57:3
Al-Hadid
الحديد
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Translation
He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.
Tafsir (Commentary)
This verse describes four divine attributes that encompass all of existence: Al-Awwal (the First — nothing precedes Him), Al-Akhir (the Last — nothing outlasts Him), Az-Zahir (the Manifest — nothing is above Him), Al-Batin (the Hidden — nothing is closer than Him). The Prophet Muhammad described these names in a famous supplication narrated in Sahih Muslim.
Context of Revelation
Part of the opening passage of Surah Al-Hadid, which focuses on God's attributes of majesty and transcendence.