In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1- Whatever (ma) is in the Heavens and Earth glorifies God – He is the Mighty, theWise.

2- Unto Him belongs sovereignty over the Heavens and Earth. He gives life, causes death, and has power (qadir) over all things.

3- He is the First and the Last, the Outward (zahir) and the Inward (batin). He has knowledge of all things.

4- He created the Heavens and Earth in six days and then established Himself on the throne (‘arsh). He knows all that enters (yaliju) the ground and all that emerges from it, all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends up to it. He is with you wherever you may be and sees (basir) whatever you do.

5- Unto Him belongs (la-hu) sovereignty over the Heavens and Earth, and unto Himare [all] thingsbrought back.

6- He causes the night to pass (yuliju) into the day and the day to pass into the night. He knows what is in every heart (dhati-s-sudur).

7- Believe in God and His Messenger (rasul), and spend of that over which He has appointed you as trustees. For those who believe and spend, theirs (la-hum) shall be a great reward.

8- Why do you not believe (iman) in God when the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord – and He has already made a pledge (mithaq) with you – if you are believers?

9- He sends down (tanzil) clear signs to His servant to bring you out of darkness and into light (nur).Indeed God is truly Kind (Ra’uf) and Merciful (Rahim) to you.

10- Why do you do not spend in His way when the inheritance (mirath) of the Heavens and Earth belongs to Him? Those who spent and fought before the victory are not equal [with the rest of you]; rather,they are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterward. God has promised to each [believer] that which is most beautiful and is aware of whatsoever you do.
 
11- Who will lend God a goodly loan (qard hasan)? He will multiply (yuda?if) it and give that person a generous reward.

12- On the Day when you [Muhammad] will see the believing men (mu?minun) and women (mu?minat), their light (nur) shining forth (yas?a) before them and on to their right (yamin) [they will be told]: “Glad news for you this day – gardens under which rivers flow, in which you are to stay eternally. That is the supreme triumph (fawz ?a?im).

13- On that Day when the hypocritical men and women will say to those who believe: “Look at us (unzuru-na) so that we may borrow from your light!” It will be said, “Turn back and seek (iltimas) for light.” Thereupon a wall with a gate will separate them.The inside [of the castle] contains mercy, while on the outer side lies punishment.

14- They will call out to them, “Were we not with you?” They will reply, “Yes, but you allowed yourselves to be tempted (fitnah), waited and were doubtful,were deluded (gharra) by vain desires (amani) until God’s Command came.Moreover, the deceiver tricked you concerning God.

15- So this day no ransom (fidyah) can be accepted from you or from those who disbelieved. Your home shall be the fire, for that is your master and the end of a wretched journey (masir).”

