Al-Hadid
Al-Ḥadīd is the 57th chapter of the Quran with 29 verses. The chapter takes its name from that word which appears in the 25th verse. This is an Al-Musabbihat surah because it begins with the glorification of Allah.
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is a Medinan chapter, which means it is believed to have been revealed in Medina rather than Mecca.
Summary
- 1-6 God is omniscient and most powerful.
- 7-11 Muslims exhorted to give alms and help the Prophet's mission
- 12-14 The wise and the foolish in the Judgment Day
- 15-17 True believers admonished to submit humbly to God
- 18 God will reward the faithful but will punish the wicked
- 19-20 The present life a vain show
- 21 Men exhorted to seek the life to come
- 22-23 All things recorded in God's book of decrees
- 24 God hateth proud and covetous persons
- 25 Apostles sent to former nations
- 26-27 Noah, Abraham, the prophets, and Jesus, with the Gospel, sent
- 28-29 Christians exhorted to become Muslims
Exegesis
In his tafsir, Ma’ariful-Qur’an, Muhammad Shafi wrote: “It is recorded in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i that Sayyidna ‘Irbad Ibn Sariyah said that the Messenger of Allah 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: Al-Hadid; Al-Hashr; As-Saff; Al-Jumu’ah; and At-Taghabun.
“Having cited this Hadith, Ibn Kathir says that the best verse referred to in Surah Al-Hadid is verse..
“Among the five Surahs, the first three namely Al-Hadid, Al-Hashr and As-Saff commence with the past perfect tense ‘sabbaha’ whilst the last two, namely Al-Jumu’ah and At-Taghabun commence with the imperfect tense ‘yusabbihu’. This implies that the purity of Allah should be declared at all times, the past, the present and the future. ”