وَتَبارَكَ الَّذي لَهُ مُلكُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَما بَينَهُما وَعِندَهُ عِلمُ السّاعَةِ وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ

Blessed is He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and with Him is the knowledge of the hour, and to Him you will be brought back.

EXEGESIS

Tabāraka (blessed is he) comes from the root baraka which originally was used to mean the chest (or forepart) of a camel. It is said baraka al-baʿīr, meaning the camel cast down its chest (it knelt). From this usage, the meaning of adherence and remaining fixed was inferred. Thus, it is said, ibtarakū fī al-ḥarb, meaning they stood firm and held their ground at the place of fighting during a war. A birkah (pond) is a place where water is held and confined. Barakah (blessing) is defined as the abiding and enduring presence of divine good within a thing. Based on this linguistic root, exegetes maintain that barakah either indicates abundant good and blessings or permanence and enduring of goodness,^{‎[1]Razi, 27/648.} or perhaps even both. With regards to God, both would apply, since His being is everlasting and He is the source of all goodness.^{‎[2]Amthal, 16/105.}

Furthermore, the conjugation of tabāraka on the tafāʿala form (form six) intensifies the meaning of being blessed. Though this pattern originally indicated reciprocal action between two agents (such as taqātalā, they fought one another; tamārā, they disputed), it later came to denote the repetition of an action – a nuance that here conveys a profound and enduring blessedness.^{‎[3]Ibn Ashur, 25/300.}

ʿIndahu (with him) is a locative adverb that is the predicate to the subject ʿilm al-sāʿah (knowledge of the hour). Mentioning the predicate before the subject indicates exclusivity, i.e. only He has knowledge of the hour.^{‎[4]Rahnama, 17/114.}

Turjaʿūn (you will be brought back) is in the passive form which, according to some exegetes, implies a lack of volition, i.e. you will be brought back to Him, whether you like it or not.^{‎[5]Rahnama, 17/114.} It has been brought after the preposition ilayhi even though syntactically it should have come before, in order to emphasise certainty and strength of meaning, since those being addressed do not even believe in the resurrection,^{‎[6]Ibn Ashur, 25/301.} as well as to show exclusivity, i.e. it is only to Him that everyone returns.^{‎[7]Hadi, 3/274.}

EXPOSITION

This verse presents three other attributes of God, each of which can be considered an independent proof of God’s oneness in lordship. The first attribute is regarding His ownership of the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, Blessed is He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. This expression indicates towards the entire universe. Perhaps what is meant by whatever is between them are the noble angels who travel between heaven and earth to carry revelation and other divine matters.^{‎[8]Hadi, 3/274.}

The ownership of the Creator over all things means that their entire existence is dependent upon His command and will. This attribute also necessitates the exclusivity of divinity to His sacred essence, because any supposed entity in existence has no existence except through need and dependence upon His will, and thus cannot be a god.^{‎[9]Hadi, 3/274.}

The second attribute points to God’s exclusive knowledge of the hour. The resurrection is the final destination towards which all beings are moving, and the culmination of the entire order of creation. Every creature – whether angels, human beings, jinn, or any other created being – is subject to this divinely ordained system that moves towards a determined end.

Only He who originated this vast plan can fully know its culmination in exclusion of those who are subject to it. Furthermore, God not only brought creation into existence, but continuously governs and directs it toward the purpose for which it was created. The movement of time, the succession of generations, the rise and fall of nations, and the unfolding of history all proceed according to His decree until creation reaches its final destination. For this reason, knowledge of the hour belongs exclusively to Him. How could anyone claim lordship over the universe while remaining ignorant of the ultimate destiny of the very creatures under his authority? True sovereignty necessarily entails complete knowledge of the final end towards which all things are directed. Therefore, God alone is the true Lord and governor of all beings, not the alleged deities invoked by the polytheists, who neither create, nor govern, nor possess knowledge of the final hour.^{‎[10] Mizan, 18/128.}

If this verse is considered in context with the previous verse, it becomes clear that reflecting upon the divinity and eternal sovereignty of God, as well as the continuity of human life in the hereafter, prepares the ground for humanity’s inclination towards truth. Given that the preceding verses were in response to the deniers of monotheism, it is inferred that presenting God’s sovereignty over existence in this world and the hereafter serves as a warning to those who oppose the truth, so that they may come to their senses and turn to the truth.^{‎[11] Rahnama, 17/114.}

The third attribute is that to Him you will be brought back. Returning to God is for the purpose of reckoning and recompense. Reckoning and recompense represent the final stage of divine management. It is evident that the one who manages the universe is also the one to whom it ultimately returns, and the one to whom management and return belong is indeed the possessor of lordship.^{‎[12] Mizan, 18/128.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

It is noteworthy that verses 82, 84, and 85 all explicitly make mention of the heavens and earth, which are repeated in these verses three times: once to clarify that God is their Lord and manager, another to establish Him as the deity within them, and a third to affirm Him as their ruler. These three matters are interconnected; in reality, they are cause and effect to one another: He is the owner, therefore He is the Lord, and ultimately, He is the deity. Describing Him as the all-wise and the all-knowing completes these meanings.^{‎[13] Amthal, 16/106.}

Some exegetes suggest that what is between the heavens and the earth refers to the air and the birds therein.^{‎[14] Ibn Ajibah, 7/38.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honour come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.^{‎[15] 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.}
2. The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.^{‎[16] Psalms 24:1.}
3. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.^{‎[17] Psalms 89:11-12.}

[1] Razi, 27/648.
[2] Amthal, 16/105.
[3] Ibn Ashur, 25/300.
[4] Rahnama, 17/114.
[5] Rahnama, 17/114.
[6] Ibn Ashur, 25/301.
[7] Hadi, 3/274.
[8] Hadi, 3/274.
[9] Hadi, 3/274.
[10] Mizan, 18/128.
[11] Rahnama, 17/114.
[12] Mizan, 18/128.
[13] Amthal, 16/106.
[14] Ibn Ajibah, 7/38.
[15] 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
[16] Psalms 24:1.
[17] Psalms 89:11-12.