This chapter takes its name from hadīd,a word in the twenty-fifth verse that literally means “iron.”It alsosuggests the quality of sharpness or the act of cutting,thereby signifying implements of war (e.g.,swords, pikes, helms, shields, and mail), as well as “sharp” vision (i.e., good eyesight). And the Qur’an gives yet another detail:Each human being will be told on the Day of Judgement: “You paid no attention to this [Day]; but today We have removed from you your veil, so now your sight is sharp (lit. iron)” (fabasaru-ka-l-yawmahadīd) (50:22).And finally, those who speak harshly may be said to have a “sharp” tongue: “They smite you with sharp tongues” (salaqū-kum bi alsinatinhidād) (33:19).
This chapter was revealed five years after theMuslims’ emigration (hijrah) to Madinah, at the height of theirstruggle, the year ofthe Battle of the Confederate Tribes (ahzāb), also known as the Battle of the Trench (khandaq).Ahzābrefers to the massive combined army ofvirtually all of the Arabian Peninsula’s anti-Muslim forces–the Quraysh, who ruled Makkah; the prosperous, well-armed, and religiously unified Jewish Arabian tribes; and the Bedouin tribes. These Jewish tribes incited all of these groups to join togetherand besiege Madinah. Salmān al-Fārsī, who was familiar with his homeland’s (viz., Sassanid Persia) fighting techniques, advised the Prophet to order a khandaq(trench) to be dug to the north of the city, at the point where it was easiest to launch an attack, and the Prophet did so. This trench was instrumental in preventing a sudden attack by the Confederates, who had enough warriors to overwhelm the Muslims and massacre everyone in the city. Such a disaster would have terminated the awakening that was Islam. Instead, the Confederates werecompelled to initiate anapproximately one-month siege before the Prophet was finally able to exploit the disunity in their ranks, break up the alliance, and force them to withdraw.
According to tradition, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was also signed during this year.The Muslims had attempted to perform hajjby taking a circuitous route to avoid detection by the Makkans; however, they were discovered, detained,and prevented from entering Makkah at Hudaybiyyah. The ensuing treaty with the Makkan idolaters obliged them to return to Madinah with the guarantee that they could perform their hajj the following year.
In truth this particular year, which was arguably a difficult one for the Muslims, would prove decisive for the future of both Islam and the community.During it, they fought twenty-eight battles, dispatched twenty-four expeditions, and launched four raids. Thus, on average they foughtmore than two battles a month. In such a dire situation, their only option was to mobilize their strength to safeguard their survival against this massive,hostile confederation.The members of this minority community, which almost everyone was trying to destroy, were painfully aware of how close they had come to being annihilated while beingbesieged.
It seems as though this chapter’s underlying purposewas to lay the foundation for confronting the upcoming expected hostilities. This chapter, more than any other one, speaks about the importance of financing and supporting the Muslim army with the frequent refrain of spending in God’s way. Other chapters contain similar reminders (perhaps there was never really any need for the Qur’an to emphasize the need of fighting for one’s survival), but here the Qur’an also explainshowthis army should be supported. In those days, when war was declared everyone – irrespective of age, gender or social class – had to participate in their own way because such contemporary realitiesas a budget, a treasury, a standing army, a professional soldier, or even a statedid not exist.
The Qur’anic phrase “spending in the way of God” carries strong military connotations,as its only goal is to defend one’s very existence. Some interpret this phrase asspending on things like spreading knowledge or helping the poor and needy.But the context of the seventy-odd times in which it appears, bar one or two, is clearly connected to defending oneself militarily. Being aware of the passage’s context or the occasion of its revelation profoundlyaffects our ability to extract its meaning. For example, this chapter’s first six verses focus on the fundamental principles of divine unity (tawhīd). Thus, we can hypothesize that God chose this opening topicbecause peoplewill voluntarily lay down their life only if they really grasp what they are defending, have a strong worldview, and knowwhy they exist.
As Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī says:“Nothing can overcome love except love / why don’t you seek a better companion?” This is his way of asking thatif people do not carry within themselves a powerful sense of love, then what could possibly make them ready to sacrifice their life? If not out of love for their spouse, children, property, and prosperity, then out of what?And so this chapter begins by speaking of this love.

[57:1] Whatever(mā) is in the Heavens and Earth glorifies God, the Mighty(‘Azīz), theWise (Hakīm).
Here, notice that the pronoun used is mā (what – mā fī-s-samāwāt wa-l-ard), while elsewhere man (whoever – man fī-s-samāwāt wa-l-ard) is used. In Arabic grammar,man is commonly used to refer to sentient beings, whereasmā includes everything that exists in the universe.Tasbīh (to glorify) literally means to float and move toward a specific goal, to strive to accomplish a positive act or to correct a flaw or deficiency in a system. Therefore, whatever exists servesthe system of which it is a part and is therefore aservant of the divine will.
God says He is ʿAzīz and Hakīm. In Persian, ʿAzīzcan be traced back to ʿazāz, an area of hard groundoff of which water runs quickly. Kings were also entitledʿazīz(powerful and mighty), because no one else could equal or surpass their power. Therefore God, whose will all of creationmust serve, is ʿAzīz because He is utterly above everything else. However, insofar as a monarch with absolute power could be a dictator and a tyrant instead of a benevolent ruler, God mentions the attribute of Hakīm (All-Wise) alongside His attribute of All-Mighty to indicate that whatever He does with His power is in accordance with wisdom and thus neither arbitrary nor tyrannical.

