Al-Hadid · Madani · ayah 1 of 29

Al-Hadid 57:1

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

“Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allāh,[1622] and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

Saheeh International

Essence

The surah before ended with an order to glorify; this one opens by showing that the whole of creation has already done it.

A reflection

The command, and then the fact

The surah before this one closes with an instruction: fa-sabbiḥ bismi rabbika al-ʿaẓīm, so glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great (56:96). Turn the page, and this surah opens with sabbaḥa, already done. One classical reading joins the two directly: the opening of Al-Hadid works as the reason for the command at the close of Al-Waqiʿah. Glorify Him, because everything in the heavens and the earth has glorified Him already.

Picture arriving late at a wedding. The circle dance is already turning, hands linked, the drum steady. Nobody stops to explain the steps or waits for your approval before carrying on. You can stand by the wall with your arms folded, or you can step in. Either way the circle keeps turning.

That is the humbling part. The command in 56:96 is not a request for help. He is al-ʿAzīz, the Mighty whom nothing overpowers or resists, and al-Ḥakīm, whose every act is placed exactly where it belongs. He is not short of praise, waiting for yours to make up the number. The ego likes to picture its worship as a contribution, a gift that makes a difference to the One who receives it. This pairing turns that around. The praise was complete before you were told to join it, and joining it is your gain, not His.

The full entry has 2 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.