57:1  All those who are in the heavens and the earth glorify Allah alone, and only He is the Lord of Honour, Most Wise

57:2  His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He is the One Who gives life and causes death, and He wields Absolute Power over everything

57:3  He is the One Who is the First (of all) and the Last (of all). And He is Manifest (as for His Power) and Hidden (as goes His Essence). And He knows everything full well

57:4  He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, then unveiled His Might taking the Throne of sovereignty of the universe (i.e., organized the whole universe under His command befitting His Glory). He knows what goes into the earth and what comes out of it, and what descends (or comes forth) from the heavenly bodies or what ascends to (or goes into) them. Wherever you are, He is with you. And Allah monitors best what you do

57:5  His is the entire kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Him are returned all the affairs

57:6  He is the One Who makes the night pass into the day and the day pass into the night. And He is also Well Aware of the (hidden) contents of the hearts

57:7  Believe in Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) and spend (in His cause) out of that (wealth) in which He has made you His vicegerents (and trustees). So those of you who believe and spend (in His way), for them is mighty reward

57:8  And what is the matter with you that you do not believe in Allah whilst the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) is giving you the call to believe in your Lord? And surely, Allah has already taken a firm covenant from you if you are believers

57:9  He is the One Who sends down clear signs to His (exalted) servant so that He may bring you out of the darkness into the light. Surely, Allah is the Most Clement, Ever-Merciful towards you

57:10  And what is the matter with you that you do not spend in the way of Allah, whereas the ownership of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone (you are merely His vicegerents)? Those of you who spent (their wealth in the way of Allah before Meccan Victory) and fought (in their defence), they (and you) cannot be equal. They are far higher in rank than those who spent their wealth afterwards and fought. But Allah has promised the most pleasing end (i.e., Paradise) to all in the Hereafter. And Allah is Well Aware of what you do

57:11  Who will make a good loan to Allah so that He may increase it (the loan) for him manifold? And a generous reward awaits him

57:12  (O Beloved!) The Day when you will see the believing men and the believing women (of your Umma [Community]) with their light heading fast in front of them and on their right (it will be said to them:) ‘Good news to you. Today there are Gardens for you with streams flowing under them. (You) will live in them forever. That is but a great success.

57:13  The Day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say to the believers: ‘Look towards us (also a little considerately) so that we may take some of your light,’ it will be said to them: ‘Go back and look for light (there where you used to deny the light).’ So a wall will be raised between them (just then) with a door in it. Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment from that direction

57:14  They (the hypocrites) will call out those (believers), saying: ‘Were we not in your company (in the world)?’ They will say: ‘Yes indeed! But you troubled yourselves with the disruption (of hypocrisy) and used to wait (for our woe and destruction). And you doubted (the Prophethood of Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him] and the Din [Religion of Islam]), and your false hopes deceived you till the command of Allah (i.e., death) reached, and the Arch-Deceiver (Satan) kept deluding you about Allah

57:15  So T oday, (O hypocrites,) no recompense will be accepted from you or from those who disbelieved. Hell is the abode for you (all). And it is this (abode) which is your mawla (companion). And quite an evil resort is that (because you denied accepting those as mawla from whom the charity of the light of faith and forgiveness is obtained)

57:16  Has the time not (yet) come for the believers that their hearts get humbled with tenderness for the remembrance of Allah, and for that truth (as well) which has been sent down, and that they do not become like those who were given the Book before this, then a long time passed over them and their hearts hardened? And many of them are disobedient

57:17  Know that Allah alone brings the earth to life after it is dead. And surely, We have made signs clear for you so that you may put your reason to work

57:18  Surely, both the men and the women who give charity and those who lend a goodly loan to Allah, the (reward of charity) will be increased for them manifold, and there will be most honourable reward for them

57:19  And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers are al-siddiqun (the champions of truth) and al-shuhada’ (the faithful witnesses) in the sight of their Lord. For them is their reward and their light (as well), and those who disbelieved and denied Our Revelations, it is they who are the inmates of Hell

57:20  Know that the life of the world is nothing but a sport and pastime, and superficial beauty, and mutual boasting and self-praise, and ambition to excel in wealth and children over one another. Its similitude is rain whose produce pleases the farmers. Then it dries up. Then you see it turning yellow and then it becomes bits of stubble. And there is severe torment (for the disobedient) in the Hereafter, and forgiveness and great pleasure from Allah (for the obedient). And the life of the world is nothing but belongings that deceive

57:21  (O servants!) Race in pursuit of forgiveness from your Lord and towards Paradise (also) which is as wide as the vast expanse of the heaven and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. This is Allah’s bounty which He gives to whom He wills. And Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty

57:22  No calamity occurs in the earth or in your lives but it is in a Book (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz, the station of Allah’s pre-eternal knowledge,) before We make it happen. Surely, this (all-encompassing and perfect knowledge) is very easy for Allah

57:23  So that you may not grieve over what goes out of your hands, nor gloat in pride over what He grants you. And Allah does not like anyone arrogant and proud

57:24  They who are (themselves) miserly and (also) urge others to be miserly. And he who turns away from (Allah’s injunctions), then surely Allah is (also) Self-Sufficient, Most Praiseworthy

57:25  Verily, We sent Our Messengers with clear signs, and We sent down with them the Book and the balance of justice so that people might grow firm and stable in justice. And (of minerals) We brought forth iron in which there is a fierce force (for weapons and defence) and which has (multiple other) benefits for people (in industrial development). And (the purpose is) that Allah may bring to light the one who helps Him and His Messengers (i.e., the Din [Religion of Islam]) without seeing. Surely, Allah is (Himself) the All-Powerful, the Almighty

57:26  And indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) and Ibrahim (Abraham), and We placed Prophethood and the revealed Book amongst their children. So (some) of them are rightly guided and most of them are disobedient

57:27  Then in the footsteps of these Messengers, We sent (other) Messengers and We sent ‘Isa, the son of Maryam (Jesus, the son of Mary) after them and gave him the Injil (the Gospel). And We created kindness and mercy in the hearts of those who were (the true) followers (of ‘Isa [Jesus]). And they themselves invented the innovation of monasticism. We did not prescribe it for them. But they (introduced this innovation of monasticism) merely to seek Allah’s pleasure. Then they could not practically keep and maintain that check which was its due (i.e., could not continue its spirit and discipline). So We paid those of them who believed (and continued the innovation of monasticism to seek the pleasure of Allah) their reward. And most of them (who left it and changed their ways) are disobedient

57:28  O believers! Become Godfearing and believe in His (Esteemed) Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him). He will bless you with two portions of His mercy and will bring about light for you to walk in (in the world and in the Hereafter) and will forgive you. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Ever-Merciful

57:29  (The purpose of this exposition is) that the People of the Book may know that they have no control over Allah’s bounty, and that the entire bounty is in the Mighty Hand of Allah alone. He gives it to whom He likes, and Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty, Most Great