[57:2] Unto Him (la-hu) belongs sovereignty over the Heavens and Earth. He gives life, causes death, and has power(qadīr) over all things.
God, the one and only sovereign of the Heavens and Earth, holds bothlife and death in His hands and is the sole measure of all things. The initiallām(ل)(la-hu) signifies exclusivity, meaning that only God enjoys any kind of independent dominion. If this qualitywere not exclusive, a listener might suppose that God is simply the manager and director of the universe, instead of its sovereign. But, people may wonder, does His sovereignty stem from some kind of constitution or is it innate? Absolute monarchs can dispose of their domainas they please.But if their sovereignty is borrowed, they have no right to change it in any way.
The verbs “He gives life, causes death” (yuhyīand yumīt) are both in the present tense to indicate that the courses of life and death are always in His hands.
God is the one who gives measure to all things. Although some commentators defineqadīras having power (qudrah), it is more correct to say that it signifies the act of determining (taqdīr) the connections among all things and apportioning their measure and extent. For example, an infinite number of creatures have lived on land and in the seaever since our planet was created. All of them feed on one another, and yet most of them have notbecome extinct. Equally, when we look at the system of cells in the human body we note that cells do not eat each other because eachcell operates according to its own specific extent and measure. Life and death also follow well-ordered systems. In reality, a single astounding system, one thatrests on a specific kind of measurement and design determined by God,governs the entire cosmos.
It is interesting that God says He also created death, forwe often think of death as privation – the absence of life – just as darkness is the absence of light.Butdeath is not like darkness in this respect, for God says “He created death and life” (67:2), which indicates thatdeath is actually a tangible created entitythat, in itself,represents a separate stage of existence. A useful illustration of this is how a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly by encasingitself in a cocoon and emerging from it after a certain amount of time has passed. Looking at it from the outside, one might assume that the caterpillar has died when, in fact, it is very much alive and active – it is just undergoing a marvelous transformation from one kind of existence to another.

[57:3] He is the First and the Last, the Outward(Zāhir) and the Inward(Bātin). He has knowledge of all things.
In this context, “the First” means that nothing comes before it and that it has no beginning or end, as opposed to being first in terms of a number.Thusnothing and no one can come afterGod, who has no limit or end.Many narrated traditions discuss this idea in depth, for it might seem difficult to understand at first.
God is simultaneously the Manifest (Zāhir) and the Hidden (Bātin). He is not zāhir in the sense that He appears somewhere, such as the Sun appears after it has been covered. Nor is Hebātin in the sense that something hidesHim from our sight. We can comprehend how the Qur’an uses the concepts of manifestation and hiddenness because they exist in one form or another in this physical world. However, the concept of the First and the Last, as applied to God, are beyond these twoconcepts.
Given these facts, God knows everything because nothing is hidden from him. Since only He has these attributes, only He can direct the cosmos.And because only He has truly independent power and sovereignty,only He can continuallycreate, determine, and apportion. He brings order to the cosmos;is without limit; and has full knowledge of time and space,matter and spirit, and of whatever He creates. In short, nothing is beyond His knowledge.

