Everything in the heavens and earth extols God's limitless glory. He is the Almighty, the Wise. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He grants life and causes death; and He has power over all things. He is the First and the Last, the Outer and the Inner. He has full knowledge of all things. It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days and established Himself on the throne. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; all that descends from the skies and all that ascends to them. He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees all that you do. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. Everything goes back to God. He causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night; and He has full knowledge of what is in every heart. (Verses 1-6)

This opening brings together a number of the attributes of Godhead as they manifest themselves in action. We see clearly that it is God who originates all, encompasses all, controls all and knows all. We see the hand of God as it works throughout the heavens and earth, tackles innermost feelings, brings out deeply-buried secrets and looks from above on the universe and all who abide there. This powerful opening strongly shakes our hearts as it takes us on a round through the universe where we find, see and hear none other than God. We realize that we cannot escape His will, hide from His knowledge, seek refuge with, or appeal to anyone other than Him.

“Everything in the heavens and earth extols God's limitless glory. He is the Almighty, the Wise" (Verse 1) Thus the surah begins and the entire universe echoes God’s glorifications. Everything in the universe joins in so that every open heart, no longer shielded by preoccupations with the transitory life of this world, hears this glorification. We do not need to dig for any further meaning to the text other than the apparent significance of its words. We do not know anything about the nature of the universe that is truer and more accurate than what God tells us.

Therefore, when God says that everything in the universe ‘extols God's limitless glory,' then this is exactly what this sentence means. No other words highlight this meaning better or closer. We may understand from this that everything in the heavens and earth has a soul that turns to God and glorifies Him. This is the verse’s closest meaning, confirmed by a number of authentic ahadlth. It is also the experience of some people, who at moments when their hearts and souls were at a high point of clarity, related to the truth inherent in everything and who could see beyond apparent shapes and forms.

In the Qur’an, we read about the Prophet David: “We said: You mountains, sing with him God's praises! And likewise you birds!" (34: 10)

And that is what happened: the mountains and the birds sang God’s praises with David who himself had a pleasant and melodious voice. In his anthology of authentic ahadlth, Muslim relates, on the authority of Jabir ibn Samurah: “The Prophet said: ‘There is in Makkah a rock that used to greet me during the early days of my mission. I can identify it now’.” ‘All ibn Abl Talib reports: “I was with the Prophet in Makkah when we went out in a certain direction. Every tree or mountain he faced said to him: ‘Peace be to you, Messenger of God’.” [Related by al- Tirmidhl] Al-Bukhari relates on the authority of Malik ibn Anas: “The Prophet used to give his sermons leaning on the branch of a tree. When the pulpit was made for him to stand on and he stood there delivering his sermon, the branch yearned like a she-camel. The Prophet went down and rubbed it with his hand and it stopped.” There are many Quranic verses that clearly express this universal fact, such as: “Are you not aware that it is God whose limitless glory all creatures that are in the heavens and earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each of them knows how to pray to Him and to glorify Him.” () “Are you not aware that to God bow down in worship all those who are in the heavens and on earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees and the beasts, and a great number of human beings?” () “Indeed every single thing extols His glory and praise, but you cannot understand their praises” () There is no need to try to explain these clear texts in a way that suits our own preconceptions of the nature of things when these are not based on the Qur’an. Whatever ideas or thoughts we entertain about the universe should rely, first and foremost, on what is stated by God, the Creator and Originator of the universe, who bestowed the Qur’an from on high.

We hardly catch our breath after this first verse has portrayed this great universal festival of God’s glorification. The surah immediately takes us on another round in the universe: “His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He grants life and causes death; and He has power overall things.” (Verse 2) We have learnt that everything in the heavens and earth extols God’s glory, as He is the sole owner of the universe who has no partner in His dominion. It is, thus, a case of glorifying the Owner by His property. It is He who creates life and death, granting life to every living thing and then determining its death. Nothing happens other than what He wills.

Life continues to be a secret in its nature and source. No one can tell where it came from or how. Indeed, no one knows what life truly is.

