QURAN SUMMARY: AL HADID

Surah Hadid Background And Summary of Main Topics.

Surah Hadid Statistics: Total Number of Verses, Revelation Period, Main Characters, Theme And Key Verses.

NAME:  الحديد, Al-Hadid.

Name taken from Verse 25 where there is a mention of the word “Al-Hadid”.

٢٥  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 عَزِيزٌ
25  We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.

ENGLISH NAME: Iron.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 57

SURAH HADID TOTAL VERSES: 29

SURAH HADID TOTAL WORDS: 575

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 365

TOTAL LETTERS: 2,545

REVELATION PERIOD:

Medinan, Approx. 623 – 628 AD.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Man, Believers, Hypocrites, Nuh, Moses, Jesus.

SURAH HADID MAIN TOPICS:

Wealth Is Not Yours, You Are Just A Custodian So Spend, Those Who Spent Before Mecca Conquest And Others Are Not Equal, Last Day: Believers Have Light In Front Of Them, Hypocrites Would Have No Light, Paradise Width Like Width Of Heavens And Earth, No Disaster Strikes But Written In A Book.

SURAH HADID KEY VERSES:

١٢  يَوْمَ تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَسْعَىٰ نُورُهُمْ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ بُشْرَاكُمُ الْيَوْمَ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

12  On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], “Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally.” That is what is the great attainment.

٢٠  اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا ۖ وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۚ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

20  Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.

٢٥  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 عَزِيزٌ

25  We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

٢٧  ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنْجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا ۖ فَآتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

27  Then We sent following their footsteps Our messengers and followed [them] with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel. And We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy and monasticism, which they innovated; We did not prescribe it for them except [that they did so] seeking the approval of Allah. But they did not observe it with due observance. So We gave the ones who believed among them their reward, but many of them are defiantly disobedient.

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1-6(All In Heavens And Earth Glorifies God, He Created All In 6 Six Days And Have Knowledge Of Everything), 7(Wealth Is Not Yours, You Are Just A Custodian/A Successor, So Spend), 10-11(Why Don’t You Spend In God’s Cause, Those Who Spent Before Mecca Conquest And Others Are Not Equal, The Former Are Greater In Rank, Give Loan To God So That He Return By Multiplying),12-13(Last Day: Believers Light In Front Of Them & On Their Right, Hypocrites Would Have No Light, A Wall With A Gate Will Be Errected, Its Interior Is Mercy, But On The Outside Is Torment), 14-20(Tidings Of Punishment And Reward, Life Of This World Is Nothing But Play And Pastime, And Adornment, And Boasting, A Delusion: Example Of Rain & Growth & then it becomes [scattered] debris), 21(Paradise Width Like Width Of Heavens And Earth), 22-23( No Disaster Strikes But Written In A Book, So That You Grieve Not What Escaped), 25(God Sent Down, Scripture, The Balance And Iron), 26-29(Mention of Nuh, Moses, Jesus, Mention of Rahbaniat/ Monasticism In Jesus Followers, They Themselves Invented Not God Ordered Them To Do So, Even Than They Did Not Observe It With Due Observance)

SURAH HADID BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND:

This Surah has 29 verses divided into 4 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 25:

“…… لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ ُ.” The word “الْحَدِيدَ” means Iron.

This Surah is also called الْمُسَبِّحَاتِ‎ Surah as it begins with the glorification of Allah. The collective name of الْمُسَبِّحَاتِ‎ assigns to the following 6 Surahs Hadid, Hashr, Saff, Jumuah, Taghabun and Surah Ala.

The Surah was revealed in Madina most probably in a time period between the battle of Badr to the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. This was the time most critical in the history of newly Islamic state of Madina as they were under attack from all sides by non-believers and by nearby Jewish tribes. Therefore the central theme of Surah is to motivate Muslims for sacrifice not only physical but also monetary to help strengthen and securing the newly born Islamic state. This is mentioned clearly as you can see in verse 10

١٠  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 خَبِيرٌ10  And why you do not spend in the way of God while to God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest and fought. Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterward and fought. But to all God has promised the best. And God, with what you do, is Acquainted.

Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that the Prophet of God PBUH used to recite الْمُسَبِّحَاتِ‎ before he went to sleep, saying,

إِنَّ فِيهِنَّ آيَةً أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ آيَة

In them there is a verse that is better than a thousand verses. The Ayah referred to in this Hadith is

هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأَخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُ‌ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