[57:4] He created the Heavens and Earth in six days and He established Himself on the throne (‘arsh). He knows all that enters (yaliju) the ground and all that emerges from it, all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends up to it. He is with you wherever you may be and sees (basīr)whatever you do.
God created the Heavens and Earth in six stages and in six days. Now, when God says a “day”He does not mean a day in our sense – a twenty-four-hour period. On the contrary, His “day” could have lasted for millions of our years, just like the terms that make up a school year or the various developmental stages through which a fetus passes.Here, “days” signifiessuccessive periods of time that are connected to one another, each stage of which represents another jump that leads to the following stage.
ʿArsh refers to a ceiling.Its cognate ʿarīsha means an elevated covering. Insofar as everything takes cover beneath a ceiling, ʿarsh came to signify authority and governance over something. Therefore this term is used for a monarch’s throne,which traditionally took the form of an elevated platform. This verse is an example of the Qur’an’s highly symbolic and allegorical terminology. In short, after completing the six-stage creation of the Heavens and Earth, God “sat” upon the ʿarsh – meaning that He began to governthe created cosmos in a way designed to guide it toward perfection and to set events in motion.Just as a fetus passes through several developmental stages before being born and then passes through even morestages, in just such a manner didGod create this world.
God knows everything that goes into the ground. Yalijuis derived from a root verb that means that the ground absorbs the rain thatfalls upon itdrop by drop (not all at once, for that would wash away the soil). We do not perceive this; however God knows it directly, as well as what will emerge from the ground (e.g., springs, streams, and rivers) and every water molecule that ascends (i.e., evaporates)upto the sky (e.g.,steam,oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements).As He is present with all natural phenomena, Godis fully aware of all such things.If that is the case, then is He not also present with us and thereforefully aware ofwhatever we do, no matter how insignificant it may be?
God is never apart from you, for how could this be whenHeis intimately familiar with every atom that exists? Having this certainty is one of the highest levels of faith. Of course no believer actually denies this fact; we just let ourselves forget itonce in a while. Given thatsome of our actions are hidden from others, we sometimes imagine that we can also hide themfrom God. We even rely upon other people to intercede for us, forgetting that He is closer to us than our own jugulars. Before we even sense anything, God understands what we feel.We need toremember these facts.
God says that “whenever you sense Me and are mindful of Me, you have found Me.” In other words, there is no separation between“feeling” and“reaching” Him. The only barrier we need to cross is our own self, forwe are the veil that blinds us to God, the veil that we use in our futile attempt to hide from Him.And yet Hewas never hidden – or tried to hide Himself – from us.
Basīr is the noun of intensification (mubālaghah) for the root basar. In other words, you are always in His field of vision.

[57:5] Unto Him belongs (la-hu) sovereignty over the Heavens and Earth, and unto Him are [all] things brought back.
La-husignifies exclusivity: There is no other sovereign of the Heavens, Earth, and the entire cosmos. “And unto Him are [all] things brought back.” The first sentence also appears in the second verse, but with a different conclusion:There, God’s sovereignty refers to His giving of life, causing death, and determining the cosmic order. On the other hand, this verse draws a different conclusion on the basis of God’s absolute and unrestricted sovereignty:All the universe’s affairs return to Him, because none of His directives and orders can ever go beyond His system.
In fact, this verse explains the centrality of this system of cosmic governance. Now, if everything returns to God, will we not return to Him as well? Is this what “To God we belong and to Him we return” (2:156) and “To God [all] things are brought back” means? When all of the universe’s affairs and systems go back to Him, is there any possibility of an alternate destination existing somewhere in this world? This is how God lays the groundwork for discussing death and resurrection.

[57:6] He causes the night to pass (yūliju) into the day and the day to pass into the night. He knows what is in every heart (dhāti-s-sudūr).
Not only does rain go into the ground drop by drop beforegradually evaporating and rising up into the atmosphere with the lighter elements, but night and day are also the same – day changes into night and night changes into day one second at a time, drop by drop, just like rain.
Thus the verb yūlijuindicates that night and day gradually penetrate one another.As opposed to beginning or ending abruptly,they gradually shift from one to the other and back again. The system of the cosmos changes so slowly that we almost do not noticeit.No life could possibly exist if day and night alternated suddenly. In turn, this would mean that all of the planet’s complex systems that depend on gradual change would have been washed away, just as a sudden deluge of rain washes away the soil.
God is fullyaware of the contents of people’s hearts, fordhāt means “possessor” (sāhib). What secrets do our hearts possess other than all of our positive and negative attributes – all of which, by the way,God is deeply and profoundly aware. Some try to interpret this term in a philosophical sense as the essence of something. However, the Qur’an does not use it in this fashion. Here, dhāt means ownership and possession.
Up until this point, this chapter has been dealing with the precepts of divine unity (tawhīd). When the Muslims received this message,they immediately providedthe necessary financial support for the troops. Therefore, before trying to change people we must first change how they view the world and help them understand why they need to support His cause.
When the Prophet spoke about faith’s great value, his Companions asked if he were speaking about the faith of the angels. He replied that he was not, for“they are already close to God.” When they asked him if he was speaking about the faith of the prophets, he replied that he was not “because they receive revelation from God.” When they asked him if he were perhaps“speaking about our faith,” he replied that he was not, because “I am among you, and when a prophet is with his people it is easy to have faith.” Finally, they asked him what he was talking about, and he told them: “I am talking about those who will come later, who will not have received any of these teachings directly, but will nevertheless delve into this Book and ponder deeply upon God’s signs on the world around them.As a result, they will possess strong faith.”According to this tradition, the Prophet is referring to people in the future who would be better able to believe in God’s signsdue to their deep knowledge about the world.

