Tafsir of Al-Hadeed 57:3

هو اﻻول واﻻخر والظاهر والباطن

He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. This is the Ayah indicated in the Hadith of Irbad bin Sariyah that is better than a thousand Ayat. Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Zamil said, "I mentioned to Ibn Abbas that I felt something in my heart. He said, `Doubts' and then laughed. Next, he said, `No one can escape this. Allah the Exalted stated,

فٳن كنت في شك مما أنزلنا إليك فاسٲل الذين يقرءون الكتب من قبلك لقد جاءك الحق من ربك

So if you are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who are reading the Book before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. (10:94)' He then said to me, `When you feel any of this in your heart, recite,

هو اﻻول واﻻخر والظاهر والباطن

وهو بكل شيء عليم

He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything.''' There are about ten and some odd number of different sayings collected from the scholars of Tafsir regarding the explanation of this Ayah. Al-Bukhari said, "Yahya said, `Az-Zahir: knowing all things, Al-Batin: knowing all things.''' Our Shaykh Al-Hafiz Al-Mizzi said, "Yahya is Ibn Ziyad Al-Farra', who authored a book entitled Ma`ani Al-Qur'an.'' There are Hadiths mentioned about this. Among them, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah would recite this supplication while going to bed,

اللهم رب السموات السبع ورب العرش العظيم

ربنا ورب كل شيء منزل التوراة واﻻنجيل والفرقان فالق الحب والنوى ﻻ إله إﻻ أنت أعوذ بك من شر كل شيء أنت آخذ بناصيته

أنت اﻻول ليس قبلك شيء وأنت اﻻخر ليس بعدك شيء وأنت الظاهر ليس فوقك شيء وأنت الباطن ليس دونك شيء اقض عنا الدين وأغننا من الفقر

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forehead You have control over. O Allah! You are - Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; - Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; - Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and - Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty. Muslim recorded this Hadith via Sahl, who said, "Abu Salih used to order us to lay on our right side when we were about to sleep, and then say,

اللهم رب السموات ورب اﻻرض ورب العرش العظيم

ربنا ورب كل شيء فالق الحب والنوى ومنزل التوراة واﻻنجيل والفرقان أعوذ بك من شر كل ذي شر أنت آخذ بناصيته

اللهم أنت اﻻول فليس قبلك شيء وأنت اﻻخر فليس بعدك شيء وأنت الظاهر فليس فوقك شيء وأنت الباطن فليس دونك شيء اقض عنا الدين وأغننا من الفقر

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne! Our Lord, and the Lord of everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Furqan, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date stone! I seek refuge with You from the evil of everything whose forehead You have control over. O Allah! You are Al-Awwal, nothing is before You; Al-Akhir, nothing is after You; Az-Zahir, nothing is above You; and Al-Batin, nothing is below You. Remove the burden of debt from us and free us from poverty. And he used to narrate that from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet.''