The Qur’an says that it is God who grants life to every living entity. No one can deny this or prove anything contrary to it. Likewise, death is a deeply hidden secret whose nature is unknown to all. No one can cause it because none can take life away other than the One who granted it in the first place. Both life and death are aspects of His absolute dominion over the heavens and the earth.

“He has power over all things” (Verse 2) His power is absolute, unrestricted by anything. God’s will operates without any restriction whatsoever. Any limitation, of any type, form or colour, our minds try to apply to God’s will, according to our own logic, is false as it is conceived by man’s finite mind. The fact that God’s will determines and operates the laws that operate in the universe is part of the overall picture of His free, unrestricted will. The choice is made without restriction, and the operation of these laws does not impose any limitation on God’s will to make it operate within these laws. God’s choice remains free and unrestricted.

The Qur’an lays much emphasis on this fact, reiterating it on every occasion in a way that accentuates that God’s will is absolutely free, unrestricted even by the results of its own actions. Thus, this fact remains clear, uncoloured by any alien conception. For example, God has promised the people of heaven that they will abide there forever, and the same promise is given to the people of hell. This promise is issued by His will, but His will is kept free beyond the very promise He has chosen to give. Therefore, He says about both groups that they will “abide [there] as long as the heavens and the earth endure, unless your Lord wills it otherwise” (11: 107 and 108) This is repeated on every occasion so as to make it clear that no exception can be made. Human logic has no say on this other than what is stated in the Qur’an.

In this way, we can appreciate the significance of this verse that states God’s absolute power in His dominion in which He has no partner, where everything rightly extols His praises.

We are then introduced to another truth that may be greater and more profound than the previous ones: it is the truth that the only true entity is God - limitless is He in His glory. Therefore, He encompasses everything and knows everything: “He is the First and the Last, the Outer and the Inner. He has full knowledge of all things. ” (Verse 3) He is the First, which means that nothing was before Him; and He is the Last, which means that nothing remains after Him. He is the Outer, which means that nothing is above Him; and He is the Inner, which means that nothing is beyond Him. The first two attributes encompass the nature of time, and the other two the nature of place. The human mind may look everywhere, but it will find that nothing has any entity except God.

Indeed all qualities of existence apply to Him alone. The very existence of the human mind materializes only through Gods existence, which is the only true existence. Everything else receives its existence from Him.

This is the basic truth that gives everything its nature. Nothing has an independent existence beyond this truth.

“He has full knowledge of all things” (Verse 3) His is the knowledge of the truth absolute. Since every existence is derived from God, it is included in His absolute knowledge, which belongs to Him alone. No one shares in Gods knowledge, much as people may get to know some aspects of the nature of their own world. Still, they will only know about what appears to them.

If this great truth is well established in a persons heart, why should he give any consideration to anything in the universe other than God?

Nothing, including that very heart, has any true existence other than what it derives from that great truth. Everything else is a transitory delusion. Only God remains, as He is the only One who is eternal. Until this great truth is firmly established in our hearts, we should look at this Quranic verse, contemplate and truly appreciate its message.

Sufis upheld this truth and went far and wide with it. Some of them said they could see God in everything in the universe, while others said they saw God beyond everything, and others still said that as they saw God, they could see no one else in the universe. These statements, inadequate as they are, simply point to the truth. What the Sufis are generally criticized for is that their concept led them to neglect life. Islam though is a balanced way of life. It wants the human heart to appreciate this truth, live with it and for it, while at the same time discharging all incumbent duties as vicegerents of this earth. Each person should work hard to implement the divine code of life on earth. Such implementation is the result of a balanced appreciation of this great truth, consistent with the nature of man and the nature of the universe as created by God.

Now the surah tells us how other truths branched out from that great one:

It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days and established Himself on the throne. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; all that descends from the skies and all that ascends to them. He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees all that you do. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. Everything goes back to God. He causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night; and He has full knowledge of what is in peoples hearts. (Verses 4-6)

These verses mention several truths: God’s creation of the heavens and the earth; His establishing Himself on the throne; His knowledge of particular matters about His creation; His presence with everyone wherever they happen to be; the return of everything to Him; His conduct of the affairs of this world; and His knowledge of what is in people’s hearts. All these spring out of the first great truth, but their presentation against this universal background gives them special effect.