[57:7] Believe in God and His Messenger (rasūl), and spend of that over which He has appointed you as trustees(mustakhlaf). For those who believe and spend, theirs (la-hum) shall be a great reward.
Basing itself on this premise, the Qur’an instructs people: “Believe in God and His Messenger.” Notice that it does not say: “Believe in My Messenger” because the word “me” does not appear in the verse. The Prophet is someone who has been appointed by God to deliver His message to the people. Rasūl literally means someone who has been entrusted with delivering a message (risālah). Therefore, the verse means: “Believe in Me and the one who is bringing you My message.”
It then tells people to “spend of that over which He has appointed you as trustees (mustakhlaf).” The word mustakhlaf is form X,a cognate of khalīfa(“successor” or “vicegerent”). In other words, although you have temporarily been given some worldly power, all forms of power and authority will eventually pass to someone else. And yet for some reason, those who attain power fancy that they will hold it forever. They forget that iftheir predecessors had ever found a way to cheat death, this power would never have reached them in the first place.
Wealth,which also has been handed down to us, soon passes to someone else. So we are all khalīfas in the sense of “successors” or of someone who follows behind (khalaf), as opposed to the one who goes in front (salaf).The Qur’an says that those believers who have faith and spend out of what they have been given shall receive a great reward. The positioning of la-hum (“for them”) before “a great reward”shows that this applies only tothose who have faithand spend. Infāq (“to spend”) literally means to fill a gap or an opening. Thus the holedug by a rodent is called nafaq. According to Dr. Ali Shariati, infāq means filling gaps and fulfilling the needs of society.

[57:8] Why do you not believe(īmān) in God when the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord – and He has already made a pledge(mīthāq) with you – if you are believers?
The Qur’an asks: “So why will you not believe in God?”This question, surprisingly, is addressed to the Muslims. But ifthey already have faith, what exactly is meant here? If you have faith, then God has taken a pledge (mīthāq) from you, a pledge that exists both in your innate nature (fitrah) and your intellect (ʿaql). Thereforeone who has faith should know that not only have God and the Prophet said so, but so has your conscience, which is deeply rooted in your nature.

[57:9] He sends down(tanzīl)clear signs to His servant to bring you out of darkness into light(nūr). Indeed God is truly Kind(Ra’ūf) and Merciful(Rahīm) to you.
God asserts thatHe is the oneWho sends down (tanzīl) manifest signs to His servant, not in the literal sense, but in the sense of bringing the higher realities (haqāʾiq) down to your level of understanding in orderto free you from all kinds of darkness (e.g., fear, ignorance, anxiety, greed, avarice, and ostentation) and bring you into the light.
According to a statistical analysis, “light” (nūr) appears five times in this chapter, more than in any other one except chapter 24 (The Light; an-Nūr), where it appears seven times. The meaning of “light” in these chapters is not the physical light that illuminates the world around us, but the light of a person’sgood deeds (whichhave a light of their own), the illumination that springs forth from divine guidance.
Finally, God reminds His audience that He is Most Kind (Raʾūf) and Merciful (Rahīm) because He has set in motion mechanisms that always guide people out of darkness and into light. This concern for us can only come from His kindness and mercy. Once again, He asks: “So what’s the matter? What’s wrong? What will you do?”

