِرُسُلِنا وَقَفَّينا بِعيسَى ابنِ مَريَمَ وَءاتَينٰهُ الإِنجيلَ وَجَعَلنا فى قُلوبِ الَّذينَ اتَّبَعوهُ رَأفَةً وَرَحمَةً وَرَهبانِيَّةً ابتَدَعوها ما كَتَبنٰها عَلَيهِم إِلَّا ابتِغاءَ رِضوٰنِ اللَّهِ فَما رَعَوها حَقَّ رِعايَتِها فَـٔاتَينَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا مِنهُم أَجرَهُم وَكَثيرٌ مِنهُم فٰسِقونَ

summa qaffainaa ‘alaa aasaarihim bi Rusulinaa wa qaffainaa bi ‘Eesab ni Maryama wa aatainaahul Injeela wa ja’alnaa fee quloobil lazeenat taba’oohu ra’fatanw wa rahmatanw rahbaaniyyatan ibtada’ooha maa katabnaahaa ‘alaihim illab tighaaa’a ridwaanil laahi famaa ra’awhaa haqqa ri’aayatihaa; fa aatainal lazeena aamanoo minhum ajrahum; wa kaseerum minhum faasiqoon

O you who believe, you shall reverence God and believe in His messenger. He will then grant you double the reward from His mercy, endow you with light to guide you, and forgive you. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَءامِنوا بِرَسولِهِ يُؤتِكُم كِفلَينِ مِن رَحمَتِهِ وَيَجعَل لَكُم نورًا تَمشونَ بِهِ وَيَغفِر لَكُم وَاللَّهُ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamaanut taqullaaha wa aaminoo bi Rasoolihee yu’tikum kiflaini mir rahmatihee wa yaj’al lakum nooran tamshoona bihee wa yaghfir lakum; wallaahu Ghafoorur Raheem

Thus, the followers of previous scripture should know that they have not monopolized God’s mercy and grace, and that all grace is in God’s hand. He bestows it upon whomever He wills. God is Possessor of Infinite Grace.

لِئَلّا يَعلَمَ أَهلُ الكِتٰبِ أَلّا يَقدِرونَ عَلىٰ شَىءٍ مِن فَضلِ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ الفَضلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤتيهِ مَن يَشاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الفَضلِ العَظيمِ

li’alla ya’lama Ahlul kitaabi allaa yaqdiroona ‘alaa shai’in min fadlil laahi wa annal fadla bi Yadil laahi yu’teehi many yashaaa’; wallaahu Zul fadilil ‘azeem