The heavens and the earth strike awe in our hearts by their expanse, beauty, harmony, accuracy of position and movement and in the consistency of their phenomena. Like the human heart, they are God’s creatures. Thus, they too relate to man’s heart. They strike some heavenly tunes on it when man looks and reflects on their creation. They say to man that they are all created by God, and that they extol His praises.

Man should do the same. Like them, he should derive the truth of his existence from God’s existence.

The six days in which God created the heavens and earth are known only to God. Our own days are accidental results of the earth’s rotation in relation to the sun. This earth day came into existence after the creation of the earth and the sun. Therefore, we cannot apply this earth day to the creation of the universe. We, therefore, leave such knowledge to God.

He gives us such information in due course, if He so pleases.

The same applies to the throne. We believe in it as God has mentioned it, but we do not know its nature. As for God ‘establishing’ Himself on the throne, we can say that it is an expression that stresses God’s control of all His creation. This is based on what the Qur’an says and, as a result, we know for certain that God does not change situation or position.

He is not unestablished on the throne in one situation and then in another established. To say, as some scholars do, that we believe in God’s establishing Himself on the throne without knowing how does not give us an adequate explanation of the phrase “and established Himself on the throne” It is preferable to say that this refers to God’s absolute control of all creation. To so explain this does not depart from our method of abstaining from personal views about the meaning of things that do not belong to our world. Instead, we are relying on what the Qur’an states and the impression it gives of God and His attributes.

Having softened our hearts with this opening, the surah calls on all people to believe and be ready to sacrifice money and property. The opening has made us ready to listen and pay full attention. Yet the address also brings its own inspiring touches and encouraging tones:

Believe in God and His Messenger, and give [in charity] of that of which He has made you trustees. Those of you who believe and give [in charity] will have a great reward. Why should you not believe in God when the Messenger calls upon you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a pledge from you, if you are true believers? It is He who bestows from on high clear revelations to His servant, to lead you out of the deep darkness into light. God is indeed most compassionate to you, ever merciful. Why should you not spend freely in the cause of God, seeing that God's alone is the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Those of you who gave and fought [for God's cause] before the victory are not like others: they are higher in rank than those who gave and fought afterwards, although God has promised the ultimate good to all of them. God is well aware of all that you do. (Verses 7-10)

Here, God is addressing the hearts He has created. He knows them, knows what influences them, as well as what feelings they harbour. He knows that for faith to be pure and well established in our hearts so that it gives results in practical life is very hard. He knows how hard and long the struggle is for hearts to be ready to sacrifice purely for His sake.

Therefore, the surah brings in such a host of factors and puts before us a number of universal truths. Their combined effect makes us measure things with the accurate measure of the great truth. The Quran deals with these hearts time and again, step after step. It is not satisfied with a single address or influence presenting the case. Hence advocates of the divine faith are well advised to reflect on the way the Qur’an treats people’s hearts, so that they can follow its guidance.

The beat at the surah's opening is so powerful and profound that it shakes and softens hardened hearts, making them sensitive. The Qur’an, however, does not use only those influences as it calls on people to believe and to be charitable: “Believe in God and His Messenger, and give [in charity] of that of which He has made you trustees." (Verse 7) The addressees now are Muslims, yet they are called upon to believe in God and His Messenger. This means that they are called upon to ensure that the truth of faith, in its full meaning, takes hold of their hearts. This is a fine touch. They are also called upon to spend in charity, and this call is also coupled with an inspiring touch. They do not spend out of their own property, but rather out of the portion of God’s kingdom that He has given them on trust. It is He who has the ‘dominion over the heavens and the earth] which means that it is He who made the human race generally trustees over a part of His property. It is He who "grants life and causes death.' In this way He passes the trust from one generation to another.

The surah then adds the incentive to spend in charity, putting this in an emphatic way: “ Why should you not spend freely in the cause of God, seeing that God's alone is the heritage of the heavens and the earth?" (Verse 10) This reference takes us back to the fact already mentioned in the opening verses: “His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth.

Everything goes back to God" (Verse 5) The heavens and the earth are His own property and they revert back to Him. What has been assigned to people on trust will also go back to Him as part of this inheritance.