[57:10] Why do you not spend in His way when the inheritance(mīrāth) of the Heavens and Earth belongs to Him? Those who spent and fought before the victory are not equal [with the rest of you]; rather,they are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterward. God has promised to each [believer] that which is most beautiful and is aware of whatsoever you do.
After asking why you will notbelieve, God asks why you willnot spend in His way. At this time, the Prophet was asking the Emigrants (muhājirūn),those who had left Makkah empty-handed, to donate what they possessed in order to defend Islam and the Muslims, as well as the Helpers (ansār), who had given half of their wealth to the Emigrants. In one of these military campaigns, each soldier received only one date per day, and sometimes not even that.These were the ones whom God was addressing.
In chapter 19(Mary; Maryam), God says “Indeed We shall inherit Earth and whoever there is on it...” (19:40), forHe directs and controls everything on it anddistributes it as He wills. Here, He asks His audience: “Do you think you can take your wealth to the grave with you,when God owns all that exists?” If people genuinely reflectedupon this point, how(and why) could they cling so tightly to these temporary material things that will one day be passed on to someone else?
These two groups are not equal. One will reach a higher spiritual station than those who join only after the problems have been solved and life has become easy. It is always the striving and sacrificing during difficult and hard times that acquirespecial importance. And yet God has promised good for both groups. These verses are very unusual. The Qur’an discusses this issue on two occasions. My late father said that these verses amazed him because it seemed counter-intuitive that God should make such a promise. Shouldnot the latter group have been condemned? My father suggested that perhaps, like us, Goddoes not deal in absolutes. Even though members of the first group have a far greater reward waiting for them, anyone who has contributed something, no matter how small, will also have his or her efforts accepted because, after all, they are believers.

[57:11] Who will lend God a goodly loan (qard hasan)? He will multiply (yudāʿif) it and give that person a generous reward.
“Who will give Me a loan?” God asks. He, Who gave us all that we have, now asks us to return part of it toHim as a loan. However, He does not mean just any loan, but a “goodly loan” (qardhasan), one that comes with no reproaches and no strings attached.
Yudāʿif’ means that God will repay this loan a thousand-fold, which should encourage us to do as He asks. A maqrād is a kind of scissors used to shear a sheep’s wool. Therefore, a qard (“loan”) – derived from the same etymological root – refers to giving up something unessential andthereby lightening your load. God says only a few times that He will give someone “a generous reward.” There is a difference between a “noble” and a “material” reward, as shall be explained below.
Up until this verse, this chapter has focused on this world.It now shifts to the Hereafter.

