Tafseer of The Exile · Al-Hashr · 59:23
He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ (59:23) ("He is Allah, beside whom there is no god but He, the King, the Most Holy, the Peace, the Granter of Security, the Overseer, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. Glorified is Allah, exalted above what they associate with Him as partners.")
Allah, exalted is His mention, says: He is the Worshipped One to whom alone worship is due; the King (al-Malik) above whom there is no king and above whom there is nothing, while everything is beneath Him; the Most Holy (al-Quddūs) — it has been said: that is the Blessed One.
I have previously set forth the meaning of sanctification (taqdīs) with the testimonies for it, and I have mentioned the disagreement of those who differ about it in a manner that absolves me from repeating it.
* Mention of those who said that by it the Blessed One is intended:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: الْقُدُّوسُ (al-Quddūs), that is to say: the Blessed One.
And His statement: السَّلامَ ("the Peace") means: He is the One who keeps His creatures safe from His wronging them; and it is one of His names.
As Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: السَّلامَ — Allah is the Peace (al-Salām).
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: ʿUbayd Allāh, that is to say al-ʿAtakī, related to us, on the authority of Jābir ibn Zayd, concerning His statement: السَّلامَ , he said: that is Allah. I have already mentioned the narration about it earlier, and set forth its meaning with the testimonies for it, and that absolves me from repeating it. And His statement: الْمُؤْمِنُ ("the Granter of Security") — by al-muʾmin is intended: the One who grants His creatures security from His wronging them.
Qatāda used to say concerning it what Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: الْمُؤْمِنُ — He gave security by His word that it is the truth.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: الْمُؤْمِنُ — He gave security by His word that it is the truth.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: الْمُؤْمِنُ , he said: the Confirmer (al-muṣaddiq).
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: الْمُؤْمِنُ , he said: al-muʾmin is the Confirmer, the Giver of certainty. The people believed in their Lord, so He called them believers (muʾminīn), and the Noble Lord granted them security for their belief — He confirmed for them that they are called by that name.
And His statement: الْمُهَيْمِنُ ("the Overseer") — the exegetes differed about its interpretation. Some of them said: al-muhaymin is the Witness (al-shahīd).
* Mention of those who said this:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: الْمُهَيْمِنُ , he said: the Witness; and another time he said: the Trustworthy (al-amīn).
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: الْمُهَيْمِنُ , he said: the Witness.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: الْمُهَيْمِنُ , he said: Allah, mighty and exalted, sent down a Book and bore witness over it.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: الْمُهَيْمِنُ , he said: the Witness over it.
Others said: al-muhaymin is the Trustworthy (al-amīn).
* Mention of those who said this:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk: الْمُهَيْمِنُ — the Trustworthy. And others said: الْمُهَيْمِنُ is the Confirmer (al-muṣaddiq).
* Mention of those who said this:
Yūnus related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: الْمُهَيْمِنُ , he said: the Confirmer of all that He has reported. And he recited: وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ ("and as an overseer over it"), he said: the Qurʾān confirms the Books that preceded it, and Allah is the Confirmer in all that He has reported about what has passed in the world, and what remains, and about what He has reported concerning the Hereafter.
I have already set forth previously, in Sūrah al-Māʾida, with the proofs that indicate its correctness, which of these statements most accords with the truth, and that absolves me from repeating it in this place.
And His statement: الْعَزِيزُ ("the Almighty") — the Severe in His retribution against those upon whom He takes vengeance among His enemies.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: الْعَزِيزُ , that is to say: in His vengeance when He takes vengeance.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: الْعَزِيزُ — in His vengeance when He takes vengeance.
And His statement: الْجَبَّارُ ("the Compeller") means: the One who sets right the affairs of His creatures, who guides them to what contains their welfare. Qatāda used to say: He compelled His creatures to what He wills of His decree.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: الْجَبَّارُ , he said: He compelled His creatures to what He wills.
And His statement: الْمُتَكَبِّرُ ("the Supremely Great") — it has been said: by it is intended that He holds Himself exalted above every evil.
* Mention of those who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: الْمُتَكَبِّرُ , he said: He holds Himself exalted above every evil.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, the same.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Abū Rajāʾ informed us, saying: A man related to me, on the authority of Jābir ibn Zayd, he said: Indeed, the Greatest Name of Allah is "Allah." Have you not heard that He says: هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ * هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ("He is Allah, beside whom there is no god but He, the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed; He is the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful. He is Allah, beside whom there is no god but He, the King, the Most Holy, the Peace, the Granter of Security, the Overseer, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. Glorified is Allah, exalted above what they associate with Him as partners"). He says: a glorification of Allah and an absolution of Him from the shirk of the polytheists (mushrikīn) which they ascribe to Him.