Why should they, then, not be charitable when He is asking them to spend in charity? When this is put into perspective, there can be no justification for stinginess.

The elite community of the early believers, the Muhajirin and the Ansar, came forward with what they could of sacrifice, in life and property, during a very hard time, before the great triumph was achieved.

The victory mentioned here may refer to either the fall of Makkah to Islam, or to the signing of the peace treaty at al-Hudaybiyah. Both were events that greatly consolidated the position of Islam at a time when it was still besieged by enemies on all fronts. These people offered their sacrifices to God, entertaining no thought of worldly gain or currying favour with a powerful Muslim state, for there was none. Their sacrifice was the result of a choice they made for Gods sake. It was in support of a faith they wholeheartedly accepted and loved, valuing it dearer than their lives and properties. Yet what they sacrificed was, in quantity, much less than what those who flocked to Islam after its victory were able to sacrifice. Some of these offered sacrifices, stopping at the amount they heard the early Muslims gave. Therefore, the Quran gives these offerings their true values, making it clear that it is not the quantity that determines the value; rather, it is the motive pointing to the truth of faith: “ Those of you who gave and fought [for God's cause] before the victory are not like others: they are higher in rank than those who gave and fought afterwards(Verse 10)

A person who makes financial sacrifices and fights when the faith he believes in is struggling against great odds, able to call on the support of only a few, and when there is little hope of personal gain is totally different from the one who makes such sacrifices and fights at the time of security, when supporters are plentiful and victory is assured. The first is totally dedicated to his faith, placing his complete trust in God, with no quick gains to be hoped for. Nothing but faith urges him to make such sacrifices. The other always finds those who encourage him to do good deeds, even when his intention is right and he is totally dedicated to faith. Anas reports: “Some verbal disagreement occurred between Khalid ibn al-Walld and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. Khalid said to Abd al-Rahman: ‘You take pride against us because of the period you had ahead of us.’1

The surah goes a stage further in motivating addressees to be true believers and to make financial sacrifices. It provides further incentives and inspiration:

Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay in multiples and will generously reward him? On the day when you see all believers, men and women, with their light spreading rapidly before them and to their right, [they will be told], ‘The good news for you today is that you shall for ever abide in gardens through which running waters flow. This is indeed the supreme triumph.’ On that day the hypocrites, men and women, will say to the believers, ‘Wait for us! Let us have a ray of your light!’ They will be told: ‘Turn back and seek some other light. ’A wall with a gate will be raised between them: within it will be mercy, and outside will be suffering. [Those without] will call out to those [within], ‘Were we not with you?’ They will reply, ‘Yes, but you allowed yourselves to be led into temptation, you wavered, you doubted, and you were deceived by false hopes until God’s command came to pass, and indeed you let your deceptive thoughts about God delude you. Today no ransom will be accepted from you or from the unbelievers. The fire shall be your home: it is where you belong; and how evil a destination!' (Verses 11-15)

This address is not merely inspiring; it is captivating. It says to those who are always in need of help, ‘Who will offer God a generous loan?* The mere thought that he, a poor, little human being, can offer a loan to God should make a Muslim rush to do so. People normally compete to lend to someone who is rich - when they, including the rich, are all poor - because they know that repayment is certain. They are proud to lend money to such a wealthy person. So how would they feel when they make a loan to the One who is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise?

The surah, however, does not leave it at this, but instead promises to repay such a goodly loan, given purely to Him without any thought of pleasing anyone else, in double or multiples. In addition, it promises a very generous reward: “ Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay in multiples and will generously reward him?” (Verse 11) The surah then presents a brilliant image of this generous reward in a scene of the day when this is granted: “On the day when you see all believers, men and women, with their light spreading rapidly before them and to their right.” (Verse 12)

The scene presented here is unique both in framework and detail. It is a scene brought to life by a dialogue that enhances the clearly delineated image. As we read, a lustrous image is drawn before us in which we see believing men and women and a gently shining light radiating through them and flowing to their right. These human bodies are beaming with a light that spreads from them so that it can be seen both before them and to their right. It is the light into which God brought them out of darkness; the light that beamed into their souls to overshadow their original nature. Or is it, perhaps, that the light from which God created this universe and all who live in it,