[57:12] On the Day when you [Muhammad] will see the believing men(muʾminūn) and women(muʾmināt), their light(nūr) shining forth(yasʿā) before them and on their right(yamīn) hands, [and will hear it said to them]: “Glad news for you this day – gardens under which rivers flow, in which you are to stay eternally.” That is the supreme triumph(fawz ʿazīm).
Here, the believing men (muʾminūn) and women (muʾmināt) are mentioned together, as arethe male (munāfiqūn) and female (munāfiqāt) hypocrites. This latter pairdoes not comprise atheists, but those who claim to believe but do not spend in God’s way. A munāfiq is literally someone who has another hole (nafaq) into which he/she can escape, just as a rodent flees from one hole to another when pursuedby a predator.
This chapter refers to spending in God’s way as sadaqah, derived from the root sidq (“truthfulness”): Those who “prove”their faith by spending for His sake. As such, another name for spending (infāq) is sadaqāt, defined asthat which demonstrates the truthfulness of one’s faith. This chapter divides the faithful into two groups:male and female believers who give charity (musaddiqīn and musaddiqāt) and therebyimplement their faith, and male and female hypocrites who only pretend to be believers and thus spend none of their wealth in His way. We imagine that only those who have a job and earn an income are required to spend.However, here men and women are mentioned together, which shows that both of them can contribute, whether on the battlefield, behind the lines, or at home (e.g., raising the couple’s children).
Here, “light” (nūr) is used allusively to signify finding one’s way, for in this world it illuminates people’s path and enables them to reach their destination and achieve their goals. Meanwhile, in the Hereafter they will have their path lit and find their way by different means.
“Hastening” (yasʿā) means to move quickly, for their light travels swiftly in front of them like a spotlight,lighting their path. This implies that human beings are not stationary, but are moving with haste.
In Arabic, yamīn (lit. “right,” as in “the right-hand side”) carries an aura of purity and auspiciousness. This emphasis on the light indicatesthat it will illuminate their path toward perfection and rightguidance. Some say that the strength of each person’s light is proportional to his or her faith. In any case, there will be a group of people whose way will be lit for them in the Hereafter.
The faithful are congratulated and given the good news that they have attained paradise, underwhich rivers flow. The Qur’an always describes paradise in this way to show that the source of its lush abundance is always there, because green and bountiful gardens always require flowing water nearby. This imagery stood in stark contrast to the hard and desiccated conditions of the Arabs’ environment.
The verse’s message is of the utmost importance: Paradise is eternal and everlasting, the supreme triumph (fawz ʿazīm). Mafāza (“desert” – derived from the same root as fawz) refers to the peninsula’s dry burning deserts,for making it across themalive was called a great fawz (“success”). However, a guide who knew the terrain and the best routes was always necessary to prevent possible death in case of getting lost. In a similar vein, the Qur’an describes the prophets as guides who will lead us to our destination.But unlike the desert guides, these“guides” lead us to the heavenly path.Therefore, the “supreme triumph”consists of making it across the deserts of life, and“victory” consists of making it through life while avoiding the evil of the “devils” that inhabit this world.

[57:13] On that Day when the hypocritical men and women will say to those who believe: “Look at us(unzurū-nā)so that we may borrow from your light” It will be said, “Turn back and seek(iltimās) for light.” Thereupon a wall with a gate will separate them. The inside [of the castle] contains mercy, while on the outer side lies punishment.
On the Day of Judgment,the hypocrites will say to the true believers (i.e., those who implemented their faith and spent for His sake): “Look at us (unzurū-nā),” hoping to attract some of their light to illumine their path. Some commentators posit that this actually means “Have some concern for us,”for they hope that the faithful will help them, or “Give us some respite,”a request forthe faithful to wait so that they can accompany them. In any case, those people whose actions did not match their beliefs will ask the true believersto have some consideration for them.
Notice that the Qur’anmerely says “it will be said” (in the passive voice). Some commentators have said that the ones who spoke these words were angels, which would indicate that the very environment itself is speaking and disclosing its reality to these people.
Being told to “turn back” means to this world “and seek(iltimās) for light,”for one can find this light for the Hereafter only in this world.Iltimās is a form VIII verb that means “to try to touch” (i.e. “to seek for”). From these words, the hypocrites will understand that the rules of the place in which they now find themselvesdiffer from those of our world. For example, they can no longer rely on favoritism and connections to get their way, or on the light (i.e., the light given off by one’s good deeds) of others instead of their own. If you did no good deeds here, then no light is waiting for you there. The Qur’an presents this allegory to help us understand the importance of how our actions hereaffect our eternity.
While these two groupsare speaking, a barrier will formbetween them: “Thereupon a wall (sūr) with a gate will separate them.”Sūr means a fortified wall that might be seen surrounding a castle. A necklace or ring might also be called aswirah or asāwīr because they surround and enclose the limbs upon which they are worn, just as a wall surrounds and encloses a city or a fortress.Are we to understand this literally or allegorically? “With a gate” (la-hu bāb); this gate leads to the fortress’ interior, which “contains mercy.”Therefore, whoever entersthe fortress will be saved.
Although we seldom use castles today, in the past they wereregarded as places thatprotected people from barbarian marauders. Therefore, being inside one was a “mercy,” andbeing outside was a “punishment.”Zāhir (“on its outside”) alludes to the hypocrites’ nominal faith, for it left them“outside” and therefore vulnerable to their enemy’s (i.e., Satan) attacks.One gainsentrance and safetyonly by having genuine faith and spending in God’s way. This fortress has a door, so why do you stay outside? Clearly, having genuine faith provides a kind of security, for it allows people to take their place within the fortress.
Now, let’s look at the exchange between these two groups in more detail.

