The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

57. IRON
A Medinan sura that urges the believers to spend in God’s cause and uphold
justice––the sura takes its title from the iron mentioned in verse 25. The allpervasiveness
of God’s power, knowledge, control, and glory is affirmed to
encourage the believers to right action, and the fate of the hypocrites is
described. Previous prophets are mentioned (verses 26–7), especially Noah,
Abraham, and Jesus, showing the response they received. The sura closes with a
reference to the People of the Book.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies God––He is the
Almighty, the Wise. 2 Control of the heavens and earth belongs to
Him; He gives life and death; He has power over all things. 3 He
is the First and the Last; a the Outer and the Inner; He has
knowledge of all things. 4 It was He who created the heavens and
earth in six Days and then established Himself on the throne. He
knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it; what descends
from the sky and what ascends to it. He is with you wherever you
are; He sees all that you do; 5 control of the heavens and earth
belongs to Him. Everything is brought back to God. 6 He makes
night merge into day and day into night. He knows what is in every
heart.
7 Believe in God and His Messenger, and give out of what He has
made pass down to you: those of you who believe and give will have a
great reward. 8 Why should you not believe in God when the Messenger
calls you to believe in your Lord, and He has already made a
pledge b with you, if you have faith? 9 It is He who has sent down clear
revelations to His Servant, so that He may bring you from the
depths of darkness into light; God is truly kind and merciful to you.
10 Why should you not give for God’s cause when God alone will
inherit what is in the heavens and earth? Those who gave and fought
before the triumph c are not like others: they are greater in rank than
a Theologians add, ‘without a beginning and without an end’.
b See 7: 172.
c The surrender of Mecca.