Al-Hadid Explained

Number:57
Number-3:057
Al-Ḥadīd
Name-Ar:الحديد
Name-En:The Iron
Prev Sura:Quran 56
Next Sura:Quran 58
Classification:Medinan
Juz:27[1]
Rukus:4
Verses:29
Words:575
Letters:2475
Audio:Chapter 57, Al-Hadid (Mujawwad) - Recitation of the Holy Qur'an.mp3

Al-Ḥadīd (English: Iron; Arabic: الحديد) is the 57th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran with 29 verses.[2] The chapter takes its name from that word which appears in the 25th verse.[3] This is an Al-Musabbihat surah because it begins with the glorification of Allah.

Summary

Exegesis

In his tafsir (exegesis), Ma’ariful-Qur’an, Muhammad Shafi Deobandi wrote: “It is recorded in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i that Sayyidna ‘Irbad Ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite Al-Musabbihat before he went to sleep and said: ‘In them there is a verse that is more meritorious than a thousand verses’.

“The collective name of the series Al-Musabbihat refers to the following five Surahs: (1) Al-Hadid; (2) Al-Hashr; (3) As-Saff; (4) Al-Jumu’ah; and (5) At-Taghabun.

“Having cited this Hadith, Ibn Kathir says that the best verse referred to in Surah Al-Hadid is verse (3). (He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-knowing about everything . . . 57:3).

“Among the five Surahs, the first three namely Al-Hadid, Al-Hashr and As-Saff commence with the past perfect tense ‘sabbaha’ (purity has been proclaimed) whilst the last two, namely Al-Jumu’ah and At-Taghabun commence with the imperfect tense ‘yusabbihu’ (purity is proclaimed). This implies that the purity of Allah should be declared at all times, the past, the present and the future. [Mazhari]”[5]

Shia Islam

In Kitab al-Kafi, Imam Musa al-Kadhim was asked for the interpretation of 57:11 Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward?, to which he replied "this was revealed about payment to the Imams. One dirham paid to the Imam is greater in weight than the mountain of Uhud and the reward is greater than two million dirhams paid for other charities." Another narration states it is the "good" towards the Imam during a government of mischief.[6]

Notes and References

  1. [Juz']
  2. http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/57 Quran 57
  3. http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/57:25 Quran 57:25
  4. Book: Wherry . Elwood Morris . Elwood Morris Wherry . A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes . 1896 . Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co . London.
  5. Book: Shafi . Mufti Muhammad . Ma'ariful Qur'an . Maktaba-e-Darul-Ulomm Karachi Vol. 8 . 305 . 2008 English.
  6. Book: Kitab al-Kafi. Al-Kulayni. Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ya’qub. 2015. The Islamic Seminary Inc.. 9780991430864. South Huntington, NY.