[57:14] They will call out to them, “Were we not with you?” They will reply, “Yes, but you allowed yourselves to be tempted (fitnah), waited and were doubtful; were deluded (gharra)by vain desires (amānī) until God’s Command came. Moreover, the deceiver tricked you concerning God.
The hypocrites will call out: “We were with you”– meaning that they and we had gone to the same mosque;belonged to the same family;and were husband and wife, siblings and colleagues. The faithful will respond: “Yes,that is true; however, you cast your own souls into temptation (fitnah).” In reality, we were just two bodies next to one another in a single environment.Fitnah means to face trials and tribulations,to be led astray by Satan.
“You waited”– you procrastinated and delayed. This is like saying: “We are still young. We can repent when we are old” Of course the door of repentance is always open, but how do you know when you will die? “Of course, I am duty-bound to help others, but right now I have my own problems to worry about.I can help other people later.”
“And were doubtful (artab-tum).” The verb artaba is derived from the root R-Y-B(to doubt). In other words, your faith was neither firm nor certain because you wondered if there would really be a resurrection, despite the countless verses in which God says:“Do not worry, for I willcompensate you for all that you spend.”And still you were reluctant to believe Him.
“And were deluded (gharra) by vain desires (amānī).”Amānīindicates calculated and thought-out hopes, as opposed to the naïve hopes we all entertain from time to time. Death is sometimes called amānī,for it also contains calculations, structure, and order. Such things distracted you from your true purpose in life. Gharra(to dupe or beguile) refers to your being deceived by the hopes and ambitions you wanted to fulfill. Some commentators believe that al-ghurūr refers to Satan (i.e. the deceiver) or to your own mistakes.Imam Ali says: “I fear for you two things above all others: The first is that you will follow your desires, and the second is that you will follow farfetched hopes. If you only follow your own desires, you will forget the truth.But if you entertain farfetched hopes, you will forget the Hereafter. Do you think you were meant to live forever?”As a poet once said: “The eyes of this world’s people will be filled either with contentment (qanāʿah) or with the dirt of the grave.”
You were so distracted by your ambitions thatGod sealed your fate.Satan and your own misguided ways so deceived you about God that you no longer knew Him.You thought that His mercy was so expansive that He would naturally forgive your countlesssins. True, God is the Most Merciful of the merciful, but He is also the All-Wise and Most Just. Like anygood teacher, He does not treat test scores of 10% and 100% as the same thing. If you think He does, then you have been deceived.

[57:15] So this day no ransom(fidyah) can be accepted from you or from those who disbelieved. Your home shall be the fire; that is your master, and the end of a wretched journey(masīr).”
In this world, people whobreak the law might have the option to say: “No problem, I’ll pay the fine.” But on the Day of Judgment, no one, neither a hypocrite nor a sincere believer,will be ableto pay a ransom (fidyah) to escape punishment. Who is being addressed here, if not the faithless? Actually, those who called themselves Muslims are the ones being addressed.
Inside the very place in which you took refuge, you have actually been burning for your entire life becauseyour real master is the money and sins to which you are so attached.Masīris defined as the path taken, whereasmaṣīr (with aṣād[ص] instead of a sīn[س]) means what youbecome. In short, you have only yourself to blame for your present condition, whether it is good or bad, because you have the ability to changeyourself in either direction. This verse bemoans the fact that despite these people’s potential – the abilities, age, blessings, and tools that God has placed at their disposal (such as their senses and their minds) – none of them have used it to pursue perfection.Instead, they squandered it.

Translator: Alexander Hainy (Khaleeli)
Editor: Hamid Mavani