Surah Al-Mulk

It is named Tabarak, al-Mani’ah (The Preventer), al-Munjiyah (The Deliverer), and al-Mujadilah (The Pleader). Al-Tabarani recorded from Ibn Mas’ud, who said: "We used to call it 'the Preventer' during the era of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings)."

Al-Tirmidhi and others recorded from Ibn Abbas, who said: "One of the companions of the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) pitched his tent over a grave, not realizing it was a grave. Suddenly, he heard a person inside the grave reciting Surah al-Mulk until he completed it. He went to the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) and informed him, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) said: 'It is the Preventer; it is the Deliverer, delivering him from the punishment of the grave.'"

Al-Tabarani, al-Hakim, Ibn Marduyah, and ‘Abd ibn Humayd in his Musnad—with this wording—recorded from Ibn Abbas that he said to a man, "Shall I not present you with a Hadith that will make you happy?" The man replied, "Yes." He said, "Recite: 'Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion' (Tabarak alladhi biyadihi al-mulk), and teach it to your family, all your children, the youths of your house, and your neighbors. For it is the Deliverer and the Pleader on the Day of Resurrection before its Lord for the one who recites it. It requests that He deliver him from the punishment of the Fire, and its companion is delivered by it from the punishment of the grave."

In Jamal al-Qurra’, it is also called al-Waqiyah (The Protector) and al-Mani’ah. It is Meccan according to the most correct opinion, though it is said that three verses of it are otherwise—a view recorded by Ibn Juwaybir in his Tafsir from al-Dahhak from Ibn Abbas. There is a strange statement that it is Medinan. Its verses are thirty-one in the Meccan count and the final Medinan count, and thirty in the others. A discussion of what supports the latter will follow soon, God willing.

The reason for its connection to the preceding Surah is that when Allah (Exalted be He) set forth an example for the disbelievers with those two women whose ends were decreed as wretched despite being under two great Prophets, and an example for the believers with Asiyah and Maryam whose ends were decreed as blessed despite the majority of their people being disbelievers, He began this Surah with that which indicates His (Mighty and Majestic is He) encompassing power, His subdual, and His disposition over His dominion in accordance with what His decree has already established.

It is also said that the beginning of this Surah is connected to the words of Allah (Exalted be He) at the end of Surah al-Talaq: "Allah who has created seven heavens," because of the added elaboration contained therein regarding what relates to that matter. Surah al-Tahrim was placed as a separator because it is like a piece of Surah al-Talaq and a completion of it.

Many reports have come regarding its virtue, including those already mentioned. Among them is what Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim (who authenticated it) and others recorded from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) said: "Indeed, a Surah from the Book of Allah—it is only thirty verses—interceded for a man until he was forgiven: 'Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion'."

Also among them is what came in a Hadith narrated by al-Tabarani and Ibn Marduyah with a good chain of narration from Ibn Mas’ud, and another narrated from him by a group and authenticated by al-Hakim: "Whoever recites it in a night has done much and done well." Ibn Marduyah recorded from ‘Aishah that the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) used to recite Alif-Lam-Mim Tanzil al-Sajdah and Tabarak alladhi biyadihi al-mulk every night; he would not leave them, neither while traveling nor while at home. For this reason and the like, it is said that it is recommended to recite it every night. Praise be to Allah who enabled me to recite it as such from the time I reached the age of discernment until today, and I ask Allah (Exalted be He) for success in what follows and for acceptance.

I have seen in some commentaries of al-Bukhari that it is recommended to recite it upon seeing the new moon in hope of protection from calamities during that month through the blessing of its thirty verses. And Allah (Exalted be He) is the Granter of success.

"Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion..."

Barakah (blessing) denotes growth and increase, whether physical or conceptual, along with the abundance and continuity of good. Its attribution to Allah—Exalted is He—is based on the first meaning, which is more befitting to the context, considering His transcendence—Glory be to Him—above all else in His Essence, His attributes, and His actions. The tafa'ul form (the form implying reciprocity) is used here for intensification, as is the case in similar linguistic forms that are inconceivable when attributed to Him, such as takabbur (arrogance/majesty).

Based on the second meaning, it refers to the abundance of the various types of goodness that flow from Him—Glorified is He—upon His creations. In this case, the form may signify the growth and gradual increase of these goods, bit by bit and moment by moment, according to their emergence or the emergence of their causes. It has been said that because this form uniquely denotes the pinnacle of perfection and signifies the ultimate level of glorification, it is not permissible to use it for any being other than Him—Glorified is He—nor is it permissible to use other forms in reference to Him. A complete discussion on this matter has already passed.

