سُوْرَةُ الْحَدِيْدِ
Surah Al-Hadid (57) — Ayah 3
هُوَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿3﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هُوَ
huwa
He
ٱلْأَوَّلُ
l-awalu
(is) the First
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ
wal-ākhiru
and the Last
وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ
wal-ẓāhiru
and the Apparent
وَٱلْبَاطِنُ ۖ
wal-bāṭinu
and the Unapparent
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and He
بِكُلِّ
bikulli
(is) of every
شَىْءٍ
shayin
thing
عَلِيمٌ
ʿalīmun
All-Knower
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
3. He is the First and the Last, the Manifest [4] and the Hidden, and He is the Knower of all things.
[4] That is, when nothing in the universe existed, Allah was still present, and when nothing in the universe will remain and everything will perish, He will still remain. And He is Az-Zahir (the Manifest) in the sense that the existence and manifestation of everything is due to His existence. Whether you reflect on the system of the greater universe, or the microcosm, or the system of the human body, you will find many proofs of His power and existence. There is nothing in the universe that does not point to its Creator. And He is Al-Batin (the Hidden) in the sense that, far from perceiving Him with the five senses, we cannot even form a correct concept of His essence or attributes with our intellect. In this material world, so many veils of the unseen are placed before us that we can never see Him with these eyes.
[4] That is, when nothing in the universe existed, Allah was still present, and when nothing in the universe will remain and everything will perish, He will still remain. And He is Az-Zahir (the Manifest) in the sense that the existence and manifestation of everything is due to His existence. Whether you reflect on the system of the greater universe, or the microcosm, or the system of the human body, you will find many proofs of His power and existence. There is nothing in the universe that does not point to its Creator. And He is Al-Batin (the Hidden) in the sense that, far from perceiving Him with the five senses, we cannot even form a correct concept of His essence or attributes with our intellect. In this material world, so many veils of the unseen are placed before us that we can never see Him with these eyes.