Attributing this to the Relative Pronoun (Alladhi - He who) serves to substantiate the content of the relative clause, demonstrating the truth of what it signifies. This is because the intended meaning is that He—Glorified is He—possesses complete encompassment and sovereignty. This is based on the premise that "in His hand is the dominion" is a representative metaphor (isti'arah tamthiliyyah) for that status, and it is not valid to apply it to any of its individual components separately. Alternatively, "dominion" is to be taken literally, and "the hand" is a metaphor for encompassment and sovereignty, as has been said.

Because this state requires that the one described by it is self-sufficient while others are dependent upon Him for their existence and the perfections of their existence, it has a specificity to existing things. Similarly, in common parlance, "dominion" is not ascribed to one who lacks such status. Therefore, the explanation of the verse's meaning is: He is Exalted and Magnified in His Essence above all else, in essence, attribute, and action, and He possesses complete encompassment and sovereignty over every existing thing.

His statement—Exalted is He—"And He is over all things competent" is a completion of the former. This is because the first clause indicates absolute disposal over existing things according to His will and desire, without any disputant or defender—there is no one who disposes over them other than Him—as indicated by the fronting of the prepositional phrase (bi-yadihi). The second clause denotes comprehensive, complete power. If one were to rely solely on the first clause, it might imply that His power—Exalted is He—is restricted to changing the states of the dominion, as is observed in the disposal of a metaphorical owner. Therefore, it is paired with the second to indicate that He—Exalted is His authority—is capable of disposal, of bringing into existence the entities being disposed over, and of bringing into existence their essential accidents and others. Hence, it is followed by the descriptor that encompasses accidents.

This is the view preferred by the scholar Al-Tayyibi. The author of Al-Kashshaf chose to interpret the first clause—as we mentioned—with a restriction to the existing, saying: "That is, He is Exalted and Magnified above the attributes of created beings, 'in whose hand is the dominion' over every existing thing, as you have heard." Regarding the second clause, he chose to restrict it to the non-existent, saying: "And He is over all that has not yet been brought into existence, of that which falls under His power, competent." The reasoning for this, as found in Al-Kashf, is that although "thing" (shay') is general and applies to everything that can be known or spoken of, when it is coupled with "power" (qudrah), it becomes specific to the non-existent. This is because, according to the majority of theologians, the existing does not need an agent, as they hold that the cause of need is "origination" (huduth). Al-Zamakhshari and his followers adhere to this. However, according to those who hold that the cause of need is "possibility" (imkan), such as the investigators (al-muhaqqiqun), it is because choice necessitates the precedence of non-existence. The second clause was brought to complete this as well, because restricting it to the existing implies a deficiency.

The author of Al-Taqrib chose the view that the statement of the Exalted, "in whose hand is the dominion," is absolute, and His statement, "and He is over all things competent," is general according to what the word "thing" is intended for. Thus, the intent was to state the power first, and its universality second. He did not approve of Al-Zamakhshari’s approach, criticizing it by arguing that a "thing" is either restricted to the existing or includes both the existing and the non-existent. Under either school of thought, there is no justification for restricting it to that which has not been brought into existence when both are conjoined. Unless one says that he restricted it to that to differentiate it from the former, since he had already restricted the former to the existing. This is also debatable, because if he had generalized the second, the differentiation would still be realized—not to mention that the "hand" is a metaphor for power; if it is restricted to it, as is his doctrine, then the first is restricted to the non-existent, and if it is not restricted, then the second is not restricted to the non-existent. The author of Al-Kashf claimed that this argument fell due to what we have reported from him, but objections were raised against him, and responses were given that are not free from scrutiny. So, let it be pondered.

Some people have interpreted "the dominion" as existing things and treated "the hand" as a metaphor for power, so the meaning becomes "in His power is the existing." Some have criticized this, claiming it to be weak, and pointed out that the escape from this is either by making "hand" a metaphor for disposal or by interpreting "dominion" as disposal. It has been said that the meaning of "the dominion is in His hand" is that He—Glorified is He—is the Owner of the dominion, so the meaning is "the Owner of the dominion." Al-Raghib interpreted "dominion" in such contexts as the regulation of a thing being disposed of through command. It is common to restrict it to the physical world ('alam al-shahadah), which is then contrasted with the spiritual realm (malakut), though that is not the intended meaning here, as is evident.